A survey of parents' perceptions of picture exchange communication system for children with autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities

Purpose: A survey was conducted to examine the perceptions of parents who use the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) to help improve the communication abilities of their children with autism spectrum disorder and/or other developmental disabilities. Methods: This online survey gathered demographic information and employed a scale that parents could use to rate their perceptions of PECS in four areas: Their knowledge of PECS, the usefulness of PECS, the benefits of PECS, and barriers to the implementation of PECS. The responses of 40 parents were analyzed. Results: The results revealed that parents with higher levels of education reported more knowledge of PECS and integrated PECS into their home lives to a greater degree than did parents with lower levels of education. However, both groups reported that PECS was easy to use and effective in developing the communication abilities of their children with autism. Conclusions: Parents' perceptions are important to building strong, collaborative relationships between parents and professionals who work with children with ASD. Current findings show that parents found PECS to be effective in improving their children's communication skills. Future research is recommended to further examine parents' perceptions of PECS.