Parent-Centered Intervention in the Time of the Pandemic: Meeting the Complex Communication Needs of a Bilingual Preschooler

The COVID-19 pandemic forced educational practitioners, students (PreK-12), and families to adjust to synchronous and asynchronous online instruction. This study followed an online intervention involving a Spanish-English preschool special education teacher, a Spanish-speaking parent, and her bilingual preschool child with complex communication needs (CCN). Students with CCN frequently require an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) system to compensate for severe developmental language disorders. Over a six-week period, the parent and teacher collectively introduced the preschooler to a low-technology AAC option: a picture exchange communication system in English and Spanish. Overall, the parent developed an increased understanding of her child's communicative intent and reported high levels of satisfaction with utilizing AAC to meet her child's bilingual language needs. Even though the pandemic caused many learning challenges, this single-subject study highlights the effectiveness of a parent-centered and culturally relevant instructional approach for a bilingual preschooler with CCN.