Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)
The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is an alternative communication approach designed primarily to assist individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in developing their communication skills. Created in the mid-1980s by Lori Frost and Andy Bondy, PECS involves a learner selecting a picture that represents a desired item or activity and giving that picture to a communication partner in exchange for the item or activity. This method is particularly valuable for individuals who are nonverbal or have limited verbal communication abilities.
PECS is structured over six distinct phases, beginning with simple exchanges and progressing to more complex forms of communication, including sentence formation and spontaneous dialogue. It is applicable in both home and school environments, with a focus on fostering interactions among children, though it can also benefit adults with ASD. Research has indicated that while PECS can enhance communication skills and reduce behavioral issues, it may not lead to significant speech development, making it especially advantageous for individuals who are predominantly nonverbal. Overall, PECS serves as a practical tool for facilitating effective communication and improving social interactions for those with ASD and other developmental disabilities.
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Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)
The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is an alternative and augmentative communication method developed to help individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) learn to communicate with others; those with ASD often have difficulty with spoken language and with social interactions. In PECS, the learner identifies a picture of a desired item or activity and then gives that image to a communication partner in exchange for the tangible item or activity. Over time, he or she is encouraged to connect this exchange with verbal communication. The ultimate goal of PECS is for the individual to be able to initiate dialogue, respond to others’ questions, and comment spontaneously. PECS may also benefit those with other developmental disabilities.
Overview
First developed in the mid-1980s by Lori Frost and Andy Bondy of the Delaware Autistic Program, PECS strives to improve the behavioral, communications, and social skills deficits commonly seen in individuals with ASD. Those with autism may be completely nonverbal or may produce unintelligible verbalizations, or vocalized attempts at speech, while others with ASD may speak coherently but have difficulty with language conventions. Communications inventions for ASD include speech imitation, sign language, and picture pointing, which are limited by the individual’s abilities to produce sound or make clear, standardized movements. PECS seeks to modify these strategies to account for their limitations.
PECS can be used both at home and at school; although PECS may be helpful to adults with ASD, young children are the most common participants. For PECS to be effective, the individual must be interested in trying to communicate with others, have known personal preferences, and complete six distinct phases of learning. First, the learner must learn to initiate communication by selecting a photograph, drawing, or symbol of a desired item or activity (known as the “reinforcer”), picking it up, and handing it to a communication partner, who then responds verbally to the request and provides the reinforcer. A facilitator may assist the learner in the physical selection and transfer. Next, the context of communication is generalized, with communication partners being located at varying distances from the learner, different settings being used, or the activity being changed. This phase aims to instill distance and persistence principles. Third, the learner must distinguish between sets of differing images to select the desired image.
In the fourth phase, simple, repeated sentence strips, such as “I want” or “I see,” are used along with images to build sentence structure recognition, and verbalizations are rewarded more than mere picture identification. Whereas the first four phases focus on the learner initiating communication, the fifth phase adds the dimension of response. The learner gains new vocabulary to qualify the attributes of what he or she desires, particularly with respect to the reinforcer, and responds to the question, “What do you want?” using sentence strips. The final phase emphasizes spontaneous commentary using simple questions such as, “What do you see?”
Although most PECS studies conducted to date have been limited by small sample sizes, empirical evidence suggests that PECS may be effective in improving communication skills in people with ASD of varying ages, as well as individuals with other cognitive developmental disabilities. Related behavioral problems are also sometimes mitigated because of the individual’s improved communication skills; however, study participants have exhibited few, if any, improvements in speech development. Consequently, PECS is seen as most beneficial for those with ASD who are completely or mostly nonverbal.
Bibliography
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