Purpose
The study investigates how professionals in Swedish kindergartens use Signs as Alternative and Augmentative Communication (SAAC) in teaching. The aim is to shed light on how SAAC can be understood from a didactic special needs education perspective. The research questions are: 1) Where and when do kindergarten professionals express that SAAC is used? 2) For and with whom do kindergarten professionals express that SAAC is used? 3) How and why do kindergarten professionals express that SAAC can be used?
Result
The results show that SAAC is used widely in various teaching contexts, including routine situations such as mealtimes and group gatherings, as well as in more spontaneous contexts. SAAC is not only used as a special needs education tool for children requiring additional support, but as part of their daily interaction with all children. This contributes to an inclusive practice where all children are given the opportunity to participate actively. SAAC supports children’s language development and help them understand and be understood.
Design
The study’s sample consists of statements from 30 different ECEC professionals. These statements were collected from a post in the Facebook group called ‘Förskolan.se’, an online forum for ECEC professionals. It is not specified what roles these people have in the kindergartens. The study utilises netnography, a qualitative method for studying online communication, and analyses the statements using didactic special needs education modelling as a theoretical approach.
References
Palla, L. (2023). TAKK som specialpedagogiskt didaktiskt verktyg i förskolans undervisning. Nordisk Barnehageforskning, 20(1), 77–102.