| This study examined the perceptions of parents and educational staff regarding the effect of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) on the language development of students without disabilities within inclusive classrooms. Subjects were seven parents of children, with or without disabilities, who were enrolled in an inclusive preschool or kindergarten classroom that was using AAC techniques and 11 educational staff (including general education teachers, speech-language pathologists, paraprofessionals, and special education teachers) working in inclusive programs. All participants were interviewed about their opinions regarding language development and AAC. Additionally, parents were asked to complete questionnaires regarding their child's language development within the inclusive classroom. Data collected from interviews were analyzed for themes. The survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results showed that both parents and educational staff believed that AAC in inclusive classrooms had some positive effects on the language, social, and academic skills of children with and without disabilities. |
