When Jessica Neilson-Scott introduced Key Word Sign into her Year 1 classroom at St Mark’s School in Inala, Queensland, the goal was straightforward. She wanted to give every student a genuine way to communicate. What followed became something far larger than a single teaching decision.
Key Word Sign is an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) approach that pairs manual signs with spoken language. It borrows its signs from Auslan, the sign language of Australia’s Deaf community, and uses them alongside spoken English to support expression, comprehension, and social participation.
Neilson-Scott made a deliberate choice to teach it to every student in her class, not only those with identified communication needs. This decision earned her the NGS Super Award for Excellence in Learning and Teaching in Primary School at the recent Brisbane Catholic Education (BCE) Excellence Awards.
From one classroom to the whole school
St Mark’s School principal Allison Malouf, based in Inala, Queensland, says Neilson-Scott is defined by a refusal to see a need without acting on it.
“This mindset led her to explore Key Word Sign after identifying an opportunity to better support communication and learning for a student in her class,” Malouf said.
She collaborated with the Student Support Team and the student’s family, undertaking additional KWS training in the process. She brought prior knowledge of Auslan to that training and embedded the approach into daily practice.
Its reach has since extended well beyond her own room. She now supports colleagues to build confidence with the strategy and introduces new signs at school assemblies. In doing so, she has helped establish a shared communication culture across the school.
“Students are using it in classrooms, in the playground and during whole-school events,” Malouf said. “This consistent exposure has helped create a shared language across the school, reinforcing our commitment to inclusion and belonging.”
Can Key Word Sign work as a whole-school strategy?
Research in the International Journal of Inclusive Education found that teaching Key Word Sign to pre-service teachers reduced barriers to participation. It also supported a sense of belonging among students and acted as a catalyst for broader openness to inclusion.
In many mainstream classrooms, teachers have little specialist AAC training before they encounter students who need it. Neilson-Scott’s example shows what is possible when a classroom teacher researches an approach, seeks training, works with families and support staff, and embeds a strategy into daily practice.
For principals and curriculum leaders, the lesson extends beyond Key Word Sign itself. When schools actively support teachers’ professional development in inclusive teaching, the benefits do not stay in one room. Neilson-Scott’s story is a case study in what happens when inclusive classroom practice is designed for every learner from the outset, rather than retrofitted for a few.
“I became a teacher because I wanted to make a difference,” Neilson-Scott said. “Knowing something that started in my own classroom is now helping students across our entire school build friendships, participate more confidently and feel included – that is something I’m really proud of.”
Schools considering Key Word Sign as a whole-school strategy have a replicable model in St Mark’s: start in one classroom, build staff confidence, and let the shared language spread.