Using cultural resources to build an inclusive environment for children with severe communication disabilities: a case study from Botswana

Abstract

This paper describes the first cycle of an action research project addressing severe communication disabilities in context. Aspects of selected African cultures are being explored as resources in supporting inclusive environments for children with severe communication disabilities. The specific cycle documented here was completed in rural Botswana. This single case study is representative of several, similar cases where collaborative problem-solving with primary caregivers of children with severe communication disabilities (resulting from Cerebral Palsy) overcame the limitations of ‘conventional’ western communication interventions for these children. Culturally specific non-verbal communication and contextual elements of Setswana culture were identified, enabling the communicative participation of young children with severe communication disabilities in their specific social and cultural geography. Implications are indicated for clinical practice, service delivery in communication interventions and general community based rehabilitation programmes. Research implications include the need for more participative methodologies in developing contexts and the need to address communicative participation across disciplines.

Keywords:

• action research
• Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
• Botswana
• Cerebral Palsy
• communication disabilities
• high context/low context culture

Acknowledgements

My most grateful thanks to Boiki's grandmother for her passion to share ‘so that others may learn’; to all the colleagues in Botswana who contributed to the journey of learning, to the University of Cape Town Emerging Researcher Programme (and in particular to Dr Lyn Holness) for all the encouragement, motivation and mentoring support, to Professor Jens Boenisch (then of the University of Halle, Germany), for affirmation that earlier aspects of this study were worth publishing … and finally to ‘Boiki’ and all the other children in Botswana, who, though they cannot speak, have an insatiable passion to communicate and to fill their place in their world.

Notes

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is ‘an area of clinical practice that attempts to compensate either temporarily or permanently for … people with severe speech, language and/or writing impairments’ (Beukelman and Mirenda 1998, p. 3).

Boiki is a pseudonym, in order to protect his and other participants’, anonymity.

Community based rehabilitation (CBR) is ‘a strategy within general community development for the rehabilitation, equalisation of opportunities and social inclusion of people with disabilities. CBR is implemented through combined efforts of people with disabilities themselves, their families, organisations and communities, and the relevant governmental and non-governmental health, education, vocational, social and other services’ (ILO, UNESCO & WHO, 2004, p. 2).