Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) based on PECS Bondy & Frost, 1994 &2002

1. Picture Exchange Communication System(PECS)based on PECSBondy & Frost, 1994 &2002 Presented by: Medley Sapp, MEd. Sharon Jasperson, Technical Assistant

2. The Important Info: • Restrooms • Restaurants

3. Introductions • Name • School • Program • Grade level • Experience with PECS

4. Participation Expectation • Participate in all activities and discussions throughout the day. • Be respectful and attend to colleagues’ input. • Silence cell phones and no texting. • Share questions, grow as a professional, and have fun learning more about PECS in the classroom.

5. Information about the Assistive Technology Department • Website: • http://ccsd.net/departments/assistive-technology-services

6. PECS: Developed by Andy Bondy and Lori Frost • Blends the fields of Applied Behavioral Analysis and Speech Language Pathology • http://www.pecs.com/ • Pyramid Products

7. Fact or Myth? • Schedules are PECS. • Choice boards are PECS. • Visual Prompts/Cues are PECS. • Pointing to a pictures is PECS. • Discrimination is a prerequisite to start PECS • PECS can only be used with students with autism

8. What is PECS? • The Picture Exchange Communication System is a communication training system that teaches a means of functional communication within a social context (Bondy & Frost, 1994). • Goal is to develop SPONTANEOUS INITIATION AND COMMUNICATION. • (PCS are Picture Communication Symbols)

9. Why PECS vs. Other Systems? • PECS requires a student to give a picture to a communicative partner (requesting)with a concrete outcome (reinforcement) (Bondy & Frost, 1994). • Other picture systems such as picture pointing focus on labeling rather than requesting(Carr, 1982;Powers&Handelman,1984 in Bondy & Frost, 1994). • Picture pointing systems may be good for typically developing children that are intrinsically motivated and reinforced socially. For students with “autism”, concrete reinforcers are often required as they are generally not motivated by social praise.

10. Why PECS vs. Other Systems? CON’T • PECS does not require prerequisite imitation or motor skills which may be required for picture pointing or sign language systems (Bondy & Frost, 1994)

11. When is PECS Appropriate? • Student is not using functional communication. • Student is using functional communication but cannot be understood by unfamiliar listeners. • The student does not initiate communication. • To increase mean length of utterance. • To increase vocabulary.

12. So, How do I get Started?REINFORCERS • The only prerequisite for implementing PECS is knowing the reinforcer. • Every child is unique and is motivated and reinforced by different items and social rewards. • To address individual needs and tastes give reinforcement assessments regularly to have access to powerful reinforcement when teaching the various phases of PECS.

13. Informal Reinforcer Assessment • Look at what student is trying to get • Ask family about child’s preferences • Formally develop a reinforcer hierarchy: • Most desired • Moderately preferred • Tries to avoid • Assess at different times of the day • Reinforcer First Strategy • Group Work: List of Reinforcers

14. Formal Assessment of Reinforcers • Select an assortment of reinforcers ( see handout) • Put the reinforcers out within the child’s reach and see what he selects. Repeat procedure with different items. • Display the items the child has selected in the previous steps. See which of these items he reaches for first. • This should be your STRONGEST reinforcer. Begin here • PECS Group, 2010

15. Reinforcer First Strategy Students know what they will get when they make the request. PECS Group, 2010

16. Determine Symbols to be used • Objects • Photographs • Picture Icons (Pogoboards) • Line Drawings • Words

17. Organizing PCS Items • Blocks/objects in “shoe box” for student use • Blocks/objects in “shoe box” for staff use • File pictures • Tempo Loop fabric on the wall (for students to pick, replace, or staff to replace lost PCS

19. PCS Storage

20. Understanding the Phases of PECS • Teach one phase at a time. • Sequential progression through each phase is the best predictor of success in a student initiating communication, commenting, and requesting that will last a lifetime. Bondy and Frost, 2002

21. Phase I • Phase I teaches students HOW to communicate. • Goal=INITIATION; The student MUST go first.

22. PHASE I: Teaching the Physically Assisted Exchange • Requires 2 people: Communicative Partner and Prompter. • NO verbal prompts. • Present one picture at a time (NO BOOKS OR SENTENCE STRIPS ARE USED). • Conduct training across the day, not at one time or in one place. • Use different reinforcers. • Modify symbol/picture to match motor skills (Block example: Jas/Timoteo)

23. Communicative Partner Entice the student R+ student exchange (w/item) within 1/2 second Pair social praise w/R+ Time open hand (student reaches for comm. partner) Physical Prompter Wait for student initiation (Reach for object) Physically prompt student: pick up, reach, release STUDENT Pick up  Reach Release PHASE I CON’T

24. Picture of Phase I Example

25. PHASE I ERROR CORRECTION • “Backstep” error correction is used when the student makes an error in the task. • Example: student picks up picture and drops it before putting in communicative partner’s hand. Physical prompter goes back to the last step performed correctly and prompts from that point through end of task.

