Introduction
The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) teaches children that by transmitting the desired image or pointing a sequence of images to another person, they can get what they want. PECS is an alternative communication card exchange system initially created for children with an autism spectrum disorder (Putri et al., 2018). But as it turned out, it is suitable for absolutely all children who have difficulties with speech.
The training usually occurs in a child’s natural environment, classroom, or home during typical daily activities. The main methods of teaching communication using PECS cards are based on the principles of applied behavior analysis. With the help of the PECS system, kids learn to exchange photographs of the objects they need for the things themselves (Ganz et al., 2005). PECS images are easy to use, can always be taken with, and can describe in detail everything in the child’s environment. The system helps to teach kids to formulate a request in a whole sentence, ask for several things at once, tell how the day went, talk, etc. This article will focus more on the impact of PECS on children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder who have problems with speech and communication. Despite certain drawbacks, it is believed that this system can significantly facilitate children’s interaction with speech problems with others.
Alternative Communication Systems
Various alternative systems and methods of communication are popular in the world. The types of alternative communication include the use of sign language, symbols, and the system (Crowe et al., 2021). They assume the likelihood of transmitting important information if natural ways of delivery are not available for any reason. Alternative communication is how a child can interact with people around him without using spoken language. At a particular stage of growing up children, their intellectual development must not stop. Such alternative communication paths can reduce the impact of cognitive disabilities on the child’s socialization process (Ali et al., 2011). PECS does not slow down the improvement of spoken language but, on the contrary, accelerates it – by parrying verbal and visual stimuli in the exchange process.
Benefits of Using the System
Training is Carried out Step by Step
Breaking the process down into steps can help relieve pressure feelings that children may face. The meaning of such a strategy is that people begin to solve the final goal only when several intermediate ones are reached. This system has several stages based on the science of verbal behavior (Sulzer-Azaroff et al., 2009). This field of applied behavior analysis deals with all types of verbal behavior, including text, spoken language, and all forms of communication. The system includes separate stages for teaching various skills, including expressing a request using a picture and distinguishing one image from another. At all these stages, it simulates spoken language and encourages its development.
Maintaining Motivation among Students
The system is designed in such a way that it helps the child to remain motivated throughout the entire period of study. It includes strategies to encourage and develop verbal communication abilities (Dogoe et al., 2010). Some children naturally stop using PECS when they improve their speaking skills, so speaking is easier and more effective. In addition, the system provides for the established beginning of solving the problem and the result of efforts. Therefore, the child will have no difficulty understanding what purpose adults are pursuing when they offer him to interact with the system. The illustrations explain where to start the process and how the chain of the child’s actions should end.
Ease of Perception and the Possibility of Expanding the Scope of Use
This system is easy to use, and its scope of use can be expanded without any difficulties. Some people’s sign language and spoken language can be challenging to follow, leading to situations when the person is not understood. At the same time, the visual information is easily perceived by the people, and the colorfulness and sketchiness of the pictures only simplify the process of understanding their meaning. This circumstance makes communication successful and effective in different places and conditions, which encourages further development of communication (Alsayedhassan et al., 2019). Within the framework of the system, the child’s communication expands when he is taught to use not one card but a board where the whole sentence is written. As a result, he can describe the items he asks for and then comments on what is happening.
Groups of People Suitable for Using PECS
The most preferred form of communication for most people is speech. It makes it possible to fully express one’s thoughts and interact with the maximum number of communicative partners. Unfortunately, many children cannot learn to speak easily on their own, including most adolescents with autism. For example, a recent study has demonstrated that the use of PECS has led to significant improvements in communication among children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Gilroy et al., 2018). PECS can facilitate interaction with others and loved ones for children with down syndrome who need additional or enhanced communication systems (Barbosa et al., 2018). Moreover, teaching through visual data helps kids who have difficulty learning a foreign language; in the study conducted, it was English (Zohoorian et al., 2021).
Alternative communication with PECS cards is not age-limited and can be effectively used for children and adults with cognitive impairments. Experts practicing in this field recognized the PECS method as the best among programs developing autists’ communication skills (Flippin et al., 2010). However, there are still some conditions – the patient must be ready to transfer information to another person. The Picture Exchange Communication System itself is designed primarily for the “non-verbal” category of people. However, it is beneficial for teaching patients with poor vocabulary and slurred speech and for patients with echolalia, whose verbal contacts consist of repetitions of other people’s words.
Disadvantages of the System
The PECS system has certain drawbacks, but they cannot be considered significant. To ensure the continuity of communication, the child must always have photographs or pictures of the necessary objects at hand. However, due to various circumstances, they can be torn or lost. If parents lose photos from the set, they will need to buy a new collection or spend time making pictures by hand, which can be time-consuming. It is worth mentioning that the system itself aims to reduce aggression, and it has been shown in a recent study that the use of PECS pictures leads to a decrease in anger and anxiety (Hu & Lee, 2019). The loss of images occurred can provoke children’s aggression or a gloomy mood, which is unacceptable. This drawback is not so critical since what is needed is to be more careful when using the system and ensure that all the necessary images are included.
Commercial and DIY PECS System
This system is not expensive; one can make their own picture cards. It has become even easier to find suitable images on the Internet or take photos with a mobile phone in today’s environment. The advantage of a homemade system is a greater adaptation to the needs of a particular child. Individual selection of pictures for each patient creates the most visual communication, not reducing contact to simple requests and visualizing objects. However, it should be noted that the application of self-made pictures for teaching carries the risk of misuse of the system by parents at home in general, which can negatively affect the improvement of children’s communication skills. The higher overall quality characterizes models purchased from manufacturers. Moreover, commercial models provide a parenting guide to help them avoid mistakes. Among the systems to assist in communication, a less expensive RECS system may become an alternative to expensive high-performance speech-generating devices (Lorah et al., 2018). When deciding whether to buy a system, one should be guided by both the family budget and the child’s specific needs.
Conclusion
Research proves the effectiveness of using the system for the acquisition and development of rhea skills. If the child can speak, the use of PECS cards will only accelerate the emergence of verbal requests and the process of mastering speech. Gaining communication skills using the analyzed system will be an excellent foundation for children to master their vocal abilities in the future. The existing shortcomings of the PECS are not significant and are not a reason to refuse to use it. At the same time, the advantages of this method of alternative communication, including the ability to choose from two types of systems, indicate the need for its use.
References
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