Moving On From PECSAn Introduction

ACE Centre Network Day

20th March 2012

Karen Bailey and Rachel Moore

ACE Speech and Language Therapists

An Introduction

• PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) is a useful tool for developing communication

• Well known tool for teaching skills for developing communication

• What if an individual doesn’t develop functional speech?

Why was PECS developed?From PECS Training Manual - Lori Frost & Dr Andy Bondy

Different communication systems had been tried & failed because of:-

• lack of initiation for communication• lack of response to social rewards• poor motor imitation

? Question ?

What about individuals who no longer need PECS to initiate communication and…

• have not developed functional speech?or

• need visual support in order to speak?

Criteria for giving up PECSaccording to PECS trainers

From PECS Training Manual- Frost & Bondy

• Speech vocabulary is as large as PECS vocabulary

• Initiation with speech is intact• Length of spoken utterance is as long as

PECS utterance• Speech is intelligible to untrained listener

Alternative AAC resources

• No Tech - Signing

• Low Tech - Books and charts

• Voice output Communication Aids

When moving on from PECS…

Consider the importance of…

• Pointing

• Modelling

• Visual prompts

Modelling in action

Benefits of managing a pointing system

• speed

• fluency

• creativity

• portability

• maintenance

Core Vocabulary Fringe Vocabulary

Social

Request

Describe

Question

Direct

Give Information

Language Functions

Pointing in actionLow tech book

Pointing in action Voice Output Communication Aid

Alternative AAC resources

• Books and charts

• Speech output devices

Concerns when moving on from PECS

• Loss of familiar system

• Not building up a complete sentence

Case Study - Henry• On the autistic spectrum• Limited understanding in most

situations

• Limited speech and expressive language• Exceptional knowledge and use of

language associated with the world of dinosaurs

• Highly supportive team around Henry who are prepared to put time into generating resources for him

Case Study - Henry

• Clicker 5 was introduced to develop his expressive language as well as his literacy

• Important features included visual support (symbols) and auditory feedback

• Be aware of using too much media in the grids but do use this as a reward

Henry’s grids

Following an assessment

Clicker 5 was introduced to Henry

• Open grid: – (grids from assessment day – Planet Earth, with and without sound)

• Forced order: – (forced order Jurassic park story)

• Moving on to open grids

Assessment grids

Clicker Forced Order

Clicker More Forced Order

Henry’s grids

Following an assessment

Clicker 5 was introduced to Henry

• Talking story: – (dinosaur Talking Book)

Clicker Talking Story

Henry moving on

• Talking books to help with transition into new school. Included pictures and video of school, new teachers and peers, new classroom etc

• iPad: – “We found ‘Pictello’ fantastic!”

• Visual instructions / visual stories

– Visual schedules

Useful apps

• Pictello: for creating stories

based on visual scenes

• Visual schedules:

e.g. First then visual schedule for

autism with text, voice and picture.

CONCLUSION

• PECS can be an important first step in the path towards social interaction

• When this first step has been achieved, other methods should be considered for further developing communication

Future ACE Centre Courses

• Getting Started with AACThursday 22nd March 2012, 10am to 4pmACE Oxford

• Moving On From PECSWednesday 30th May 2012, 10am to 4pmACE Oxford

• iPads, iPods and CommunicationTuesday 3rd July 2012, 10am to 4pmACE Oxford

Delegate fee for above one-day courses - £120