Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is a unique communication training program developed and produced by Pyramid Educational Consultants in 1985. The creators of PECS observed that traditional communication techniques, including speech imitation, sign language, and picture-point systems, relied on the teacher to initiate social interactions and none focused on teaching students to initiate interactions. Based on these observations, the founders created a form of functional communication for people with various communication problems. PECS is an evidence-based practice that has had great success in developing functional communication skills (Overcash & Horton, 2010).
PROS
The pros are based on a set of resources to learn more about PECS and why professionals should use it with students with autism (Reeve, 2020).
- It is a learning system
PECS is the system used to teach communication. The system has six specific phases that are based on the science of verbal behaviour, including text, speech, and communication in all its forms.
- The communicative act is tangible
The communication difficulties of individuals with autism create barriers to understanding the communication process. The individual must know the messages, get attention, and deliver them, and persist in trying to send the message until it is delivered, or they have clearly failed. The beauty of PECS is that, to deliver that message, students must find the picture and get the attention of the partner to make the exchange. If the partner does not take the picture, the communication is not complete.
- Focuses on the initiative
People with autism often have difficulties initiating a conversation. This means that they will sit and wait for someone to ask them “What do you want?” or hand them an augmentative communication system before they can say something. PECS is about people with autism being able to express their needs, wishes and opinions like the rest of us. For this, they have to initiate communication.
That means we must teach them how to start a conversation. PECS does this by setting up situations where the individual wants to communicate and uses non-verbal cues to help them. In this way, individuals are taught to communicate when they want something. In the next phases, they are taught to go to where the images are, and the partner they want to communicate with, to deliver their message.
- Can reduce problem behaviours
Research has found that the use of PECS to teach communication functions serves to decrease challenging behaviour. If taught to ask for what is needed or wanted, the communication strategy can replace challenging behaviour.
- Can stimulate speech
Many parents and teachers are afraid that augmentative communication will inhibit speech development. Research shows that PECS can increase speech competence over time. Some individuals naturally stop using PECS as they become more proficient because their use of speech is much more efficient. PECS incorporates reinforcement protocols and strategies to specifically encourage and reinforce speech. In this way, learning to communicate increases the likelihood that individuals will use speech and, if they do not use speech proficiently, provides them with a functional way to communicate.
- It is very easy to interpret
Images are easy for everyone to understand. This makes communication effective and successful in all environments and encourages further communication.
- It is expandable
Once the learner is able to use a picture and make the exchange, the system moves on to teaching the learner how to go to the book and the partner. It also begins to extend the length of the learner’s communication using a sentence strip, as well as increasing the functions of their communication to describing the elements of the requests and then commenting.
- Builds on strengths
Some authors point out that individuals with autism are often (but not always) more deficient in motor imitation, fine motor skills and representational memory. They are often more skilled in visual discrimination or visual perceptual skills. Since PECS is a selection-based strategy, it builds on students’ strengths to teach them their weaknesses, i.e., their visual perceptual skills to address their weaker communicative skills.
- It is economical
PECS is cheap and can be implemented easily with computer image searches and mobile phone cameras. All you need is a notebook, images, laminate, and velcro.
- It is evidence based
PECS is one of the evidence-based practices identified in the National Career Development Centre report.
CONS
PECS can help solve the problem of sentence construction and enable autistic children to be independent in their daily lives. However, this communication system has several limitations.
- Costs in training and time
Parents and educators who want to use PECS effectively need training using picture cards and folders. The training consists of six phases and is time-consuming.
The use of non-verbal communication makes it difficult to achieve normal communication skills. Therefore, parents and educators must make an extra effort to help children who use PECS to learn. This may require parents and teachers to invest more money and time.
- Communication Limitation
PECS can become a limiting factor when people with autism improve their communication skills, because there are not always adequate picture cards for the children to communicate their thoughts. The inability to communicate clearly with the child can cause teachers and therapists to misinterpret the child’s needs and ideas, bringing confusion and frustration to the learning process.
- Adjustment Requirements
It is a challenge to keep up with the adjustments needed for PECS to be effective. When using this system, the folder or board containing the picture cards needs to be constantly adjusted. Complex picture cards need to be added as the learner’s communication skills improve. This means that most people using PECS need access to a computer and printer. Computers and printers make it possible for learners at different stages to use pictures appropriate to their level of learning.
For its implementation, we will follow six phases that you can consult in the Annex 2 (Collet-Klingenberg 2008).
