Repercussion of the implementation of the Picture Exchange Communication System - PECS in the overload index of mothers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Carine Ferreira, Sheila Cavalcante Caetano, Jacy Perissinoto and 1 others
PMID 35019088WHAT IT FOUND
PECS improved children's vocabulary and reduced non-adaptive behaviors, but the primary outcome of maternal burden showed no significant change.
Mothers remained stressed despite gains in their child's communication.
Key findings
01The study found no statistically significant reduction in maternal burden scores after PECS implementation.
02Children showed significant improvements in auditory and expressive vocabulary and a significant decrease in total non-adaptive behaviors.
03Maternal burden levels were not correlated with the child's age, IQ, or the family's socioeconomic status.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample size was very small (20 dyads), which reduces the statistical power to detect changes in maternal burden. There was no control group, so improvements in children cannot be definitively attributed to PECS rather than natural development or other concurrent therapies. The study did not measure maternal anxiety or depression, which are key components of caregiver burden that might have been affected. Mothers were the sole reporters for child behavior and their own burden, introducing potential bias.
Declared interests
The study was funded by CNPq (445979/2014-3), a Brazilian public research funding agency. No commercial conflicts of interest were declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that PECS reduces caregiver burden. The primary outcome for burden was statistically null, meaning the intervention did not significantly lower stress levels in mothers, even though it successfully improved the children's communication skills.