Communities of Practice for Transforming Tacit Knowledge into Explicit Knowledge in Autism Literacy: A Comparative Study of Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, and Paraguay

This study examines pedagogical practices for autism literacy across four countries and explores the potential of establishing a communication network to facilitate the effective exchange of knowledge and experiences. By leveraging local cultural strategies, knowledge management, and organizational intelligence, the research aims to transform tacit knowledge—common in languages with phonetic simplicity, such as Latin-based languages—into explicit knowledge, particularly in countries with law-based educational frameworks. The study addresses key challenges in autism learning, including inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, anxiety, irritability, tantrums, defiance, and aggression. These difficulties are compounded by the widespread lack of recognition of the heterogeneity within the autism spectrum. Through interviews conducted in the selected countries, this research seeks to answer the following question: To what extent does the transformation of tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge impact autism literacy? The findings suggest that communities of practice play a crucial role in supporting pedagogical approaches, as many educators and caregivers feel overwhelmed and discouraged, often abandoning efforts due to a lack of understanding of literacy concepts, such as writing. Based on these insights, the study proposes the implementation of the phonemic method for literacy, along with a knowledge management portal that integrates learning resources, communities of practice, expert analyses, and semantic web technologies to enhance organizational intelligence in autism education.