The Readiness of Indonesian Inclusive Education in Implementing the Signalong Method for Students with Special Educational Needs

Abstract

While Indonesian inclusive education aims for equitable access, conventional methods maladaptive to Students with Special Educational Needs (PDBK) still dominate. Thus, Signalong Indonesia, an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) approach, shows potential as a precise pedagogical intervention for PDBK. This study aims to analyze the readiness of Indonesian inclusive education in implementing the Signalong method for PDBK. A literature review design with descriptive-narrative analysis was employed, examining eight selected articles published during 2014–2024, sourced from Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and Scopus. Readiness was analyzed across five aspects: the need for Signalong Indonesia as a learning method, government readiness, education provider readiness, teacher readiness, and parental involvement. Results indicate that Signalong Indonesia has demonstrated strong empirical validity as a communication approach, and most education providers already possess adequate basic facilities and PDBK assessment procedures. However, unequal policy implementation across regions, a shortage of Special Companion Teachers (GPK), insufficient signalong-specific training, and low parental involvement remain significant systemic barriers. This study concludes that Indonesian inclusive education is not yet fully prepared to implement the Signalong method systematically and equitably, as robust coordination among all stakeholders has yet to be established.

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