Picture Exchange Communication (PECS) Training for Young Children: Does Training Transfer at School and to Home?

Abstract

The limited communicative abilities of young children with autism and developmental disabilities may be enhanced by augmentative communication systems such as the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). Both children and adults can learn to use PECS, but research is inconsistent in establishing the degree to which PECS training transfers reliably from the training setting to other settings, for example, regular classrooms, and home. Three 5–6 year-old children, diagnosed as autistic and/or developmentally disabled, were given 1:1 PECS training at school, structured to enhance generalisation and transfer. Concurrent observations were made in their regular classroom and at home to probe the extent of generalisation. All three acquired the ability to request a preferred object or activity by exchanging a picture symbol with a communicative partner. In tests of transfer and generalisation, a multiple-baseline across subjects design showed no use of PECS symbols either in the classroom or at home prior to training, with spontaneous initiations of picture exchange (transfer) occurring to a slight to moderate degree in the classroom and to a slight degree at home. Even with PECS training structured to enhance transfer, functionally significant degrees of generalisation of training may be difficult to achieve, and cannot be assumed to occur.

An Investigation on the Effects of PECS and Observational Learning in Initiating and Maintenance of Communication among Children with Autism

“…Obtained findings are analogous to relevant studies analyzing the efficacy of PECS intervention (Adams-Hill & Flores, 2014;Carre, Le Grice, Blampied, & Walker, 2009;Cummings, Carr & Le Blanc, 2012 & Lock, 2010;Gillespie-Smith, Riby, Hancock & Doherty-Sneddon, 2014;Jurgens, Anderson, & Moore, 2009;Kravits, Kamps, Kemmerer & Potucek, 2002). Nonetheless, some points in this research should be discussed.…”

“…PECS-Picture Exchange Communication System, demanding low-technology, is a special visual alternative system harnessed to gain communication skills to children with ASD (Bondy & Frost, 2001). As relevant literature on PECS implementations is probed into, it is witnessed that PECS fueled a positive effect in requesting demands and communicative initiation behaviors and spoken words among children with ASD (Adams -Hill & Flores, 2014;Carre, Le Grice, Blampied, & Walker, 2009;Cummings, Carr, & Le Blanc, 2012;Dogoe, Banda, & Lock, 2010;Gillespie-Smith, Riby, Hancock, & Doherty-Sneddon, 2014;Jurgens, Anderson, & Moore, 2009;Kravits, Kamps, Kemmerer & Potucek, 2002). As literature review studies on the implementation of PECS are analyzed; it is detected that there exists a long list of findings on PECS.…”

Meta-analysis of PECS with individuals with ASD: Investigation of targeted versus non-targeted outcomes, participant characteristics, and implementation phase

“…PECS consists of six phases of progressively complex training, starting with exchanging a picture with a communicative partner in order to obtain a desired item (Frost & Bondy, 2002). In many cases, especially in individuals with severe disabilities, only the first three phases of PECS have been taught (e.g., Angermeier, Schlosser, Luiselli, Harrington, & Carter, 2008;Carre, Le Grice, Blampied, & Walker, 2009;Bondy & Frost, 1994). Teaching through phrase three teaches picture exchange and icon discrimination but does not include teaching phrases (e.g., I SEE, I WANT), adjectives, or discrimination by color, shape, or other features.…”

Picture Exchange Communication System® (PECS®) Use in a Community Setting: A Preliminary Investigation

“…Some reports include limited generalization information, such as generalization to one additional person (Ganz et al, 2009;Tincani et al, 2006). Of the studies that do report generalization data, results largely indicate generalization can occur across communicative partners, settings, and stimulus classes (e.g., Dogoe et al, 2010;Greenberg et al, 2012), although some studies report minimal generalization across settings, as reported by parents and teachers (Carré et al, 2009;Jurgens et al, 2009). However, methodological limitations such as limited access to the PECS binder and limited use of effective generalization strategies (e.g., training across multiple natural activities and settings across the day) may have restricted generalization.…”