pyrammid PECS course

[Jimjams]

I am half way through this- and it is FANTASTIC!

DH is going as well - and it has been really useful as a way to provide him with a brief overview of ABA.

Anyway- no commision from them but just wanted to recommend it if anyone is thinking of doing it. Lots of the approach is useful for verbal children as well as non-verbal.

Still no commission (would help if I spelt pyramid correctly for starters). Just to say they have a book of lesson plans- pretty long- but it shows you how to teach loads of self-help skills - mainly using behavioural techniques. I'm very impressed with it. We are working on dressing at the moment -ds1 has really regressed recently on this- and just dropping verbal prompts in favour of physical ones has really helped.

Oh and a few jokes about laminators during the course. I thought of Mrs F each time

The book sounds interesting jimjams - when is the best age to introduce PECS? Glad the course is good.

Hi Jimjams:

We have started DD on PECS. Local representative from the pre-school teaching service has set us up with the basics and we are preparing to add pictures as necessary. The nursery DD currently attends is also promoting it and ready to help in any way. Also going to talk more with the school (with support) about having it incorporated into mainstream nursery she starts at in September (such as visual timetable, potty card, etc).

DD seems to be picking it up fairly well - but still has to be prompted unless we are doing a puzzle then she just tends to get into the routine!

I checked into the internet and the next 2 day course in London we can manage will be in September so we are going to try to get in on that - at the very least have DH go as he is the main caregiver.

I definitely think it's a great idea and for us hope it will just be a stepping stone to more verbal language. I also feel this is more universal than sign language because if a 4 yr old can understand the picture anyone can but not everyone will understand sign language.

The mind boggles about the laminator jokes??!!

We intoduced it at 3 caroline.

They had video of adults it had been introduced with. One man had been taught sign language for about 5 years and had 2 signs- which were hard to understand. Within a day of PECS he was able to request items (we saw the early phases so he was able to t ask for popcirn). It was pretty much the first time he had been able to communicate easily in his entire life.

I'd realy recommned the course IG- if you can both go I think it would be really worthwhile. One problem we've had in the past trying to set it up at home was that dh didn't really understand it at all- and I know he found the course really helpful.

of to buy 3 big cork boards and a mountain of velcro this morning. Then I'll get my laminator ready

So any age!

thats good to hear jimjams! We are 'trying' to set it up at home but it seems pretty useless atm. dd is using it well at pre-school but at home it seems a nightmare and ds and her keep fighting over the symbols. When she starts school in september I think there will be more continuity with PECS so will look into doing the course ourselves. I just feel I am not organised enough atm ykwim?

I think you can introduce PECs or other communication/SEN strategies as soon as you think there's a problem. Agree that the 2 day course is really worth going on. I laughed though that most of the other attendees were SLTs, teachers etc, many of whom knew nothing about and had prejudices against ABA but thought PECs was wonderful..... and it is basically ABA!!!
Problem with PECs is that it is labour intensive and needs organisation. I use those A4 slide pocket holders to keep spares in a file but, as usual, it needs tidying and sorting I think a copy of Boardmaker at home is essential but fairly expensive at about £200 and as for laminating and velcro..... I use both for all sorts of things now!

I agree it is labor intensive and requires some organization to get going but a worthwhile investment and I think DH will actually have fun finding pictures and doing all the laminating. PECS course is definitely high on my 'To Do' list. We are even planning a trip to Suffolk Wild Animal Park (is this a good place?) later in the summer and hope to take along a bunch of laminated pictures of animals to play 'I See'. See this is going to be FUN!!!

Have altered the PECS display in this house- so now they are on boards rather than in books. It's been successful DS1 has spent the last 2 days requesting biscuits (with the sentence strip- and very nagging- poking me in the back with it hooray - it's being used how it should be).

Also found ds2 carefully putting "buttons" onto the sentence strip. What do you do about that? I told him off- seems very mean (he is only 2 after all) but I really can't have him walking around the house losing all the pecs symbols.

The whole of the town is out of velcro grrrrrr I have 2 more boards to make up.

I can hear the sound of velcro and shuffling feet- ahh biscuit what a surprise.....

On the velcro, pound stores sometimes have it or you could be really extravagant and get a proper pack from Viking-Direct, they deliver the same day if you order before noon. Otherwise try John Lewis, woudln't they send it to you? You can buy it by the metre there. Ho ho about DS2, my little DD also likes the whole PECs paraphernalia and it will seem attractive and interesting to the other kids in the m/s classroom hopefully. Yes, boards are best for PECs that are in use but I can never just make one of each, in case it gets lost etc, and end up with tons of spares, hence the file pockets.

So pleased you enjoyed the course. I did a 2 day course as a SLD teacher and found it excellent.

If you are involved with an autistic unit, SLD school etc you may be welcome on INSET days covering PECS - the school I was at at the time invited parents free of charge as the course was being run anyway.

Would suggest a mini instant polaroid camera as part of your equipment - always in use with families I have worked with using PECS

Aha I have the file pockets as well now. Have to get symbol making tonight and have hundreds to sort out.......
I'm sending dh to the haberdashers tomorrow, and also my cleaner is sending her dh to some warehouse- he's a trader so can get it cheap

mini polaroid is a good idea- I have a digital- but a mini polaroid would be easier a lot of the time.