Spontaneous Functional Communication and the Place of PECS in Contemporary Models of Augmentative and Alternative Communication for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
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Keywords

zaburzenia ze spektrum autyzmu
spontaniczna komunikacja funkcjonalna
wspomagająca i alternatywna komunikacja
Picture Exchange Communication System
naturalistyczne interwencje rozwojowo-behawioralne
praktyka oparta na dowodach naukowych autism spectrum disorder
spontaneous functional communication
Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Picture Exchange Communication System
Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions
evidence-based practice

How to Cite

Kurek, M. (2026). Spontaneous Functional Communication and the Place of PECS in Contemporary Models of Augmentative and Alternative Communication for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Scientific Journal of Special Education, (19), 101–115. https://doi.org/10.24917/znps.2026.19.09

Abstract

Developing spontaneous functional communication is one of the primary goals of interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder. Despite the rapid growth of research in this field, knowledge regarding the criteria for selecting communication intervention approaches remains fragmented across different theoretical and clinical frameworks, making both the interpretation of research findings and the planning of interventions more challenging. The aim of this paper is to analyze contemporary theoretical foundations and empirical evidence regarding the selection of communication intervention approaches for children with ASD. To this end, a narrative literature review was conducted, covering research on spontaneous functional communication, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, the concept of verbal behavior, Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions, and the Picture Exchange Communication System. The reviewed evidence indicates that promoting spontaneous functional communication represents a common direction across contemporary evidence-based interventions, whereas differences between individual approaches primarily concern the organization of the teaching process and the strategies used to develop communicative behavior. The available evidence also demonstrates that the use of AAC, including the PECS methodology, does not inhibit speech development and may facilitate the development of language skills. Based on the reviewed literature, this paper proposes an interpretation of contemporary communication intervention approaches in which the primary criterion for selecting an intervention should be the nature of the communicative behaviors targeted for development and the learning mechanisms underlying their acquisition, rather than the intervention's affiliation with a particular methodology. From this perspective, spontaneous functional communication may serve as one of the key criteria for planning communication interventions for children with ASD.

https://doi.org/10.24917/znps.2026.19.09
PDF (Język Polski)

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