Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) strategies benefit learners with complex communication needs (CCN) by allowing them to participate, interact and learn. AAC is realised in the South African Education policy; however, research indicates that many teachers still have limited AAC knowledge. With this study we aimed to describe the…

Communicative competence for people who use augmentative and alternative communication consists of four interrelated domains: linguistic, strategic, social, and operational. Ongoing assessment and progress monitoring within these domains are crucial to (a) providing information to teach targeted skills in a manner contextualized within the…

Inclusive preschool classrooms have become increasingly common in recent decades, affording opportunities for children with and without disabilities opportunities to interact and develop positive relationships. Children with disabilities may be unintentionally excluded from these interactions due to communication differences. This paper discusses…

The educational inclusion of deaf students in England is usually interpreted as placement in mainstream settings alongside hearing students, creating unintended pressure for assimilation to the communicative needs of hearing people. In this context, it is deaf students and their communication support staff who are left to deal with communicative…

Eye-gaze technology provides access to a computer through the control of eye movements, thus allowing students with severe motor and communication difficulties to communicate and participate in curriculum activities and leisure; however, few studies have investigated whether any challenges exist to its implementation. This study examines the…

In 2004, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act outlined specific considerations for students with individual education programs in relation to their needs and application of assistive technology (AT) devices and services used to access school curriculum. Teachers will interact with a variety of assistive technologies during their career…

For over a century, early childhood experts have discussed the importance of play for young children's growth and development. Play is critical for the development of young children as it increases learning (Barton, 2015), supports young children in gaining social and communication skills (Dennis & Stockall, 2015), and leads to social…

This paper examines the critical components of successful inclusion for students with severe disabilities. This review sets out to provide an overview of literature regarding effective practices for inclusion with a focus on critical components of successful inclusion that assist in preparing the stakeholders worldwide to work and engage…