“Juntos pudimos, juntos podemos”: learning from hispanic caregiver perspectives on AAC service delivery

AAC service provision in the United Kingdom (UK) has evolved since the first service dedicated to the provision of communication aids opened in 1986. Within the UK, many health and care services are provided via government funding; however, the assessment and provision of AAC and specifically of speech-generating devices (SGDs) is inconsistent and inequitable. The study reported in this paper aimed to collect information on levels of current provision of powered communication aids (the term used in the study to refer to SGDs) by UK service providers in 2013 with the intention of improving future estimates for need of services. A questionnaire survey was designed and data were obtained from 98 AAC services across the UK. Service providers reported the number of individuals known to be using powered communication aids and the mean value reported was 0.0155% of the services’ catchment populations. However levels of service provision reported were highly variable. Although the data reported must be treated with caution, it adds to the sparse literature on the topic, informs AAC service design and delivery in the UK, and acts as an indicative baseline measure for future service development.

For students with complex communication needs, positive educational outcomes are heavily dependent on support services that facilitate access to AAC technologies, the acquisition of literacy skills, and access to the academic curriculum within supportive classroom communities. Although the AAC research literature documents continuous progress in the quality and effectiveness of school-based services, by many indicators the field has a distance to go in pursuit of excellence in AAC service delivery. In reflecting upon the current state of school-based practice, several important factors emerge as critical to the success of students who require AAC, including the expertise of practicing professionals, effective collaborations of service-delivery teams, and the availability of empirical studies to guide practitioners. This article examines key issues affecting AAC service delivery in the schools and discusses critical clinical and research needs in the areas of personnel preparation, collaborative team building, and the provision of quality AAC services. Suggestions for the development and refinement of best practices are also explored in a discussion of future directions for school-based AAC services.

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me--or so the old saying goes. And yet, throughout history particular words and labels have been linked to manifestations of power and domination. Some labels may be highly charged, controversial, or derogatory, such as slut, Octaroon, or illegal immigrant. Others may be more mundane, but still associated with material consequences, such as sir, ma'am, boy, criminal, or blue collar. The mere categorization of words as politically correct or incorrect is an indication of their social power. In the realm of education, references to culturally and linguistically students are now in vogue. In recent years this phrase has been the label of choice to describe the growing diversity in the U.S student population, often used to refer to students who are immigrants, who are not White or who speak languages other than, standardized English. A basic database search on JSTOR for material related to culturally and linguistically students alone yielded 3,788 papers. It is noteworthy that educational scholars, practitioners, and policymakers are taking students from marginalized cultural and linguistic backgrounds into greater consideration, because historically, the U.S. educational system has not been sensitive to the needs of these students (Crawford, 2004; Flores, 2005; Santa Ana, 2004). According to many states' current professional standards, teachers are expected to examine how students' cultural backgrounds are involved in teaching and learning (Gay, 2000). So, in many ways, greater attention given to culturally and linguistically students is a step towards greater inclusion and equity for all students. Ironically though, the effect of this language, purportedly intended to be inclusive, is to reinforce the position of White, monolingual, English-speaking students as the norm. Again cultural and linguistic diversity in classrooms is used to indicate students who are not White or who are not native monolingual speakers of English. This stance equates whiteness with a lack of diversity, a generalization which masks the diversity among White students and which critical race and whiteness scholars have already identified as problematic (Giroux, 1997; Hytten & Warren, 2003). The term diverse should not be used as a euphemism for immigrants, students of color, or students who speak languages other than English. If a classroom contains students who are all Spanish speakers, this does not automatically qualify it as culturally and linguistically diverse, in the same way that a class of monolingual English speakers is not linguistically (unless perhaps a variety of English dialects are spoken). Nevertheless, a variety of cultural backgrounds may exist in a classroom of White students. For instance, there may be students from rural, urban, and suburban neighborhoods as well as both native-born and immigrant White students. A classroom or school can only be said to be culturally and linguistically if students represent a variety of cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Students in the United States today certainly represent a wealth of cultural and linguistic backgrounds (Gay, 2000; Sleeter & Milner, 2011). White students and monolingual English speakers contribute to, and are a part of, the diversity in schools. Because of the increasing diversity in the student population, today's educators must be prepared to teach, and interact with students from a range of backgrounds. Culturally and linguistically is an entirely appropriate label when used to refer collectively to groups of students who vary from one another in their linguistic and cultural backgrounds. However, it is highly misleading to refer to a single student as culturally and linguistically diverse. At one extreme, the search for more appropriate terminology could be dismissed as a futile or overzealous quest for political correctness and a superficial acknowledgment for individuals and their backgrounds. …

