Enhancing Inclusivity in Special Education through Augmentative and Alternative Communication Tools – A Case Study of Five Special Schools in the Sekhukhune District of Limpopo Province, South Africa
Maite E. Maebana 
Issue: Vol. 6 No.14 Article 4 pp. 3561 – 3570
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20256144 | Published online 11th December, 2025
© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
This study reports on a series of workshops on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) conducted in the Sekhukhune District of Limpopo Province with teachers from five special education schools. The purpose of the study was to examine the integration of AAC tools in special education schools and assess their impact on inclusivity. It was established that AAC tools are changing special education schools by providing learners with Complex Communication Needs (CCN) techniques to express themselves. These tools, ranging from non-verbal communication systems to advanced speech-generating devices (SGDs), aim to enhance inclusivity and learner participation in classroom activities. Following a qualitative research approach, the study focused on teacher perspectives and classroom practices regarding AAC implementation. Seventeen (17) special education teachers from five schools who attended an AAC training workshop were purposively selected to participate in the study. Data were collected through interviews and analysed using thematic content analysis based on Creswell’s model. Findings indicated that a lack of structured training programs prevents teachers from effectively implementing AAC tools, forcing them to rely on gestures and picture-based communication due to limited access to advanced technologies.Discussions highlighted the urgent need to improve teacher capacity and resource availability.To address these challenges, the study recommends comprehensive teacher training, policy support, and the integration of AAC tools into classrooms. This study contributes to scholarship by providing evidence on how AAC tools can redefine teaching methods and promote inclusivity in special education schools across the Sekhukhune District, offering insights for policymakers, teacher educators, and practitioners in inclusive education.
Keywords: Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), Complex Communication Needs (CCN), inclusive education, special education, teacher training, South Africa.
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Maite E. Maebana holds a Senior Teachers’ Diploma from Thaba-Moopo College of Education. Maebana’s career began in 1994 as a secondary school teacher in one of the Secondary Schools in the Mankweng Circuit. As a committed lifelong learner, she later earned an ACE (2012), a BEd Honours (2015), an MEd in Inclusive Education (2017), and a PhD in Curriculum Studies (2021). She lectured at the University of Limpopo before joining UNISA’s Department of Inclusive Education in 2021. Her professional development includes training in assessment, moderation, curriculum transformation, emotional intelligence, and ethics.
Maebana, Maite E. “Enhancing Inclusivity in Special Education through Augmentative and Alternative Communication Tools – A Case Study of Five Special Schools in the Sekhukhune District of Limpopo Province, South Africa.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 6, no. 14 (2025): 3561 – 3570, https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20256144.
© 2025 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
