Communication methods

People with autism may have difficulties with communication and may use alternative methods to communicate. The table below highlights a range of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) methods.

Method	Description	Pros and Cons
Makaton symbols and signing	Using symbols, signs and speech as a form of communication. Signs are used along with speech for extra clarity.	Pros Signs are used consistently across settings Signs are only used for key words which slows down speech and helps understanding Cons Communication partner needs training to understand signs Physical impairments can cause difficulty in accurate signing
Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)	To improve social communication and allow people to make choices, a person can communicate by handing people cards with pictures on.	Pros Easily understandable for communication partner Tangible Cons Can be resource heavy and cards can be easily lost
Voice Output Communication Aids (VOCA) e.g. Proloquo2Go	An app that gets loaded to a tablet so people can tap icons and create sentences that get read out by the device.	Pros Easy to adapt vocabulary Can be made bespoke Portable Easy for communication partner to understand Cons High cost Attention can drift to other apps
Communication books	A picture-based book where the user points to items to communicate	Pros Easily personalised Easily portable Free to create, or templates can be bought online Cons Time-consuming to create No voice output so the user must first gain the attention of their communication partner
Go Talk	A battery-powered, speech-generating device	Pros Personalised for each learner Voice output and press-button function for multiple sensory feedback Hard-wearing Cons High cost Heavy / bulky to transport

This is not an exhaustive list and there are other communication methods available. Finding the right method with each person can take time, so it is worth testing out a few different options to get to a solution that works for them. Download the full list here.