Intensive development of information and communication technologies can contribute greatly to enhance alternative and augmentative communication for individuals who experience difficulty communicating in an understandable manner. Availability of internet infrastructure and affordability of mobile computer devices provide a sound starting point for planning and building AAC services. In order to make the services more familiar and understandable to users, it is justifiable to build them on top of common service platforms in an adaptive and configurable manner. In this paper we present a component-based AAC service development model that enables building such services by using mandatory AAC components on top of the component framework, and selecting visual or non-visual components from the available component pool. The AAC component selection criteria are based on matching the data and metadata of usability requirements specified with the metadata of available components from the component pool. Registering new components into the reusable component pool extends the pool and helps building the component-based AAC services development platform.Keywordsalternative and augmentative communicationcomponent-based developmentusability requirementscomponent poolAAC services

This qualitative case study describes a 9-year-old child, diagnosed with homonymous hemianopia, left side weakness and seizures that has been followed by Access to Communication and Technology Unit in Malta for 5 years. The child previously used a communication book and now uses an iPad as a speech generating device. A semi-structured interview was utilised with the parent to explore preference for each AAC system and the reasons for it. The impact of each AAC system on the family and on the child's communication skills, and perceived barriers in the implementation of the AACs were also explored. The child's own experience using the AAC systems was also investigated using a structured interview format. Talking Mats was used to support the child's understanding of the questions and to explore her perspectives on the two AAC systems using Yes-No responses. The parent interview was analysed thematically and represented visually using a thematic network. This was compared with child responses. Four organising themes emerged including barriers, benefits, facilitators, and expectations. Specific barriers included self-funding in order to provide the child with the best fit high-tech AAC. Perceived benefits for both AAC systems were that it increased her communicative intent. The child's mother perceived access to increased vocabulary and capacity for sentence building, operational autonomy as well as voice output as a benefit of the SGD. The child's results indicated a preference for the high-tech AAC because she found it easier to navigate than the low-tech AAC.

This study describes AAC availability and use in 55 young children in the United States. The children, aged 15 to 75 months, had not yet started kindergarten, had used their latest AAC system for 6 to 24 months, and had a variety of developmental disorders resulting in a severe communication disorder. The primary caregivers, all mothers, completed an 81-question case history about demographics, child's age at diagnosis and AAC receipt, and current AAC availability and use at home. They reported that the children waited an average of 6 months between a diagnosis and acquisition of their first AAC system. Forty children (73%) had received a different AAC system since acquiring their first AAC system. Most had multimodal AAC systems, which included both aided and unaided components, although 11 had used only the unaided AAC system of sign language. More than half of the AAC systems included voice output components. Sign language was the most frequently used AAC within the children's homes. The primary caregivers reported satisfaction with their children's AAC systems. Additional research is needed to describe current AAC practices with young children. These practices should then be evaluated for their effectiveness on both short- and long-term outcomes.

Intercultural and inclusive education are deeply interconnected concepts that seriously aim to create equitable and enriching learning environments. Intercultural education emphasises the recognition and appreciation of cultural diversity within the classroom. Practising intercultural education involves understanding and valuing students’ different cultural backgrounds, thereby promoting mutual respect and fostering a conducive teaching and learning environment. The combination of both intercultural education and inclusive education does not only pay special attention to the needs of students with disabilities or barriers to learning but also those from diverse cultural, ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. This combination further ensures that educational practices are equitable and that all students exercise their fundamental human rights and have the opportunity to succeed. By integrating these approaches, inclusive education schools can create a learning environment that respects and celebrates diversity while promoting social cohesion and equality. Moreover, intercultural education prepares students to thrive in a globalised world. Practically speaking, intercultural education has to ensure the adoption of teaching methods and curricula that reflect students’ diverse cultural backgrounds, encouraging collaborative learning and promoting policies that support equity and inclusion. As both the teachers’ duty and responsibility, they must play an active role in this important process by being culturally responsive and create classroom environments where all students feel valued and appreciated.

