2020 – 2021

Institution: Fernandes Figueira National Institute of Women’s, Children’s and Adolescent’s Health IFF/Fiocruz

A Physiotherapist with extensive experience in Pediatric Physiotherapy, motor development, Myelomeningocele, early intervention, and child health. Doctor in Sciences from the postgraduate program in women’s and children’s health at the Instituto Nacional de Saúde da Mulher, da Criança e o Adolescente Fernandes Figueira/Fiocruz. She has been involved in various actions aimed at contributing to the organization and strengthening of care models and networks for children with disabilities, such as:

• Coordination of online courses for UNASUS and SEAP/RJ, in partnership with Fiocruz and Telehealth from the University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), aimed at training professionals working in primary health care units and specialized networks, with a focus on integral care for children and adolescents with disabilities.
• Development and validation of a material for working with families of children in the context of SCVZ. This program consists of a series of 10 group sessions with family members, which aims to guide families and provide support and counseling on how to stimulate children with SCVZ. This product, now called the “Juntos Program,” is based on the theoretical model of family-centered care and participatory collaboration in community intervention, aimed at families of children with SCVZ.
• Collaborative professor in the Postgraduate Program in Women’s and Children’s Health at IFF/Fiocruz.
• Researcher at the Observatory of Special Education and Educational Inclusion (ObEE) at the Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ).

Research Line in PPGEDUC:
Line 1: Contemporary Studies and Educational Practices

Postdoctoral Supervisor:
Marcia Denis Pletsch

Postdoctoral Research Project:
Research and intersectoral actions between education and health in promoting the schooling and development of children with congenital Zika virus syndrome in Baixada Fluminense.
Period: (08/2020 to 09/2021)

According to the Ministry of Health, in 2019, 17,041 suspected cases of growth and developmental alterations, possibly related to Zika virus infection and other infectious etiologies, were reported. Of these, 3,332 (19.6%) were confirmed, primarily considering the existence of microcephaly. The Southeast region accounted for 20% of the total cases, with 43.7% in Rio de Janeiro, mostly in Baixada Fluminense. Since then, health actions and research have expanded, mainly focusing on the first months of life for these children. In 2020, these children began their schooling in Early Childhood Education, and with few exceptions, education networks have intersectoral proposals to address their specific developmental needs. This multidisciplinary project involves researchers from different institutions (UFRRJ, UERJ, PUC-Rio, and FIOCRUZ- Ensp and Instituto Fernandes Figueira) to develop studies and intersectoral actions between education, health, and social assistance to promote the schooling and development of children with congenital Zika virus syndrome (SCZV) in Baixada Fluminense. We propose two interrelated studies. The first aims to monitor and analyze the schooling processes of children with SCZV in public Early Childhood Education classes, in order to understand how inclusive education policies have been structured, the types of pedagogical supports and technological resources used by teachers, and the cognitive development of these subjects. The second study is based on the action-research methodology and aims to construct, implement, and evaluate a pilot program in Baixada Fluminense that focuses on the integrated education and care of children with SCZV, through the analysis of intersectoral collaborative actions established in the daily routines of key social actors in education, health, and social services. The project is justified by the originality of the proposal, methodology, and the connection between education and health. In this sense, it will have both scientific and social impact, as it may contribute to the formulation of public policies and support programs focused on the initial and ongoing training of professionals in these areas. Process E-26/010.002186/2019 FAPERJ – Emerging Groups Call.