Complex contextual influences on the communicative interactions of students with multiple and severe disabilities: a qualitative study

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)Although researchers have reported for more than two decades low frequencies of communicative interactions for students with multiple and severe disabilities (MSD), little is understood about reasons for the persistence of this situation. The purpose of this study was to explore reasons for the restricted communication access of these students, from the perspective of complexity theory which states that individuals, their activities and interactions are embedded within and influenced by complex systems. This thesis reports on research about the contextual factors influencing the communication opportunities of students with MSD. The study was conducted in four stages involving a total of 32 participants. Stage 1 involved interviews with 11 teachers working in segregated classrooms in metropolitan or regional areas, while in Stage 2 there were five teachers working in mainstream classrooms in rural schools. Stages 3 and 4 involved interviews with speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who visited students with MSD in different educational settings. Stage 3 involved eight SLPs based in metropolitan areas, whereas Stage 4 involved eight SLPs based in regional or rural areas. During two in-depth interviews, participants were each given the opportunity to talk about their perceptions and experiences of: (a) communicating with students with MSD, (b) supports and obstacles to communication opportunities for these students, and (c) professional development. Interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were subjected to thematic analysis and coded according to categories representing factors that acted as supports or obstacles to communication opportunities. Themes emerged from the relationships or interactions between the categories. Issues of rigour and credibility of the findings were addressed through triangulation of data from different groups of participants, verification through member checking, and inter-coder reliability measures. Participants identified a broad range of contextual factors, operating at a number of levels from individuals to society that influenced the communicative interactions of students with MSD. Results of the study suggested that the influences on students’ communication opportunities, and therefore reasons for restricted communication participation, are complex. These findings led to the development of a model for enhancing the communicative interactions of students with MSD that recommends changes at multiple, systemic levels. The findings also highlight several important areas for future research