Unlimited Learning, PLLC - Neurodevelopmental treatment center
Using Sensory-Wise Communication to promote development
Developing Ability, Changing Lives
Unlimited Learning, PLLC - Neurodevelopmental treatment center Using Sensory-Wise Communication to promote development Developing Ability, Changing Lives
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A GUIDE TO TEACHING PICTURE EXCHANGE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM (PECS) Developed by Frost and Bondy The picture exchange communication system (PECS) is an important communication device for many children with autism. It was developed by Lori Frost, M.S. CCC-SLP and Andy Bundy PhD to address the communication needs of pre-verbal children. PECS will be incorporated into the sensory-wise communication procedures as one of the communication strategies that are enhanced by incorporation of sensory procedures. Introduction: Using the PECS, participants learn to spontaneously initiate communicative exchange. PECS can be used with children who are not yet initiating requests, comments, etc. Participants are taught to approach and give a picture of a desired item to a communicative partner in exchange for that item. Eventually participants learn to sequence words to create sentences. Using PECS, participants learn to gain the attention of the communication partner in order to make a request. I. PHASE I- THE PHYSICAL EXCHANGEA.
Objective:
Upon seeing a desired item, the child will learn to initiate a request by
picking up the picture
of the item, reaching toward the communication partner, and releasing the picture
into the partner’s hand. B.
Preparing
for Phase I: 1. Identify all of the objects, foods, activities, etc. that the child prefers. 2. Develop a set of pictures that represents those items. 3.
No
verbal prompts are used during this phase. 4. Present only one picture at a time. 5.
Practice
PECS during naturally occurring situations. C.
Training
Procedures: 1. When you see a child is reaching for a desired item, use the opportunity to work on the physical exchange of the picture for the item. 2.
Allow the
child to engage in the activity, (e.g. play with the item or eat the food)
for a short period and then remove the item. 3.
Get the
picture that represents the identified item. 4. Sit directly in front of the child so that he or she can see you clearly. 5.
Place the
picture of the item between you and the child. 6.
Hold the
preferred item in one hand while showing it to the child. 7.
Without
saying anything, and using hand-over-hand assistance, help the student pick up
the picture and put it into your open hand. 8.
When the
child releases the picture into your hand, label the action by saying “oh, you
want the play dough!”, etc. 9.
Immediately, give the desired item to the child D.
Fading
Cues: 1.
As the
child becomes familiar with the expectations of the exchange, start fading the
physical assistance (hand-over-hand). 2.
Next
start fading your open hand cue. 3.
Move onto
Phase II once the child is consistently and independently exchanging a picture
in order to retrieve a desired item. II.
PHASE II
– EXPANDING SPONTANEITY A.
Objective:
The child will go to his/her communication board/book, select a pciture, go to the communication partner, and release the picture into the
partner’s hand without visual or verbal prompts. B.
Preparing
for Phase II: 1. Create a communication board or a book with pictures the child often uses. 2.
Store the
pictures in a binder using velcro; arrange the pictures in a meaningful way so
that you can easily find them. C.
Training
Procedures: 1.
Once the
desired activity has been determined by the child, place the appropriate
picture on the communication board. 2.
The child
must now remove the picture from the board and give it to you. 3.
Once the
child learns to do this, increase the distance between you and the child. 4.
At this
point,
exchange must become more intentional first by reaching for you and then by
getting up and moving towards you. 5.
Continue to slowly increase the distance between the child and the picture. 6.
The
communication partner is the one expected to return the picture to the board once the
child has given the picture. 7.
Move to Phase III once the child consistently and independently goes to get the
picture of the desired item and brings it to you. III.
PHASE III
– PICTURE DISCRIMINATION A.
Objective:
The child will request the desired items by going to a communication
board, selecting the appropriate picture from an array, going to a communication
partner and exchanging the picture accordingly. B.
Preparing
for Phase III: 1.