26. Phase I PCS Travel

27. Things to Remember • The child initiates the training sequence not the silent partner. • Do not conduct training in one session. Trials should be spread out throughout the entire. • Change trainers right from the beginning so student does not communicate with only one person • Change reinforcers as often as possible so student does not come satiated or get tired of the reinforcer. PECS Group, 2010

28. Practice Phase I

29. Phase I Troubleshooting • What happens if the child will not reach for the reinforcer ? Check the strength of the reinforcer. • What happens if the child quits handing the reinforcer in the middle of training? Try to end the session with a successful training sequence. • What happens if the child can’t see the picture? Try larger pictures, adding color or tactile cards. • What happens if the child gets upset when I take a toy? Getting upset is an initiation to go through the training sequence very quickly and give the toy back. PECS Group, 2010

30. Phase I Data

31. Phase ICriteria For Mastery • Independent exchange across 3-5 reinforcers with 2+ communicative partners in 2 different environments.

32. Phase I Review • What type of prompts are used? • What does the Communicative Partner say when enticing? • What does the Physical Prompter say? • When is the Communicative Partner’s open hand presented? • How quickly is the reinforcer given to the student? • How many pictures are used? • Is discrimination required? • How many trainers are required?

33. Phase II: Distance and Persistence • Goal= Travel to the book and travel to the communicative partner; communicate in multiple places with multiple people. • Introduce communication book • Students carry communication books to all environments. • Compile pictures in book.

34. PHASE II: DISTANCE AND PERSISTENCE • Introduce communication book. • 2 Trainers (just in case!) • No verbal prompts used. • Teach variety of pictures but only one at a time on front of the book. • New skills is increasing distance to communicative partner then increase distance from student to book.

35. PHASE II CON’T • Train across the day; student should take the book everywhere they go. This requires 2 trainers. • Use a variety of communicative partners. • Use backstep error correction as needed.

36. Phase II Communication Book Picture Example

37. Phase II Picture Example

38. Practice Phase II

39. Phase II Troubleshooting • Student gets distracted while traveling: decrease the distance, find new, more powerful R+ • Student is not able/allowed out of seat: teach the student to “call” the communicative partner (bell, Big Mack) • Carrying the book is difficult: use straps, backpacks, possible books located in all environments.

40. Phase II Data Sheet

41. Phase II Criteria for Mastery • Student should be able to cross a room to retrieve a picture and travel across the room to the communicative partner. Student should have 5-10 reinforcers.

42. Phase IIReview • How many trainers are required? • How many pictures are used? • What does the Communicative Partner say while enticing the student? • What does the Physical Prompter say to the student? • What is the goal of Phase II?

43. Phase IIIDiscrimination • Goal of Phase III=Student chooses among pictures on the communication book. • IIIA: Simple Discrimination: Highly preferred vs. distracter • IIIB: Conditional Discrimination: Two reinforcers.

44. PHASE III • Present 2 items w/pictures; one highly preferred and one non-preferred or a distracter. • New skill is choosing “correct” picture; verbally R+ when student touches correct picture. • Physical prompter is not needed (Physical prompter is used for initiation; not needed when initiation is spontaneous). • Communicative partner may prompt using 4-step error correction.

45. PHASE III CON’TStudent chooses incorrect picture=4-step error correction • If the student chooses the incorrect picture, give no social R+ and give the student the item, then go into 4-step error correction.

46. 4-Step Error Correction STUDENT GIVES INCORRECT PICTURE Give item corresponding to picture. (“my turn”) 1. Model or Show correct picture. 2. Prompt; hold hand near correct picture, gesture. Verbal R+ but do not give item. 3. Switch (“do this”) 4. Repeat. 3 trials then errorless (take away distracter)

47. 4-Step Error Correction

48. Practice Phase III A

49. Phase IIIA Data

50. PHASE III CON’T:DISCRIMINATION OF 2 R+ ITEMS; CORRESPONDENCE CHECK • Present book w/2 pictures of R+ items with the items. • Student requests. • Communicative partner, instead of giving items says, “take it”, “go ahead”, etc.) • Student takes correct item = R+++ • Student takes incorrect item = block access and go into 4-step error correction. (Model/show, prompt, verbal R+, switch, repeat)