It is important to prepare educators to work with students and families from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds beyond the offering of isolated professional development workshops. Networked professional learning communities (PLCs) offer a professional learning model to engage in service teachers to work together across schools and communities. In this study, we describe a year-long networked PLC project that includes 26 U.S. educators across 11 school districts in one state focusing on promoting literacy development for multilingual learners through family engagement. Using cultural-historical activity theory as a framework, we explore educators’ expansive learning, focusing on who is learning, why they learn, what they learn, and how they learn. The findings illustrate how networked PLCs offer learning opportunities for educators with various expertise and working in different education contexts to focus on dialogues and applications to engage multilingual families. Situating the findings within the literature regarding educator professional learning, we offer implications for both teacher educators and educational leaders to consider.

In today's rapidly globalizing world, classrooms are increasingly becoming microcosms of diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. In an effort to promote inclusive education, educators are increasingly turning towards multilingual-oriented pedagogy as a means of creating an environment that supports the learning needs of diverse learners. This paper aims to explore the potential of understanding and implementing multilingual-oriented pedagogy to enhance inclusive educational practices. This study draws on theoretical framework of Gibson's Affordance theory. The paper recommends training and retraining of teachers to equip them with requisite knowledge and skills to open up to the flexible use of multilingual-oriented pedagogy, for teachers and education stakeholders to create and sustain inclusive learning spaces that respect learners' linguistic backgrounds, and empowering learners to embrace their multilingual identities, through the use of their multilingual skills in various academic and social contexts to enhance learning and cherish their identities. The paper concludes that multilingual-oriented pedagogy will help create learning environment that embraces linguistic diversity that is not only crucial for promoting inclusion, but also prepares learners for success in an increasingly interconnected world. It is through this inclusive approach that classrooms can truly become spaces where learners thrive and flourish

The acquisition of intercultural competence is considered paramount in enabling learners to engage comfortably with individuals from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. The ability to communicate and interact appropriately with individuals from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds is increasingly recognized as a fundamental component of the 21st century learning skillset. To investigate the attitudes, knowledge, and skills of students in relation to intercultural activities, this study employs a literature-based instructional approach. The implementation of the Intercultural communicative competence through English Literature (ICC-EL) paradigm among 92 students enrolled in the English Education Study Program at an Islamic higher education institution is the subject of this study. The research adopted a mixed-method approach to generate both quantitative and qualitative data. Specifically, a questionnaire was administered to students upon the completion of the course to elicit quantitative data, while qualitative data was obtained through observation of the students' performance by the course lecturer. The results demonstrate that the implementation of the ICC-EL model has proven to be successful in stimulating the students' intercultural communication skills. Furthermore, the study of literary materials in the form of English novels has encouraged students to administer their awareness of intercultural communication skills. The incorporation of a variety of techniques has provided students with greater exposure to diverse languages and cultures, thereby encouraging them to manage their intercultural communication skills. The assessment of intercultural communication competency employed in the ICC-EL model is deemed appropriate and adaptable for implementation in different language teaching and evaluation contexts.

Although the concepts of multicultural education and critical multiculturalism are well-known in Western societies, including Norway, research indicates that teachers often lack the necessary support and guidance to put these ideas into practice effectively. Through analysing individual interviews with twelve Norwegian student teachers, this paper explores their encounters with multicultural education in compulsory school settings. It aims to identify the ways in which the participating student teachers adjust their pedagogical strategies to integrate children’s diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds into their education. The theoretical framework of the study includes multicultural education and critical multiculturalism, which are utilised to critically discuss the pedagogical strategies described by the student teachers. In summary, the findings reveal a complex interplay between the student teachers’ theoretical aspirations and the practical realities they meet during on-site schoolteacher training in Norwegian compulsory schools. While this study’s participants recognise the importance of embracing children’s diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, their capacity to implement their visions is often hindered by a lack of necessary support to develop knowledge about addressing complex issues, including power, inequality and social (in)justice.

