Malkara has made a strong commitment to ensure all students at the school with

Complex Communication Needs have an appropriate Augmentative and Alternative

Communication System, that the systems are used daily and that all staff have

appropriate training in using the systems and in becoming good communication

partners. As a result, students at Malkara are daily becoming more competent

communicators.

In 2012 the school executive established a trial Proloquo 2 Go Classroom to look at

implementing good quality AA C intervention and support for a trial group of students,

focusing on students who had a recommendation from a speech pathologist to use Proloquo

2 Go.

In 2013 the school implemented aided language displays throughout the school. All staff

were required to wear and use aided language displays. This was highly successful, with

many students learning to use symbols for a range of communicative functions and with

positive outcomes in terms of student’s receptive and expressive language and in creating a

community of more skilled communication partners. In addition, a number of students had

their own AAC systems. PODD books, followed by I Pads with Proloquo 2 Go, were the

most common systems, but low tech core vocabulary systems, PECS and other AA C apps

on iPads had also been recommended for some students. Staff received training and

practice on using and supporting these systems although the primary focus for the whole

school was on aided language displays and aided language stimulation.

In 2014, the whole school focus was on increasing aided language input. Teachers were

asked to use aided language for at least 50% of the school day and the range of aided

language displays was increased. Further work was done on helping staff to become

competent with their students’ AA C systems so that aided language could happen using the

systems appropriate for each student. A PODD working party was established to build

resources for whole school training around implementing PODD.

Overall, the school has made a significant and sustained commitment to creating a

community that supports and uses AAC daily. The whole school community has recognised

the importance of ensuring all their students with complex communication have a “voice” and

have worked hard to ensure that this has happened in an appropriate and sustainable way.

As a result, all staff have become much more effective communication partners and the

students attending the school are becoming much more competent communicators.

And we wish all schools could be like Malkara.