Picture Exchange Communication System and Autism Ranking:

Audience

The Picture Exchange Communication System was originally designed for young autistic children who are non-verbal or who have limited functional speech. However it has since been used with autistic individuals of all ages including adolescents and adults and it has also been used with individuals with a range of other disabilities.  
For example, according to Bondy (2012), PECS has been used successfully with people with…”developmental disabilities and multiple disabilities, as well as conditions such as cerebral palsy, blindness and deafness.”

According to Preston and Carter (2009), PECS is suitable for a wide range of people because it does not require them to have many prerequisite skills or abilities.

“… in fact the only prerequisite is that the individual can clearly indicate (e.g., by reaching for an item) what he or she wants, in a way that can be shaped into exchanging a physical symbol such as a picture. Other skills such as eye contact, motor or verbal imitation skills, the ability to sit quietly in a chair, match-to-sample skills, picture discrimination, or the ability to follow verbal prompts are not necessary at least at the earliest program stage.”

Updated

17 Jun 2022

Last Review

01 Sep 2017

Next Review

01 Dec 2023