PECS

[fio2]

hi just wondered if any of you have any experience of this. dd has global development delay she is 3 1/2 now and is using Makaton and has some speech too. The physio mentioned the other day it might be worthwhile trying PECS with her because she is getting quite frustrated that we cant understand her as much as we'd like too. Also do you think it would be confusing to incorporate yet another means of communication? Any advice would be welcomed, Thanks.

We use PECS- I love it! Especially at nursery.

I'll write more later- we have a doctors appointment now.

It shouldn't be confusing- PECS has really brought on DS1's speech as well. We would use makaton as well, but ds1's dyspraxia makes signing almost impossible for him.

fio2- if you do use PECS- make sure that the person who teaches you has been on a course themselves, or go on a course yourself. It is fantastic and very helpful, but it needs to be introduced in quite a set way. The first SALT to give us PECS help wasn't PECS trained and told me a load of stuff that was wrong (and had to be re-learned!).

I'd defintely recommend it though. I think all the children I know who have tried it have found it very helpful.

Completely agree with Jimjams, make sure people using it with your child are properly trained, there are many bodged versions being used, look at www.pecs.org.uk I went on 2 day workshop, expensive but worh it. Try to get a copy of Boardmaker to make PECs from various sources such as www.r-e-m.co.uk also use digital photos and packaging.
We also use signing and see no problem with using both systems. Everyone uses multi-modal forms of communication such as speaking to each other, writing ourselves shopping lists or leaving people notes, gestures etc etc.
The vocabulary available to my son through PECs is vast compared to what he can achieve with signing but signing is wonderful for spontaneity.
We went to the WOlfson recently and they had no problem with a child using both systems.
Good luck

thanks davros & jim jams The websites have been very helpful

Sorry re-activating this thread. I have to have my PECS training next week. my daughter has been successfully PECS at school for a while now. They have been using the computer program boardmaker, I know you have mentioned this in your last message Davros but is the software really as expensive as it seems or am I looking at the wrong package? The school have got the software but said it would be useful for to have a copy but I think I am looking at the wrong thing. HELP!!!

Boardmaker is HUGELY expensive. There is another option - widget- this uses meyer johnson pecs symbols (which are different from boardmaker ones- but still widely used). I have a Mac so can't use widget, passed out at the price of boardmaker so went for a different option. I bought clicker 4 (which is a good programme in itself) and then bought the meyer johnson symbols to add- came to about the same price as widget. It may be possibly to buy the boardmaker symbols and add them to clicker 4 (worth looking into anyway).

Oh dear must have been what I was looking at then, it was 260 quid!!!! Will ask the school first if it is okay if I use the cheaper software otherwise they will just have to do the symbols forme!

yep that's it. CLicker 4 + the meyer johnson symbols was 100 quid ish. Inclusive technology stock everything you could look them up and ask whether you can get clicker + boardmaker symbols.

Yes, that's the price. I got it by nefarious means Once you buy it you can install it 5 times so if you get a new computer you can install it again or if you have more than one computer. A friend managed to get more installations out of them when she told them she'd legitimately used her 5 goes and, being a parent, didn't want to pay again.
Maybe the school has some installations available? Or you could buy it with someone but sharing it may not be allowed......... heh heh

know what you mean Davros but I havent got anyone I could share it with The school would also have loads of people asking for it so I think thats a no go aswell. Its just if the school control what pictures she has and I think she would benefit from another symbol would they do it for me? would love to buy it though.....got no rich relatives, maybe a remortgage?

Don't know what your income's like fio2 and don't want to pry but if you are on any sort of benefit (apart from DLA alone) or have a household income of below c.£22,000 it would be worth applying to the Family Fund Trust for help with this, IME. There may be other sources of funding that your family is eligible for too. Is there a local voluntary organisation who could advise you as to what funding is out there? Portage or disability advocacy agencies would probably be able to point you in the right direction or even help you apply.

Thanks scummy but our income is a bit higher than that and no benefits Feel like a scinflint now but its ridiculous that we have to pay for things she REALLY needs, oh well thats life. Will ask the portage though if they know of any schemes, thanks

mind you I do get Carers allowance would that count?

Had my PECS training friday. They are giving me one of those velcro folder things for home and she will have one at school. I have got to start it after half term. We start with one symbol at a time on the front of the folder first and go on from there does that sound right. Anyway the teacher is photocopying phase1 to begin with for me to read and we will go from there - looks good though.

Jimjams just read your counting message - do you think it's autistic to do that? Just something the teacher said on friday. She said dd is not on the autistic spectrum but can be a bit autisticy thats why they want her to use pecs - does that make sense?

Yeah- we all have some tendencies (actually the person who line everything up is ds2 who is not remotely autistic - ds1 hasn't ever lined anything up). I think counting is just something its quite common for autis to do. Ds1 used to do it when he was stressed. Now he tends to sing- usually the cranberries

PECS is useful for any child with a langugae/communication disorder. We've re-sterted PECS training with a big bang. I have set up a shelf full of treats like cakes, choccy biscuits and toy hoovers the idea being ds1 has to use pecs to request them.

I'm a big fan of pecs- its really help him to learn set phrases as well.

Hope it goes well. What's your dd's favourite thing? Ds1's is choc buttons.

ha!ha!ha! chocolate buttons here too! Actually the teacher said buttons are the best because you can use them to get the concept of big and small. Normal size buttons and the bigger type. She said they always learn big first!!! makes sense! Thanks for letting me pick your brains btw I will most probably be asking you loads of questions next week

We break the buttons into quarters (mean mummy). Amazing what he will do for 1/4 button!

I used to use a pill cutter on Smarties! I'm meaner than you There's quite a few chocs you can get in giant, standard and mini now, e.g. Rolos, Smarties. You can also use bits of wrapper/box as a PEC, my son often gives me a piece of wrapper and I think he's being tidy but then realise he's using it as a PEC to ask

Thanks for the chocolate advice Davros, you sound quite an expert So does it not matter what symbols you use, do they not have to be a particular type. I know this isn't important at the moment but just wondering. And can you take photos of their toys to use aswell?

For symbols I would try to use consistent ones but I don't think it matters too much as long as they learn what each one represents. I have said before that I am a slave to the digital camera! Its great for taking pix of specific toys or food etc and I use packaging as I said before. You could also cut things out of magazine or I've know people photocopy video covers and cut out bits! You will soon know what it is to get excited about velcro!

If you can afford it a laminator is very useful as well.

I don't mind buying a digital camera and laminater if she is going to be using pecs for the forseeable future - but no-one will tell me that! It's bound to be year ot two or three isn't it?

Don't be put off if it doesn't take off immemdiately or you have to re-start, both Jimjams and I have re-started PECs at some time. I really do think a digital camera and laminator are good investments (and useful for other purposes, all my purse photos are laminated!).