PECS resources - help needed

[loueytbg]

DS1 was diagnosed with ASD a couple of weeks ago. We have just started using PECS because although he has a massive vocabulary, he hasn't twigged that in order to get something, he needs to use it. He is pretty bright and has taken to it really quickly and is using it at home and at the childminders.

We've only had 1 SALT appt since we started so we have just 1 page of a few items in his PECS book. I am getting the impression that getting anything more out of his SALT will take weeks (more to do with the people who make the PECS, she hinted that they were useless), by which point I am worried that DS1 will be bored to tears of it and give up.

I've seen you can buy a PECS CD online and obviously we can print out our own pics but I'm stumped on how we get them laminated. Any suggestions? I'm loath to spend lots of money partly because I think the NHS should provide it (am I being naive here???) but also because I think he may outgrow it pretty quickly.

Also - what do you do when they repeatedly give you a PECS card for things like chocolate/crisps?? I have been saying no, or later on but I am not sure if that is the right thing to do???

Any other hints/suggestions would be very welcome.

A

TIA

louey The NHS WILL provide after months and months of you battling for it, whilst your ds' needs go unmet.

What 'should' happen goes out of the window I'm afraid as these are key learning years. Best bet is to get yourself a laminator (between £10-£15) and laminate pouches (10 for a £1 in the pound shop) and just do it yourself.

The most important thing though is to ensure you are doing PECS properly.

From Pyramid, you can get that kind of reusable plastic sticky stuff with a red cross on it that goes over things that aren't allowed or off the menu. When a child is learning PECS really nothing that they request should be turned down. You want to keep their motivation high for initiating interaction. It isn't about getting what they want, it is about knowing the value of addressing 'someone' and I'm afraid that will mean biscuits until he gets bored of them. The best thing to do is break the desired food into as small a bits as possible.

I'd really recommend you paid for yourself to attend an official PECS training course if it sounds like your ds could really benefit from it, especially as he appears to be bright and moving fairly fast. I know you 'shouldn't have to' but you may as well get used to that now as you just can't rely on anyone else to care enough or have resources enough to do any therapy properly.

hth

Oh, and I'm so sorry about the dx. Knocks you over doesn't it?

The thing about PECS is that it is very often taught very poorly. Ask the SALT if she is qualified to teach PECS. I bet the answer is no. Often SALTS go on the two day course - but this does not qualify them to teach you. My wife did the two day course. Often children make very swift progress at the start, and so need the PECS teacher/ supervisor every day to show the parents how to move on to the next level. If things are taught badly, it can be very hard to undo. I would check out the official PECS providers in the UK, and if possible go on the course

www.pecs.org.uk/

We bought a laminator for 20.00, we have used it a lot but i find it takes up a lot of time (printing ,cutting, laminating, more cutting). I have bought some PEC'S cards/packs off of e-bay, there is a lovely lady on there that makes great cards/key rings/games/scheduals etc and the prices are not too high.

Luckily dd2 was referred to a sn nursery before her dx and they taught me how to use PEC'S with her and supplied the PEC'S folder and some of the cards, our local sn school allows parents to go in and use there laminators, printers and photo copiers.

Just thought I'd hijack-DS is at stage 2 pecs age 9 (sld non verbal)-as I was reading this he gave me his "I want" card and a packet of marshmallow cakes!!! wow!!! grin It was totally spontaneous and has never done it before. I know its not technically the correct way but it works for me and him!

anyway-I have pics for pecs-I may be able to email it as an attachment if you email [email protected]

We have just invested in an ipad for ds-I can use his pics for pecs with proloquo to go if anyone is thinking of getting one.

he just did it wrong nowsad

lol-my smileys have gone wrong as well! should always preview!

Most big supermarkets have laminators. You can get free symbols online do2learn and sparklebox. Or low cost site is mrsriley.com

if you live near Leeds they have free access to boardmaker and free laminating in their libraries or you can do what I am and print off Leeds info and harrass your own library.

Can also use google images to make up your own or some people just do line drawings

When we used pecs briefly with DD I downloaded some pictures from Do2learn and used sticky back plastic (from WHSmiths but you can probably pick up cheaper somewhere else) and velcro (a metre strip (I think) from a market stall cost 64p.
When it was snack time I used to break a biscuit up into ten pieces and sit with her at the table and make her give me the strip with the correct pictures and say "I want biscuit" before I gave her a piece of biscuit. DD was verbal and we used PECS to get her to make proper sentences rather than request using just one word.
Sounds like your little one is picking it up great - good luck!

agnes and eveiebaby I will have a look at the websites you've suggested and have found a laminator in argos for £15 which is less than I thought they were. Just need to persuade DH to let me buy it now...would help if DLA came through.

frumpy thanks for the offer - I've sent you an email

marne can you post the link to the lady on ebay?? DS1's nursery does have some materials but they are finishing next week for the summer and they don't include all we need anyway.

discodad I think she is qualified - she said that she was one of the first people in the country to be trained to use PECS (whether this is true or not I don't know). She also said she has a battle getting some of her team to use it correctly. I asked her if we could move onto stage 4 (ie starting to make 2 word combinations) this week as we hadn't got a SALT session and she said she would prefer me to wait until she trained me as if we started off wrongly, it would be harder to go back again. I've had a look at the PECS courses and unfortunately we've just missed one. There is one at the end of August although I suspect we will be far along with the process by then.

We have two other problems - DS1 is at a childminder 4 days a week and the only training she is going to get is from me. He is so far using it there to ask for things (again, chocolate and she said no. He then asked for raisins which she gave him). She can't give out treats all the time to him without the other children going beserk. Also DS1 is a twin and his twin brother will go mad if DS2 is constantly getting treats and he isn't. We have a battle getting DS2 to eat non-sweet items as it is. Star what do you suggest?? I am hoping that if we bulk out the choices then he will stop going for chocolate/crisps PECs simply because there is more variety. Will have a look at the red cross things.

And yes, diagnosis has knocked us over even though I wasn't that surprised. Still not sure it is right, but I think it won't be clear until his communication improves (I think he poss has verbal dypsraxia - he has already been diagnosed with general dyspraxia). He is v bright which doesn't fit with a communication delay and autism because to my mind, children who are bright and autistic have no language delay. I thought ASD children with a language delay were generally of low average intelligence??