Parents' experiences of learning and using key word sign

![CDATA[Background: Key word sign (KWS) is an unaided AAC strategy that may be used to support the expressive and receptive communication of children with complex communication needs as part of a multimodal approach. To promote communicative competence and participation, parents must learn sign, select appropriate vocabulary, encourage the use of KWS with their children and cultivate signing environments across multiple contexts.Aim/s: The aim of this qualitative study was to explore parents’ experiences of learning, implementing, and using KWS with their children in order to better understand their needs and inform innovative and family centred service delivery and training. Method: Seven parents of children aged 0-8, who had learnt or used KWS in the last two years, completed in-depth, semi-structured interviews about their experiences of learning and using KWS. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. Results: Five interrelated themes encapsulated the experiences of parents: ‘Motivators’ to sign, Learning KWS, Selecting vocabulary, Creating a sign environment, and Using KWS. Subthemes reflected common and unique aspects of parents’ experiences. Conclusion: Parents are motivated to use KWS by a range of external and internal factors. They use different resources to build their knowledge and skills to support the use of KWS across a range of environments and contexts. The need for additional supports and resources to assist with implementing KWS emerged as an important finding and has implications for the service delivery. The findings will be discussed in depth and opportunities for speech-language pathology practice highlighted.]]