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PECS for Nonverbal Individuals with Autism: Empowering Communication

PECS for Nonverbal

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Do PECS help develop language?

For families of nonverbal children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the challenge of communication can feel overwhelming. How do you help your child express their thoughts, needs, or feelings when words aren’t an option? Thankfully, tools like PECS for Nonverbal individuals offer a way to bridge that gap, providing a means for children to share their voices and connect with the world around them.

Communication is fundamental to self-expression, social interaction, and emotional well-being. While many children develop verbal communication skills naturally, children with autism often require alternative methods to express themselves, or even some are nonverbal. PECS steps in as a versatile and effective tool, enabling nonverbal children to build meaningful communication skills gradually.

In this blog by ABA Centers of Florida, we’ll explore how PECS works, its benefits for children with autism, and practical strategies for implementing it successfully. Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, or educator, this guide will help you unlock the potential of PECS to empower your child.

What Is PECS for Nonverbal?

Visual Aids

PECS is a structured approach that helps individuals with communication challenges use pictures to express their needs, wants, and emotions. Developed in 1985 by Dr. Andrew Bondy and Lori Frost, PECS used visual aids, like pictures or symbols, to teach children how to communicate, starting with simple exchanges and gradually progressing to more complex interactions.

So, instead of relying on words, children use pictures to convey their thoughts, needs, and feelings. For example, if a child wants a toy, they hand over a picture of the toy to a caregiver, who then provides the desired item. Over time, this system reduces frustration, encourages independence, and fosters more profound connections with others.

PECS is especially powerful because it doesn’t require any prior verbal skills. It’s a step-by-step system that meets children where they are, allowing them to progress at their own pace. Over time, many children who use PECS develop not only better communication skills but also increased confidence and independence.

How Does Pecs Work?

PECS has six phases, with each phase building on the skills learned in the previous one. Here’s a quick overview of how it works:

Phase 1: Learning to Exchange Pictures

Children begin by understanding the concept of exchanging a picture for a desired item. A caregiver or therapist guides them through the process, ensuring they grasp the basic idea of communication through pictures.

Phase 2: Increasing Independence

Once the concept is clear, children practice initiating communication on their own. They learn to pick up a picture and deliver it to a communication partner without prompts.

Phase 3: Picture Differentiation

At this stage, children are introduced to multiple pictures, allowing them to make choices and express preferences. For instance, they might select between images of a book and a snack.

Phase 4: Building Sentences

Using a sentence strip, children learn to construct simple sentences like “I want + [picture].” This step introduces the idea of forming complete thoughts.

Phase 5: Responding to Questions

Children start answering questions such as “What do you want?” by using pictures, adding an interactive element to their communication skills.

Phase 6: Expressing Observations and Feelings

The final phase focuses on using pictures to comment on their environment, express emotions, or share observations, fostering richer interactions.

The Benefits of PECS for Nonverbal Autism

PECS offers transformative benefits for nonverbal children with autism:

  • Enhanced Communication: It provides a reliable method for children to express themselves, reducing frustration and promoting understanding.
  • Behavioral Improvements: By addressing communication challenges, PECS can help decrease problem behaviors often linked to unmet needs or misunderstandings.
  • Social Connection: PECS encourages interactions with caregivers, peers, and teachers, building social skills and relationships.
  • Emotional Development: It enables children to express feelings and emotions, supporting emotional regulation and self-awareness.
  • Customizability: The therapist can customize the system to meet each child’s unique needs and interests, making it an adaptable tool.

Moreover, the study in the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine focused on using the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), combined with traditional behavioral techniques, to help a seven-year-old boy with autism improve his communication skills and reduce repetitive behaviors like head-turning and hand-flapping.

Over 32 sessions spanning three months, the child achieved a 60% improvement in his targeted behaviors, gained independence in daily tasks, and significantly enhanced his ability to communicate. The findings highlight how integrating PECS with traditional methods can be a practical, non-pharmacological approach to managing communication and behavioral challenges in autism.

New PECS Tools for Autism

The Picture Exchange Communication System has come a long way since its introduction, offering innovative tools that make communication easier and more accessible for nonverbal children. With advancements in technology, PECS now integrates with digital platforms and adaptive devices, making it possible to tailor communication strategies to meet individual needs more effectively.

