Picture Exchange Communication System - PECS Protocol

PECS Protocol

The PECs Protocol occurs in six stages:

• Phase I: Teaches learners initiation of communication through the use of a single picture for a desired item.
  During phase 1 the trainer reacts to picture exchange as though the child has just spoken. This reinforces the act of communicating.
• Phase II: Teaches learners to be persistent communicators by seeking out pictures and communication partners in order to make requests.
  During phase II the child learns to initiate spontaneous communication without prompting.
• Phase III: Teaches learners discrimination of pictures and how to select the picture which depicts the desired item.
  For children who have difficulty with picture discrimination, mini objects can be used followed by a gradual shift to pictures.
• Phase IV: Teaches learners sentence structure; making requests in by expressing "I want ____ ____."
  Teaching children using PECS to create a sentence "I want __ __" is a way to increase the complexity of their communicative exchanges.
• Phase V: Teaches learners to respond to the prompt, "What do you want?"
  The goal of this phase is for the child to respond "I want __ __" regardless of if the item is present.
• Phase VI: Teaches learners to respond to questions as well as comment spontaneously on their environment.
• Expansion of Vocabulary: Teaches learners to use attributes in their requests, such as shapes, colors, and sizes.

Depending on the age and cognitive level of the user, the time to master PECS will vary. Charlop-Christy et al., (2002) report that it takes an average of 246 trials for users to master all six phases of PECS. Bondy & Frost (2001) emphasize the importance of choosing reinforcers that are consistently motivating to the user.