There is a growing body of research that shows correlation between family engagement and enhanced student outcomes. Federal legislation regulating special education (notably IDEA, 2004 and ESSA, 2015) has placed an increasing emphasis on family engagement with each iteration. Furthermore, it is commonly understood that family engagement is crucial when a child has a hearing impairment. Recognizing that connection, this study intended to explore the practices that parents of children who are deaf or hearing impaired perceive as facilitative of and obstacles to family engagement in the special education experience. The purpose of the study was to highlight these strategies in an effort to enhance their effectiveness among stakeholders in special education. The conceptual framework was supported by research and included three streams: 1. families of children who are deaf and hearing impaired; 2. home, school, and community engagement; and 3. facilitative practices and obstacles to engagement. The sample population included parents of children who ranged in age from kindergarten to entering college and who participate in hearing support service as their primary special education assignment. A phenomenological approach was taken in examining the shared life experiences of the participants. An initial poll of families of children with hearing loss in a southeastern Pennsylvania regional service agency identified participants who described themselves as having high levels of family engagement. A subset of the participants was invited to participate in one-on-one interviews and to respond to a writing prompt. Interview responses provided thick, rich descriptions of participants' experiences, which were recorded electronically, and then transcribed and analyzed to identify themes. The study revealed that parents value open, two-way communication with educational teams. They seek information, ongoing support for technology, and sustained opportunities to connect with other parents to enhance their funds of knowledge. Findings of this study represent a call to action to promote transformational leadership; necessitating the investment of time, resources, and energy that focus on family engagement as the foundation of all educational endeavors.

Science education reform focuses on learner‐centered instruction within contexts that support learners' sociocultural experiences. The purpose of this study was to explore Hispanic mothers' experiences as accompanying adults at an informal science center within the context of culturally sustaining experiences, which include the fluidity and plurality of cultural and linguistic diversity, and support multilingualism and multiculturalism in practice and perspective for learners. Through a phenomenological approach, eight Hispanic mothers were observed with their children at a science center and then interviewed to elicit an understanding of their experiences. Results indicate that mothers were largely unfamiliar with museums in general, yet the science center supported their socio‐cultural ways of learning and engaging with their children. Nevertheless, from the perspective of the mothers, opportunities exist for the science center to provide more cultural/linguistic access to the exhibits. While prior research has shown that informal science education can encompass culturally meaningful experiences by affirming cultural identities, results from this study suggest that this inclusive and affirming approach be extended to all informal science venues using a multi‐modal approach to learning, and should include cultural sustainability to support negotiations between prior and current cultural contexts. This could include, but is not limited to, targeted outreach and programming that values parents as intellectual resources and involving diverse community members not only in the design process but also in the operations of the center. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 52: 84–106, 2015

Language learning is both a cognitive and emotional process, where emotions impact learners’ engagement, motivation, and overall success. This study aimed to explore the emotional impact of language learning on adult English learners, focusing on key emotional factors such as anxiety, motivation, resilience, and social support. It also examines the role of identity negotiation in language acquisition and how this experience impacts learners’ success. The study employed a qualitative research design with a phenomenological approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 adult learners from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Data were analysed using thematic and narrative analysis to identify repeating emotional patterns and personal experiences regarding second language acquisition. Findings reveal that anxiety particularly related to communication apprehension and test anxiety, negatively affects learners’ confidence and participation. However, intrinsic motivation and emotional resilience contribute to greater persistence and cognitive flexibility. Social support from instructors and peers plays a crucial role in reducing emotional challenges and enhancing engagement. Identity negotiation was also identified as a key challenge, with some learners experiencing cultural conflicts while others embraced bilingualism as an asset. Emotional factors are central to the success of adult language learners. Integrating anxiety-reduction techniques, fostering intrinsic motivation, and promoting structured peer support can create a more emotionally supportive learning environment. Future research should adopt mixed methods approaches to further explore the long-term emotional trajectories of adult learners. Addressing emotional dimensions in language learning can significantly improve both pedagogical strategies and learner outcomes.

Singkawang, known as the “Hong Kong of Borneo,” is one of the most tolerant cities in Indonesia, where the Chinese ethnic group, with its distinctive cultural values, is the dominant cultural group in the city. With a population originating from diverse cultural backgrounds, interactions through inter-ethnic marriages, especially between Chinese, Dayak, and Malay ethnic groups, produce various dynamics of acculturation. This study aims to analyze the communication dynamics of cultural value acculturation in inter-ethnic marriages involving Chinese, Dayak, or Malay (Tidayu) ethnic groups in Singkawang. Using a phenomenological approach, this study explores the experiences of married Tidayu couples to understand how cultural differences are harmonized, shared identities are built, and family and social traditions are integrated. Data were obtained through interviews, observations, and literature review. The results of the study show that through inter-ethnic marriages Tidayu, Singkawang society has developed to be more inclusive by accepting each other. In the established dynamics of communication, it is important to maintain customs as part of efforts to adapt and acculturate culture. Communication dynamics cannot be separated from the worldview of the individuals involved. The results of this study are expected to have practical benefits in strengthening unity in the multicultural landscape of Singkawang, especially when facing the challenges of ethnic diversity.