Parents of children with autism using AAC commonly report perceived benefits, most frequently increased communication opportunities¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r1 · q2
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? In a cross-sectional survey of 75 parents/caregivers, the perceived AAC benefit score had a median of 6 (IQR 4–6) out of 6, with 97.3% endorsing increased communication opportunities. → Jarrar Hala 2026

Evidence¶

Jarrar Hala 2026¶

Jarrar Hala, Malhis Lana, Munawer Alaa, Omareya Moamen, Deek Nagham, Abutair Razan, Dodeen Saja, Khadeje Sara Majed, Abu-Shamat Zaynab. (2026). Parent-reported benefits, barriers, and experiences of augmentative and alternative communication use among children with autism in Nablus, Palestine: a cross-sectional study. BMC Pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-026-07161-2

q2 · i? · associational · r1

Cross-sectional questionnaire study of 75 parents/caregivers of children with autism receiving AAC services at specialized centers in Nablus. The six-item perceived benefit score showed "a median of 6 (IQR 4–6) out of 6"; endorsement of increased communication opportunities was 73/75 (97.3%).

"The perceived AAC benefit score had a median of 6 (IQR 4–6) out of 6. The most frequently endorsed perceived benefit was increased communication opportunities (73/75, 97.3%), followed by improved behavior-related interaction inside the home (65/75, 86.7%) and improved understanding of the child’s needs (64/74, 86.5%)."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Autism Spectrum Disorder — population: instruction studied with autistic learners, not a comparison with non-autistic learners

Related Claims¶

• Barriers to integrating AAC into daily routines and accessing AAC programs are frequently reported despite high perceived benefits — related
• Parental awareness of alternative AAC systems is limited, and only about one-third agree AAC systems are suitable for all children — related
• Parents more often report initial difficulty accepting AAC than continued difficulty after time has passed — related
• Exploratory subgroup and correlation analyses show mostly no significant differences in benefit or experience scores by child and family characteristics — related
• Perceived AAC benefit score is positively correlated with the seven-item AAC implementation experience score — related
• AAC users report device useability difficulties, high cognitive load when learning communication systems, and poor physical and sensory access — related