Browsing by Subject "esteetön viestintä"

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of early childhood education staff in accessible communication intervention. The aim was to sort out the views of the early childhood education teachers and caregivers involved in the intervention on the implementation of the intervention and its possible effects on individual children and groups of children through interviews. In the light of previous research, various methods of accessible communication (AAC) have been found to support and enhance the opportunities for interaction and inclusion of children struggling with language and communication challenges. This study provides important first-hand information on the content and implementation of a communication intervention and its effects on individual children and groups of children from the perspective of the adults working with children. Methods. This study was qualitative research and research perspective was phenomenology. The research interviews were conducted with six people working in early childhood education in Turku, five of whom worked as early childhood education teachers and one as early childhood caregiver. The interviews were conducted as thematic interviews through Teams in December 2020 and in April-May 2021. The individual interviews were videotaped and transcribed. The obtained material was analyzed using the methods of material-based content analysis and interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA). Results and conclusions. The results of the study showed that in the implemented intervention, the children's perspective emerged in a positive light in the experiences of the early childhood education staff through motivation, enthusiasm, involvement, and experiences of concreteness and one's own thing. Intervention-related information and resources became the biggest challenges in the study to the experience of a successful intervention. The interviewees most often felt that the information was either incomplete or contradictory, but in some of the interviews it was also found that the information was sufficient. In terms of resources, ratios in particular seemed challenging from a staff perspective: their own presence in the intervention was even perceived as unnecessary and there was concern about the success of the rest of the group during the interventions. Although the intervention as an experience seemed positive, especially from the children's point of view, its application as an everyday small group activity seemed challenging in the light of the ratios. With regard to the intervention, several positive effects in children were identified: openness, courage, mental growth, listening, increasing self-esteem, creating new friendships, and bolder use of language. On the other hand, the analysis of the effects caused by the intervention was challenging due to everyday development and the overlaps between speech and occupational therapy.