Research: The Effectiveness of Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) Training for Teachers of Children with Autism: A Pragmatic, Group Randomised Controlled Trial

Authored by Howlin, P., Gordon RK, Pasco G., Wade A., and Charman T. in Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, Volume 48, Issue 5, p. 473-481, (2007).

Article summary (posted May 30, 2007):

Picture exchange communication system (PECS) can help children with autism, but only if teachers continue to use it in the classroom.

This study was designed to see if teachers who are trained to use PECS therapy are more likely to use it in the classroom. The study was done in England and was the largest randomized PECS study (83 students) published to date. The authors found that teachers who receive PECS training are more likely to use PECS therapy in the classroom, but most teachers stopped using PECS therapy soon after training stopped. In this study PECS did not help most children speak or do better on speech tests. When the teachers did keep using PECS in the classroom, students with autism improved.

Links:

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, classroom, communication, effectiveness, picture exchange communication system (PECS), psychiatry, psychologist, speech therapy, therapy
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