Núcleo Disca

Points of interest:

• Between 2015 and 2023, the number of students with autism enrolled in the School Integration Program (PIE) in Chile increased by over 1,000%, revealing greater detection but also significant challenges for the inclusive education system
• There are no clear records of children under the age of five with disabilities, which hinders the design of early and adequate public policies and intervention strategies.
• There is weak interconnection between public institutions. The lack of coordination and clarity on which institution administers and manages records creates obstacles to accessing reliable data and developing evidence-based legislation.
• The voluntary nature of the National Disability Registry (RND) and the lack of strategies to promote its use—such as guaranteeing anonymity and access to benefits—contribute to under-registration, particularly in early childhood.
• Effective educational inclusion must begin in early childhood through early detection and intervention, as the first years are critical for development. This requires political will, resource mobilization, and a multisectoral approach.

Notes:

• The following summary was prepared by Núcleo Milenio DISCA and is based exclusively on the original publication. Therefore, it should not be used for citations or references.
• This article was originally published in English.

López M, Mira A, Mauricia D, Acevedo P, Lopez R, Molina P, Gutiérrez L, de Billerbeck E and Breinbauer C (2024) Are children under five with disabilities’ educational rights acknowledged and supported in Chile? Front. Public Health 12:1304152. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1304152