Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
Caregivers’ experiences of collaborating with educators in inclusive education to support learners who use AAC in South Africa
Mini Dissertation
Saved in:
| Other Authors: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of Pretoria
2026
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1869483750306349056 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Samuels, Alecia |
| author_browse | Samuels, Alecia |
| author_facet | Samuels, Alecia |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | © 2024 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
| description | Mini Dissertation |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/108215 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-07-01T04:03:57.606Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | University of Pretoria |
| publisherStr | University of Pretoria |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/108215 Caregivers’ experiences of collaborating with educators in inclusive education to support learners who use AAC in South Africa Samuels, Alecia suvarna.ramsamooj@gmail.com Ramsamooj, Suvarna UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Augmentative and alternative communication Complex Communication Needs Inclusive Education Parents South Africa Mini Dissertation Background: Collaboration between parents and teachers has been documented as an essential component in learner educational outcomes. This is especially true for children with disabilities (CWD) including children with complex communication needs (CCN) who need augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Inclusive education is widely documented within South African educational policies; however, its implementation has been found to be lacking. One of the key contributors towards successful inclusive education is effective collaboration between parents and teachers of CWD such as those who need AAC. However, parent-teacher collaboration of children who use or need AAC has been under researched in South Africa. Aim: This study aims to explore the experiences of parents of children who need AAC regarding their collaboration with educators to support their child’s education. The sub questions included: 1) How do parents perceive the current state of their relationship with the educators of their children who need AAC? 2) What are parents' perceptions and experiences of the communication between themselves and the educator of their child who needs AAC? 3) What do parents see as their roles in the education of their children who need AAC in South Africa? 4) What do parents of children who need AAC view as barriers in partnerships with educators? 5) What do parents of children who need AAC view as facilitators in partnerships with educators? 6) What are the recommendations of parents of children who need AAC for more effective collaboration with educators? Methods: An explorative, qualitative research design was employed. A purposive sampling strategy was used. Disability organisations were approached to recruit participants. Instruments included a biographical questionnaire and a semi-structured interview schedule. Semi-structured one-on-one interviews were conducted with five parents of children who need AAC and attend public special needs schools. These interviews were recorded and transcribed. Thematic data analysis was used to identify themes. The study was conducted in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Results: Mixed perceptions and experiences were described by parents, many that were negative and some of which were positive. Negative experiences were underscored by areas such as unequal power dynamics, poor communication, lack of trust in teacher skills and misaligned goals and priorities between parents and teachers. Some positive experiences of collaboration between parents and teachers were highlighted as a facilitator to achieving learner outcomes, whereby parents being seen as equal team members was significant. Positive collaboration occurred in instances in which parents supported teachers and were equally supported by teachers. Recommendations from parents were for teachers to improve communication, share parent goals, to ask and be open to parent input and to cultivate more empathy, respect and passion for teaching children with special needs. Conclusion: Successful collaboration between parents and teachers of children who need AAC is not yet optimal in public special needs schools in South Africa and requires significant improvement in order to support learners who need AAC. This implies that trainings for teachers in these settings need to be provided on how to include parents and ensure that they are equal partners for their child’s educational journey. Keywords: augmentative and alternative communication, collaboration, complex communication needs, inclusive education, parents, South Africa N/A Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC) Master’s in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (MAAC) Unrestricted Faculty of Humanities SDG-04: Quality education 2026-02-13T10:03:40Z 2026-02-13T10:03:40Z 2026-05 2025-12 Mini Dissertation * May 2026 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/108215 10.25403/UPresearchdata.31324975 en © 2024 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria |
| spellingShingle | UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Augmentative and alternative communication Complex Communication Needs Inclusive Education Parents South Africa Caregivers’ experiences of collaborating with educators in inclusive education to support learners who use AAC in South Africa |
| title | Caregivers’ experiences of collaborating with educators in inclusive education to support learners who use AAC in South Africa |
| title_full | Caregivers’ experiences of collaborating with educators in inclusive education to support learners who use AAC in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Caregivers’ experiences of collaborating with educators in inclusive education to support learners who use AAC in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Caregivers’ experiences of collaborating with educators in inclusive education to support learners who use AAC in South Africa |
| title_short | Caregivers’ experiences of collaborating with educators in inclusive education to support learners who use AAC in South Africa |
| title_sort | caregivers experiences of collaborating with educators in inclusive education to support learners who use aac in south africa |
| topic | UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Augmentative and alternative communication Complex Communication Needs Inclusive Education Parents South Africa |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/108215 |