Abstract
People with Complex Communication Needs (CCN) are faced with significant challenges which affect their
communication and social interactions in educational settings. These challenges tend to hinder their
executive functioning skills, necessitating the use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
to replace or supplement spoken communication. Characteristic features of Individuals with Complex
Communication Needs include developmental, physical, and cognitive disabilities, or degenerative
conditions that often impede their ability to communicate effectively. This thesis posits that despite the
availability of AAC, teachers in schools continue to face the challenges of implementing these technologies
for students who have CCN. In an attempt to explore the inherent challenges and identify the necessary
conditions for the effective implementation of AAC in schools, this study embraced a qualitative
methodological paradigm and the use of a single-case study design to focus on Ecaleni Primary School, in
Johannesburg East, South Africa for a deeply bounded qualitative analysis. A study population of ten
teachers with three to five years’ experience was identified following a purposeful sampling technique.
Ecaleni School was primarily selected due to its status as a Full-service school that operates as a pilot
project for the establishment of inclusive schools in South Africa. Further, the school management and one
speech therapist were selected for one-on-one interviews to represent the views of the administration and
other professionals respectively. Classroom observations and document analysis were employed in a bid
to augment interviews with individual teachers. The research findings were then coded and thematically
analysed in the order that the questions were presented in the data collection instruments. Everett Roger's
(2003) Diffusion of Innovation theory and Donald Ely's (1999) Condition of Change theory formed the locus
of the study’s conceptual framework. The research results from the teachers’ perspectives regarding the
requirements for the successful implementation of AAC intervention showed the need for more hands-on
training, addressing the challenge of massive staff turnover, and the inability of relevant professionals to
work together (i.e. therapists and teachers). Recommendations were that more regular support and
capacity building should be provided to educators in the implementation of AAC, the aim being to address
existing knowledge gaps and improve teachers’ competencies in their effective usage in classrooms. A
critical assessment of the potential external variables such as socio-economic factors and the problem of
technophobia that might influence the challenges faced by teachers in implementing AAC is necessary. To
address the development and implementation of policies and guidelines designed to support the use of
AAC in schools, with monitoring and evaluation systems for tracking their implementation, and their impact
on learning and communication, the Department of Education should regularly assess challenges of staff
turnover in full-service schools.
Key Words: Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Inclusive Education, Fullservice
schools, Implementation, AAC Devices, Communication Disabilities