‘She became this liaison’. Perspectives of a preschool community on coaches as brokers of assistive technology access, communication and support for teachers and caregivers of children with disabilities

Abstract

ABSTRACT While AT has been well-documented as a valuable support for disabled and nondisabled children across developmental domains and settings, several barriers to access and implementation persist. Studies have described heightened barriers for community-based preschools, whose access to AT professional development, AT resources, and practitioners with AT experience may be limited. Researchers in this qualitative inquiry engaged twenty-seven participants (teachers, teacher assistants, caregivers and administrators) to learn about their experiences of an AT intervention programme over a 2-year period. Using Constructivist Grounded Theory Methodology, we analysed data from focus groups and semi-structured interviews, generating five themes. Members of the school community valued the programme’s AT coaches, whose presence, affective style and actions promoted their confidence using AT. While the COVID-19 pandemic impacted both programme delivery and participants’ experiences, the programme and its coaches helped bolster technology and communication access in unanticipated ways. Insights from this inquiry emphasise the important, yet often understated role of building relationships with all participants when delivering community-based preschool interventions, invaluable in meeting the holistic needs of children, as well as the practitioners and families who support them. Notably, AT coaches were perceived as liaisons, building rapport, providing technical assistance, and sustaining connections within a school learning community.