In
addition to pictures of highly preferred items, you should now identify and get
pictures of non-preferred items. 2.
Non-preferred
items could be those that the child dislikes or shows no interest in, or are
contextually irrelevant (such as shoe during snack time). C.
Training
Procedures: 1.
Present
the child with one desired item and one non-preferred item. 2.
Initially,
pair the pictures with the real objects. 3.
Quickly fade away the real objects and just present the child with
the pictures. 4.
Give the
child the object that corresponds with the exchanged picture, even if it is the
non-preferred item. You can then
say “You asked for the shoe”, etc. Return
both pictures to the board and then say “If you want a cookie, you need to ask
for the cookie”, etc. 5.
If this
continues to occur, make sure the child is in fact interested in the
“desired” item. 6.
Once the
child has learned to discriminate between pictures, start adding more pictures to the board so that the child learns to request from
a variety of pictures. 7.
Continue
doing this until the child can discriminate amongst approximately 20 pictures. 8.
At this
point, you can develop theme boards and place them in the environment or in a
book. Also start putting preferred objects out of reach to increase opportunities for
requesting items. 9.
The child
is ready to move onto Phase IV once he/she is able to discriminate between a
variety of pictures and is able to request a preferred choice from amongst a
group of pictures. IV.
PHASE IV
– SENTENCE STRUCTURE A.
Objective:
The child will request present and non-present items using a multi-word phrase
by going to the book, selecting a picture/symbol of “I want” and putting it on
the sentence strip where he/she can then add a picture of the desired item.
By the end of this phase, a child typically has 20-50 pictures in the
communication book and is communicating with a variety of partners. B.
Preparing
for Phase IV: 1.
Create a
sentence strip to attach to the communication
binder. 2.
Create a
picture for “I want.” 3. It is helpful for some children to use color-coding for teaching sentence structure. C.
Training
Procedure: 1.
Attach
the “I want” picture to the far left of the sentence strip. 2. Asset
the child with placing the picture of the desired item next to the “I
want” picture. 3.
The child
then gives you the sentence strip. 4.
As the
child is giving you the strip, you should verbalize the request by saying, “I
want _________” or tell the child “You told me….I want_______.” 5.
Once the
child consistently does this, move the “I want” picture to the top left hand
corner of the board/page. 6.
When the
child wants something, guide him/her to the “I want” picture, help him/her
place it on the left side of the sentence strip and then help the child to
place the picture of the desired item next to it. 7.
Continue
doing this until the child can complete these steps independently. 8.
Start
placing desired items out of sight. V.
PHASE V
– RESPONDING TO “WHAT DO YOU WANT?” A.
Objective:
The child will spontaneously request a variety of items and can answer
the question “What do you want?” B.
Training
Procedures: 1.
At this
phase, the child can initiate requests independently using the start phrase “I
want” followed by a picture of the desired item. 2.
Ideally,
the child has not yet been exposed to the prompt “What do you want?” 3.
It is
inevitable that people will continue to ask the child this, therefore, this
phase teaches the student how to respond to this prompt. 4.
You
should be able to move through this stage quite quickly
VI.
PHASE VI RESPONDING
TO A QUESTION A.
Objective:
The child will identify items by labeling in response to a question. (E.G. What
do you see, What do you want, what do you hear?) B.
Training
Procedures: a.
Place the
“I see” symbol at the front of the communication book on the sentence strip.
b.
Hold up
the training item and ask the child “What do you see” c.
Guide the
child to pick up the “I see” symbol if they do not respond within 5 sec.
d.
If the
child does not pick up the picture of the training item, the adult will
guide him, then reinforce the child for assembling the sentence strip. e.
Do not
use the training item as the reinforcer or it no longer will act as a response,
instead it will become a choice. f. Start changing the questions and have the individual respond to each question. g.
Outcome
is for the child to differentiate between What do you see?, What do you want?,
What do you have?, and What do you hear?.
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