In praise of PECS

[sphil]

Just wanted to say how pleased I am that we decided to do PECS properly with DS2. Since starting 3 weeks ago under the guidance of our new (and brilliant) SALT, he is exchanging pictures over distance, showing an ability to discriminate between images and persevering when I'm not looking or paying attention. He's also exchanged pics with his grandparents - so can generalise too.

The effect on his speech has been very interesting. He is still only using about 5-10 words a day spontaneously, but they are much more consistent and clear than before we started PECS. He now always asks for 'drink', 'toast' 'ice-cream' and 'shoes' using words and has started asking for things that aren't in view, which he's NEVER done before. For example, yesterday I got three books out to read to him before bed and he pushed them all away, looked at me and said 'Dig' (for 'Dig, Dig, Digging', which was behind him on the bookshelf) really clearly.

I remember a year ago I was so resistant to PECS, because I was convinced he would learn to speak in the 'normal' way. Now wish I'd started earlier!

Really looking forward to the PECS training in Brighton in 2 weeks. Is anyone else on here going, apart from me and Springgreens?

oh PECS is fab, it's changed our life dramatically.

The training is very good. Who is giving it? (exhausting though),

It's the Pyramid training course, so from the horse's mouth

It's the Pyramid training course, so from the horse's mouth

Two horses...

oh no I meant who from pyramid? Julia Biere is excellent. Actually they're all pretty good.

Sphil that is so fantastic.
I am a salt with people with severe learning disabilities and as have said man times on MN,PECS has been the thing that has excited me the most (within work naturally!) in over 10 years of working.

So pleased for you and your son.

Sorry JJ - there's a warning on the Pyramid website about different providers offering PECS training so thought you meant that. We've had the programme through, but there's no mention of who's running it.

By the way, is there a PECS way of saying 'His turn ....your turn'? I'm sure there is, but am interested to know what symbol they use. DS2 finding the concept of taking turns with DS1 to choose a video very hard!

PECs was the best thing we did for DS, closely followed by Makaton at a later stage. He now uses both with confidence. I'm a strong believer in visual strategies anyway and I think a lot of people don't use them (because their child "doesn't need them", verbal etc) when they could prove extremely helpful.

You are spot on there Davros.
Visual strategies are so useful for so many children.
When we put things like visual calenders and time tables in m/s schools even,the teachers often tell us how they are helping children who they have not even been designed for lol!
I have also seen kids green with envy over someone's snazzy little PECS file.
This is another reason why it is so important to have well designed professionally put together comm. resources.
It renders them objects of desire.

I could weep at the thought of parents and schools who turn down visual strategies,in particular for those with little/no speech.
I respect their right to choose (well the parents' anyway) but they invariably return a few years later,with a vety angry frustrated child and say
'You know you mentioned something about pictures a while back? Well....'

If I had my way,would implement a blanket usage of signing,visual stategies and PECS in all special schools.

Can I just take the opportunity to recommend yet again one of my most useful (and very reader friendly) resources?

'Visual Strategies for Improving Communication'
Linda A. Hodgdon
QuirkRoberts Publishing

well ds1 impressed me yesterday- he was trying to drag me off somewhere to show me something and I was exhausted so said "get your pecs", anyway there wasn't a picture for what he wanted so he came over with "i want different" so I got off my fat one and was dragged to a maisy video (he wanted me to say bye bye maisy).

What a heartwarming episode Jimjams.
I have this sort of gut feeling that when you give someone an augmentative means of communication,the success that they have using it,encourages them to sort of go back to the use of speech and have another crack at it.

(Just finished filling in all my ABA MSc forms,bought my course books and so on. Time for me to knuckle down is approaching fast.)

I think it triggers speech- gives something to follow. DS1 is more vocal with PECS, but its just alien pronounciation, he just doesnt seem to get that shouting "dye dye ai" wil notl be recognised as bye bye maisy by most people.

Update - started DS2 with the proper PECS book and pictures yesterday. He seemed to have no problem transferring what he can already do (exchange single pics over distance) from our pictures on a strip to the PECS ones in a book. But later that afternoon I was playing with DS1 and noticed DS2 bearing down on us with a picture in his hand. It was the 'toast' picture -and he'd eaten half of it.