Picture
Exchange Communication System (PECS): Still groundbreaking or becoming
obsolete?
Being
able to communicate is a skill that many children with Autism struggle with.
The severity of the language deficits vary from one child to the next. But
amazing technology has been rapidly evolving to meet the communication needs of
these children and others like them. One such system is the Picture Exchange
Communication System also known as PECS. The picture exchange communication
system (PECS) was first created by Lorie Frost and Andy Bondy (Codington, 2013).
PECS was created to, “improve the behavioral, communications, and social skills
deficits commonly seen in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)”
(Ware, 2010). The amazing thing about PECS is that it can be used anywhere. The
way PECS works is that the, “learner identifies a picture of a desired item or
activity and then gives that image to a commination partner in exchange with
verbal communication” with the intent to for the child, “to be able to initiate
dialogue, respond to others’ questions, and comment spontaneously” (PECS, n.d.).
There six phases of using PECS is described below:
- Phase one “How to Communicate”: Focuses on teaching the child how to communicate by exchanging the picture for something that they want.
- Phase two “Distance and Persistence”: Focuses the transfer of phase one by generalizing in various settings.
- Phase three “Picture Discrimination”: Instead of using one picture children learn how to choose from two or more pictures.
- Phase four “Sentence Structure”: Children then learn how to put together “I want” sentences with the item they want.
- Phase five “Answering Questions”: Once children learn how to construct sentences they use the same format to start to answer the simple question of what do they want.
- Phase six “Commenting”: Now children will start using PECS to answer more complex questions such as “What do you see” learning to construct sentences that begin with “I see” and other similar phrases.
A
unique feature about PECS that differentiates it from other communication
systems is that it, “does not require prerequisite skills, it was designed to
address the lack of motivation for social reinforcement, and it immediately
teaches responding before initiating” (Tein, 2008, p. 62).
Key Influential Leaders,
Researchers, or Philosophers.
Andrew
S. Bondy, and Lori Frost were the key influential leaders in creating PECS in
1985. Speech pathologists continue to
play a critical role in evaluating children for levels of communication and
assisting families in finding the best assistive communication device.
Questions for Readers
PECS
has been an amazing breakthrough and has impacted countless lives. But as
technology advances and new systems emerge will PECS still be just as effective
or will it soon become obsolete?
Are there other
programs, software applications, or other communication devices that are more
effective?
Additional Resources
- Parent-implemented Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) training: An analysis of YouTube videos
- Evaluating Picture Exchange and the iPad as a Speech Generating Device to teach Communication to Young Children with Autism
References
Codington-Lacerte, C. (2013).
Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). Salem Press Encyclopedia
Ware, L.
(2010, August/September 10). iPad App ‘Proloquo2Go’ Gives the Gift of Voice. Health and Behavior.
Retrieved from http://www.psmag.com/health-and-behavior/ipad-app-proloquo2go-gives-the-gift-of-voice-22171
PECS.
(n.d.). What is PECS? Retrieved April 25, 2015, from
http://www.pecsusa.com/pecs.php
Tien, K. (2008).
Effectiveness of the Picture Exchange Communication System as a Functional
Communication Intervention for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A
Practice-Based Research Synthesis. Education
and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 43(1), 61-76. Retrieved from
http://daddcec.org/portals/0/cec/autism_disabilities/research/publications/education_training_development_disabilities/2008v43_journals/etdd_200803v43n1p061-076_effectiveness_picture_exchange_communication_system_functional.pdf
