By Lucy Hotchkiss

The Picture Exchange Communication System® or PECS®, as it is widely known, is a unique AAC system successfully implemented worldwide with learners of all ages who have various cognitive, physical and communication challenges. Is PECS the right AAC system for your learner? We believe an AAC assessment should be conducted to determine the best fit for our learners. Read about the 5 reasons to consider trying PECS below and then consult with your educational team.

What does AAC stand for and why is it important?

We all use multiple forms of communication daily, depending on who we’re communicating with and in what context. Maybe you speak Arabic at home and English at work, video call with your parents and email your colleagues, or sign to your children and text your friends. For some people with diagnoses like Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Down Syndrome, communicating with others in their day-to-day life can be challenging. AAC (Alternative Augmentative Communication), is a range of tools and techniques that can help support, or sometimes replace, spoken communication. There’s a huge variety of AAC techniques. Some involve gestures or signing, while others use symbols – like PECS.

What is PECS?

Developed in 1985 by Andy Bondy and Lori Frost, PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) is an AAC system that uses symbols, communication books, specific prompting, and reinforcement to teach functional communication skills to individuals who may be non-verbal or find verbal communication challenging.

Given the huge variety in AAC systems and all of the complicated jargon you’ll find when researching them, it can get confusing – especially when you may not know what features to look out for! Here are five reasons why PECS should be included in your AAC assessment…

1. PECS is an evidence-based practice

An evidence-based practice is a procedure that independent researchers/experts have found to produce positive outcomes when used and have strong evidence to back up their efficacy. In 2014, The National Professional Development Centre on ASD adopted PECS as one of its 27 evidence-based practices, due to over 190 published articles and peer-reviewed research papers providing evidence for the positive outcomes and effectiveness of PECS when implemented correctly. They aren’t the only organization who officially recognize the effectiveness and success of PECS in aiding communication. Research Autism, an organization who examine different types of therapies and strategies for helping those with ASD, have described PECS as a “straightforward and positive approach, cost-effective and not overly time-consuming to implement.” Learn more about the evidence-base for PECS here.

2. PECS teaches learners to initiate communication, which is important in supporting independence

PECS is based on a framework of nine highly effective teaching strategies known as The Pyramid Approach to Education. Unlike some other picture-board focused AAC systems, PECS requires an exchange of symbols, rather than an individual just pointing to a picture. While this may not sound like a big difference, it’s crucial to the development of functional communication skills, as a PECS user has to initiate the communication themselves instead of simply relying on prompts from a communicative partner. Functional communication skills are vital to growing and supporting an individual’s independence and are an important foundation for the development of further social skills.

PECS isn’t just for a user to communicate their needs, it’s a framework for supporting all communication in their daily lives. Also, there’s no evidence that PECS hinders the development of speech – moreover, it has been found to result in the development of spoken communication in some users.

3. PECS is suitable for all age groups across a wide range of disorders and needs

PECS isn’t just for individuals with ASD – in fact, it’s been successfully implemented as an AAC across a huge range of disorders and syndromes that can make communication difficult, such as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Microcephaly and Cerebral Palsy.  PECS isn’t just for young children either, it is also used to aid the communication of older people who have suffered a stroke or had a traumatic brain injury.

Some AAC systems, like Makaton, require that individuals who use them learn a complex new language, which often isn’t suitable for individuals who are struggling with communication. In comparison, PECS can be implemented between a person and their communicative partner within a matter of days, which can be especially important for an individual who is about to attend school or who is displaying challenging behaviors due to their frustration of not being able to communicate.

4. PECS is easily understood in the community and by peers

Learning an AAC like sign language is like learning French or Mandarin- it’s a complex language with different grammatical structures and vocabulary. And like any language, it typically takes between five to seven years of learning and practicing to become fluent, which may not be suitable for some people struggling with communication. While the communicative partner of a PECS user does need training in order to implement the protocol correctly, the simplicity of PECS means that it is widely understood by peers and those in the community who haven’t had any PECS training, thereby fostering a user’s independence in real-world settings.

5. PECS is affordable

For some more sophisticated AAC systems (like Speech Generating Devices/SGDs), the technology can be pretty pricey, especially when you factor in the cost of software and how easily tablets can be damaged or break. With PECS, training is the main cost, with professionals paying the ‘full’ price, and parents of children who use or are about to use PECS paying a reduced price. The reasoning behind these price differences based on the role in a PECS user’s life is our belief that users should be supported in all of their day-to-day environments, particularly at home, which is why we strongly encourage parents to attend a PECS Level 1 workshop. Additionally, financial help is available for parents who otherwise may not be able to afford training but have a PECS user at home. See our Funding Resources guide for more information about grants for families and professionals.

To summarize, PECS is evidence-based, affordable, easily understood, and supports independence!

If you’re interested in attending a training or finding out more about our company and PECS, we have several resources on our website you can use to learn more including our Helpful Info section which has Free Materials and Support at Home resources.