French context

AAC remains underdeveloped and a niche field in France. Consequently, this creates a significant gap in terms of national and governmental policies about AAC in education. AAC associations are then taking over to ensure AAC resources to parents and professionals who need those tools. 

Major barriers have been highlighted by professionals and associations working with people facing communication frontiers, the most important one being inequalities. Whether it pertains to territorial or financial inequalities, France struggles to promote an equal and free access to AAC.
Another main gap in the French policy is the cost of the training and the support for the families and schools. Therefore, organisations are trying to find solutions to provide support and guidance, such as the collective CAA ma voix, mes droits.

Amongst the different calls for action and harmonisation addressed to government, the following objectives have been identified: 

• Provide not only more, but also free access to the training for the families
• Change the perception on AAC and not identify it as a medical support, but rather as a teaching tool in an accessibility approach
• Train professionals on AAC methods to use it at an early stage with all the children in schools

• 7% of the French population is illiterate 
• 100’000 people are using French sign language in France
• Each year, 7500 babies are born with ASD (autism spectrum disorder), i.e. 0,9% to 1,2% of births
• 5% to 17% of children in age of going to school suffer from dyslexia
• 6% of the population suffer from dyspraxia 
• 5% of children and adolescent have ADHD 

As mentioned above, AAC application is quite inequal and varies according to the departments. However, associations such as CAA ma voix, mes droits, CAApables or ComAutrement provide guidance, support, training and materials for parents and professionals. 

The French Red Cross realised a study in 2021 on the impacts of AAC in their special needs’ institutions. They trained 700 professionals for two years (2017-2019) to implement AAC in 60 of their services. The results showed that AAC has lots of positive results both on the professionals than on the people facing communication frontiers (reduction of stress, enhancement of health and autonomy, increase of the self-esteem…). Yet, despite the enthusiasm, the study highlighted that 78% of the participants regret the lack of time to train oneself on AAC.
Still, it is to be appreciated that there is interest in the use of AAC and that there is an evolution of the application of AAC in institutions by professionals.

Croix-Rouge française. (2021, April 12). Communication alternative améliorée (CAA) : la Croix-Rouge française dévoile sa première étude d’impact social ! https://www.croix-rouge.fr/actualite/communication-alternative-amelioree-caa-la-croix-rouge-francaise-devoile-sa-premiere-etude-d-impact-social-2513

Gonnard, C. (2021, April 4). Qu’est-ce que la langue des signes françaises? Institut amelis. https://institut.amelis-services.com/handicap/vivre-avec-un-handicap/quest-ce-que-la-langue-des-signes-francaise-lsf/

GNCHR. (2023). Plaidoyer pour le dépoloiement de la Communication Alternative Améliorée (CAA). https://gnchr.fr/

Ministère National de l’Education de la Jeunesse. (2023, August). La prévention et la lutte contre l’illettrisme à l’École.  https://www.education.gouv.fr/la-prevention-et-la-lutte-contre-l-illettrisme-l-ecole-7538#:~:text=Souvent%20invisible%2C%20l’illettrisme%20est,Information%20et%20vie%20quotidienne%22).

Ministère des solidarités des familles. (2023, November 11). La stratégie nationale autisme et troubles du neurodéveloppement (2018-2022). https://handicap.gouv.fr/la-strategie-nationale-autisme-et-troubles-du-neurodeveloppement-2018-2022