Brief report: increasing communication skills for an elementary-aged student with autism using the Picture Exchange Communication System.
PECS quickly boosted spontaneous requests and comments for a 6-year-old with autism in both home and school.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Staddon et al. (2002) taught PECS to one six-year-old boy with autism. Sessions happened at home and at school.
The team tracked how often the boy asked for things or made comments without being told. They also counted clear spoken words.
What they found
Spontaneous requests and comments rose in both places. Clear words also went up in two of three settings.
In one school area, the boy started talking more with classmates too.
How this fits with other research
Carr et al. (2007) saw the same jump in initiations after only 15 hours of PECS with preschoolers. The age and setting differ, but the gain looks the same.
ADiemer et al. (2023) pushed older kids through PECS phases in a clinic. Most reached phase IV, showing the method keeps working past first grade.
Galuska et al. (2006) added a twist: they taught preschoolers to describe items when the exact picture was missing. That study extends the basic PECS used here and shows the system can grow with the child.
Why it matters
You can start PECS on Monday with almost any young child who has autism. One binder, some Velcro, and 10-15 minute trials are enough to see new requests by Friday. Use the same pictures at home and school so the skill travels with the kid.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Place three highly preferred snack pictures on the front of a binder and teach the child to pick one and hand it to you before each bite.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) on the spontaneous communication skills of a 6-year-old girl with autism across her home and school environments. The effects of the PECS were also examined for social interaction. Results indicated increases in spontaneous language (i.e., requests and comments) including use of the icons and verbalizations across those settings in which PECS was implemented. Intelligible verbalizations increased in two of three settings, and changes in peer social interaction were noted in one of the two school settings.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2002 · doi:10.1023/a:1015457931788