Here are some of the latest tools reshaping PECS:

  • Mobile Apps for PECS: Apps designed for PECS now allow caregivers and educators to organize and store images on smartphones and tablets, creating a more dynamic and interactive experience. Apps like PECStalk, for example, provide an augmentative and alternative communication platform that simplifies the process for children with autism, making it easier to engage with the system in real-time.
  • Adaptive Communication Devices: Specialized device tools offer customizable options, enabling families to choose systems that align with their child’s unique needs and preferences. Many of these devices are now widely available online, including on platforms like Amazon, making them accessible to more families.
  • Expanded Picture and Vocabulary Options: Innovations in PECS materials now include a broader range of visual symbols and customizable vocabulary. These additions allow caregivers to personalize the communication system based on the child’s daily environment, interests, and routine, making learning more intuitive and relatable.
PECS for Nonverbal Individuals with Autism: Empowering Communication

Using PECS at Home for Nonverbal Children on the Spectrum

For parents and caregivers of children with autism, learning is a constant process that is also very rewarding, as it allows them to apply knowledge at home and in various natural environments for the child.

Here are some helpful tips for applying PECS at home:

  • Identify Motivators: Start with items your child loves, such as a favorite snack, toy, or activity, to make the process engaging.
  • Be Consistent: Use PECS regularly in everyday routines to reinforce learning and help your child understand its relevance.
  • Celebrate Success: Reward your child’s efforts with praise, smiles, or small treats to encourage continued participation.
  • Seek Professional Guidance: Collaborate with an ABA therapist or speech-language pathologist for personalized strategies and support.

Phase 1: Start with Picture Exchange

Your child learns to use a picture to express a need. For example, if they want a snack, they’ll pick a picture of the snack and give it to you.

How to teach this:

  1. Keep it Simple: Show your child one picture of the desired item (e.g., a toy or food).
  2. Guide Their Hand: Gently help them pick up the picture and hand it to you.
  3. Reward Immediately: Give them the item they want and say, “You want the toy! Here it is!”

Repeat this process until your child starts handing you the picture on their own. Stay patient and consistently reinforce their effort with praise and enthusiasm!

Phase 2: Teach Independence

Now, your child learns to take the picture without your guidance and bring it to you on their own.

Here’s what to do:

  • Place the picture slightly away from your child so they have to reach for it
  • Move farther away yourself so they have to come to you with the picture
  • Practice this in different places around your home to help them understand that PECS works anywhere

Encourage them with simple prompts like, “Go get it!” or “Bring it to me!” and celebrate every success.

Phase 3: Make Choices with Pictures

This step helps your child learn to choose between different pictures to communicate what they want.

How to practice:

  1. Start Small: Show two pictures—one of something they like and one of something they don’t care about.
  2. Let Them Choose: Encourage them to pick the picture of what they want.
  3. Expand Options: Once they’re confident, add more pictures to represent other items or activities.

Always give them the item they choose to reinforce the connection between the picture and their choice.

Phase 4: Build Simple Sentences

At this stage, your child begins forming short sentences, like “I want the toy.”

Steps to teach:

  1. Place the “I want” card on a sentence strip.
  2. Help your child add the picture of the item they want next to the “I want” card.
  3. Show them how to give you the completed sentence strip.
  4. Read the sentence back to them (e.g., “I want the toy”) and provide them with the item.

Over time, reduce how much you help them, letting them build and use the sentence strip on their own.

Phase 5: Answer Questions

Now, your child learns to answer simple questions like “What do you want?”

How to teach this:

  • Ask, “What do you want?” while pointing to the “I want” card.
  • Help them build the sentence (e.g., “I want the toy”) and hand it to you.
  • Gradually stop pointing or prompting, letting them respond independently.

This phase helps them communicate more naturally in everyday situations.

Phase 6: Express Thoughts and Feelings

In the final phase, your child uses pictures to share emotions or make observations.

Here’s how to practice:

  1. Introduce new pictures for feelings (e.g., “happy,” “sad”) and observations (e.g., “car,” “bird”).
  2. Ask questions like “What do you see?” or “How do you feel?” and help them respond using the pictures.
  3. Encourage comments like “I see a dog” by adding pictures to sentence strips.

Celebrate their efforts and gently guide them to use PECS in different situations, like during walks or family time.

ABA Centers of Florida Enhances Communications Skills

The Benefits of PECS for Nonverbal Autism

Using tools we can create ourselves, which is also practical for home use, is essential for promoting communication and independence in children and kids and teens on the spectrum. Tools like PECS provide families with valuable resources to build strong relationships with their children and support their continued learning.

If you need more support and feel your child could benefit from proven therapy and our years of experience in autism care, contact ABA Centers of Florida. We have a significant presence in the Sunshine State in areas such as Doral, Miramar, Jensen Beach, Tampa, Orlando, Boca Raton, Melbourne, Davenport, Kissimmee, Bradenton, and more.

Through early intervention and personalized ABA therapy plans, we have successfully helped many children with autism achieve greater independence and improved daily living skills.

We respect and understand the abilities and needs of each individual, which is why our ABA therapy plans are unique and tailored for each child. If you need more information or want to start the therapy process, call us at (772) 773-1975 or schedule a free consultation with our autism experts.

Discover how our autism treatment services can help you.

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