CA²JU: An Alternative Communication System Developed in Brazil for Children with Disabilities

ABSTRACT

Education is a fundamental right of all, guaranteed in the Brazilian constitution and in the legislation of several countries in the world. In Brazil, Special Education targets people with disabilities and global developmental disorders. A disabled person needs certain supports, the demands for which are varied. One such demand relates to people with disabilities who have complex communication needs. The CA²JU software, an augmentative and alternative communication tool that helps children with complex communication needs, was developed to tackle this problem. Its sophisticated computerised devices can form phrases and sentences for its users and are made available in two access modes: Illustrated and Pro-Expanded. This work aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the CA²JU system in terms of implementing alternative communication among children with disabilities. The research analysed the software test with 39 participants between 5 and 12 years of age. The software test showed an average efficiency of 38% in grammatical expansion and ease of access. In both access modes, greater efficiency and grammatical expansion were used in the software than in the communication boards. The lack of ways to communicate will negatively impact students’ educational experiences. Thus, the CA²JU software is a daily communication alternative for people with disabilities that can not only realise but also accommodate the most varied demands and social contexts, thereby contributing to the development of inclusive schools.