The Use of PECS for Improving Communication Skills in Children with Autism

Running Head: PECS 1
PECS
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

Running Head: PECS 2
Coding of Data
Teacher Responses
Table 1
The following table shows the responses of Teachers
Items Responses Coding’s
1 So my first
question is how
long have you been
teaching in the
mainstream
setting?
1-i have been teaching since last Six years
altogether, including 2 years in another setting.
2- I've been teaching in a mainstream setting for
three years in this country. I have also taught in the
overseas schools. For the past three years, I have
been having a different number of ASD children in
each cohort.
3 years
9 years
2 How are these
children in a
classroom
supported with
their
communication?
1-We use the Now and Next board and given now
to kind of help them with their routine during the
day just so they can have a smooth transition and
they also give a visual so kind of explain what's
going on through the day. Also we use PECS.
2- We have different strategies. We always think
about which one works for every individual. We
use communication in print, Makaton and PECS.
Other ASD children have a one to one support.
PECS
Other visual
strategies
3 Do they require
some support
outdoors?
1- Not necessarily unless you have a child that is
unable to communicate outside or a child that has
may not have social skills. But most of the kids
that I work with don’t use the boards outside.
2- I think yes, some of them they do. Especially
when there is lack of understanding from peers, we
sometimes use this.
Yes
No
4 Have you have
ever used PECS?
1- I've just use it for the children who need it and
not the whole class.
2-Yes we use PECS in Class
Yes
No
5 And then do you
think the PECS
supports
children's holistic
development
especially about
children who have
autism and have
problems of
communication?
1-Yes I think it does because the boy who I used to
work with and he had communication problems but
he was able to tell me what he wanted to eat what
he wanted just because of picture. And he was able
to pick out and try me and form sentences.
2- I think they do. PECS support holistic
development as they use all the five senses.
Namely, sense of touch, sense of hearing, sense of
taste, sense of smell and sight. e.g. PECS use real
objects whereby they can touch—e.g., when I'm
Yes
No

Running Head: PECS 3
having a fruit, the children can smell the fruit, they
can touch the fruit, they can taste the fruit, they can
look at the fruit. Then we can also do ICT-- ITC,
I'm sorry. It can use ICT equipment.
6 And what changes
would you like to
see in the process
to the process of
supporting
children
communication
difficulties
communication
difficulties in
general?
1-We find that they are some children who have
got problems with communication but they haven't
been diagnosed so we wouldn't be know what the
problem is.
2- I think it would be very, very helpful to train the
whole family with the use of these PECS because it
makes sense for the child. When he goes even to
each member of the family, he will communicate
with them using the PECS. Then another one is
training of the whole school so that if each and
every teacher who has a child with communication
difficulties, they can communicate with him so that
the child will feel that is the way of communication
around him.
Training of
whole family
to use PECS.
Training of
Teacher to
use PECS
Both
7 Did the PECS
system in the place
where you worked
before, improve
the children's
development and
how?
1- Yes it helped them because if they've seen
that let's say some orange continuously.
Sometimes where I've said orange, they've kind of
picked it up. This is orange juice sometimes
having that repetition of seeing the same symbol
and me in it and then practicing it has helped
them encourage them to try saying the words.
2-Yes, it has developed their language, developed
their motor skills, developed their emotions, and
developed their psychological thinking. A child
must think. Developed their social skills, and it
has given them a voice, knowing how to be able
to communicate you've got a voice and
empowering them with their own independency.
Yes
No
8 Have you ever
encountered any
difficulties in
implementing the
PECS?
1- Yeah. Any children who like that understand
love is a boy who I work with who doesn't
understand. PECS would not be good for him
because he doesn't use symbols as much
Show me what you want. It would be him
forming his own sentence if he doesn't have that
structure of understanding. So yeah that's the only
difficulty is working with a child who can't
understand.
2- I think yes, we have encountered some of these
difficulties. When parents leave everything to the
school because a child must experience the same
environment at school and then the same
Yes
No

Running Head: PECS 4
environment at home, but when he gets it at
school and then it is not taken further by the
home, it becomes difficult for the child. That is
number one. Number two, when parents are not
aware of how to use the PECS, as the children
have no continuation of using PECS at home, it
becomes difficult for the child also.
9 And what do you
think made it easy
for you to
implement the
PECS?
1-It makes it easier when that child has a bit of
understanding of symbols as a way of
communication. And yeah that makes it easy
because they understand, and they can use PECS.
The support given to the children, the staff
training, and this being used across the whole
school.
2- Right. It was easy for me through training. I
was trained to use these PECS. Then the school
was good enough to keep on taking us to refresher
courses, whereby we can go and discuss what is
working and what is not working on the use of
these PECS. Number two, the support from the
SENCO was very, very good. The SENCO is
always with us supporting us do whatever is
needed to do.
Staff training
Child
understanding
of Symbols
Parents Responses
Table 2
The following tables shows the responses of Parents
Items Responses
1 What
communication
needs does your son
have?
1-My son lacks verbal communication. It has
been like this since birth, which frustrates me
all the time.
2- Well, in respect of that, he's come on very
well with his verbal. When he understands the
meanings of the words, he's come on really
well with basic needs. Like toilet, drink, items
that he's asking for, which has solved a lot of
problems.
Yes, he'd get frustrated and the outbursts
would occur. As opposed to how to get him to
speak, it's just being persistent talking to him.
Verbal
Communic
ation
Persistent
Talking
Favorite
activities