Research: The Effect of Teaching PECS to a Child with Autism on Verbal Behavior, Play, and Social Functioning

Authored by Jurgens, A., Anderson A., and Moore DW in Behavior Change, Volume 26, Issue 1, p. 66-81, (2009).

Article summary (posted Jul 8, 2010):

Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) may help children with autism learn to speak and play and be more social.

The purpose of this case study was to teach communication skills to a three-year-old child with autism using PECS, and to see if PECS training led to wider behavior changes. The therapists taught PECS using highly preferred items to help the child want to learn. The study found that PECS training came with increased verbal behaviors from the child. This result agrees with other research that says that spoken words increase after PECS training. The authors also found that the child was more social and played more after PECS training.

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You can access the original abstract and the complete paper is sometimes available for free via Google Scholar (look for entries that say "PDF" or "HTML" on the right side of the page).
autism, case study, communication, picture exchange communication system (PECS), play, spoken words, therapist, verbal, verbal behavior (VB) training
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