Preschool Teachers Competencies for Implementing of Augmentative and Alternative Communication

Abstract

Increasing awareness of the importance of recognizing the characteristics of children’s developmental disabilities and the importance of early intervention in providing appropriate support in a timely manner has resulted in a better quality of life for children with developmental disabilities. In the past, children with disabilities were isolated and labeled because of their differences, and they were the ones who had to adapt to society. With the progress of science and the awareness of society about differences, there is an increasing tendency to implement an inclusive approach and strive to ensure that every individual, regardless of developmental specifics, has equal rights to maximize the realization of their own potentials in accordance with their personal capabilities. Today, a great responsibility is placed on the social environment, which needs to provide an appropriate level of support so that children with developmental disabilities can overcome various obstacles that arise from their developmental specifics, and prevent them from equal and effective participation in society. If an appropriate communication channel is found for a child with developmental disabilities, we provide him with the opportunity to achieve social interactions, learn, gain experience and ultimately provide his own contribution to society. The motivation and competence of educators for the application of assisted communication, an inclusive approach and continuous training have a significant role in creating optimal conditions and providing quality and timely assistance and support to a child with developmental disabilities. The aim was to explore the opinions of educators on their readiness and competence in working with children with disabilities, skills in applying assisted communication in everyday activities, and the role of the professional team and the institution in providing assistance and support to children with disabilities in order to create optimal inclusive conditions. The results obtained indicated that educators are aware of all the difficulties they encounter in practice in implementing quality inclusion. The most common challenges that preschool teachers face are: insufficient education in the field of working with children with disabilities, lack of support from the professional team, the conditions in which they work (a large number of children) and the like.