Active voice - the best way to inclusion. Through our project activities at Day Centre "Šviesa", Lithuania and “Fundacja Dom Autysty”, Poland, we aimed to produce practical alternative communication tool (PECS - Picture Exchange Communication System) in Lithuania and Poland, which enables people with special needs to communicate effectively and let them feel as they are an equal members of community. Changing community members attitude and seeking a new approach to development, we can give a chance for youth with fewer opportunities to communicate effectively, as their wishes and needs are as important as other members of community. The production of PECS books during project took on even greater meaning, since these books were responsibly produced by the people who are having communication difficulties themselves - youth with intellectual disabilities and youth with autism spectrum. For books production in Lithuania and Poland were established 3 workshops where young people with special needs made communication books and gave it out to community - special needs schools, libraries, social care day Centres, respite care Centres, colleges etc.
Studies on the well-being of people with special needs show that their active participation and involvement in the process of individual provision of services improves the results of the provision of social services. One of the biggest challenges in the provision of social care services for people with medium and severe disabilities is to recognize the totality of each's autonomous needs and to create opportunities for equal participation in society. In order to overcome these challenges, effective communication with a person experiencing difficulties of verbal communication is of paramount importance. In the democratic world, alternative communication methods have been used widely for more than 30 years. However, in Lithuania and Poland we still do not have sufficient knowledge and enough practical alternative communication tools to apply them effectively in the practical provision of services.There is no consistency in the use of such alternative communication tools in society. Ensuring rights of people with special needs, every single person who needs alternative communication, should have their own, personally adapted alternative communication tool. So far we don't have many examples of personal alternative communication use.