Alternative Communication and the effects of networks in the constitution of language and in inclusive educational practices

Abstract

The present work is focused on the implementation of Augmented and Alternative Communication (AAC) in a group of six children with significant communication difficulties. The epistemological assumptions adopted for the study were the possible relationships between Vygotsky and De Lemos, associated with the specific AAC literature. The research project discusses the clinical-therapeutic practices, the work with the family, the work with the school and the effects of this work on the process of language constitution and social inclusion. It was implemented at the Speech Therapy Department of Universidade Federal de Sergipe and lasted a year and a half. The methodological design combines the clinical-qualitative study with the action research approach. We emphasize the use of the AAC system by the children involved in the project; the new perspective developed by the families on their children; the inclusion of children in regular schools; the need for schools to create several space-times so that their segments may experience processes of action-reflection-action. We conclude that AAC can be an effective resource for the constitution of language and learning and that the work with the different networks promotes the construction of a new device that mobilizes the subject and makes new formulations possible.

Key words: Alternative Communication, inclusion, networks, language.