Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS): A Comprehensive Guide for Parents and Educators
Talking is how people connect, but many people with autism, developmental delays, or speech problems find it hard to talk. PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) helps solve this problem by using pictures instead of words. It was created in 1985 by Andy Bondy and Lori Frost and has helped many people communicate better.
The CDC says about 1 in 36 kids in the United States has autism. About 30% of these kids barely talk or don’t talk at all. That’s why tools like PECS are so important. PECS is now used in over 60 countries because it works so well.
This guide covers everything about PECS – how it works, how to use it, its benefits, and real examples. It’s useful for parents, teachers, speech therapists, and anyone helping people who have trouble communicating.
What is the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)?
PECS is an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) system that teaches individuals to communicate by exchanging picture symbols for desired items or activities. Unlike other visual systems that focus primarily on labeling objects or following directions, PECS uniquely emphasizes the exchange component—teaching individuals to initiate communication independently.
The system operates on the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA), using behavioral techniques such as reinforcement, prompting, and error correction to establish meaningful communication. PECS begins with teaching a simple exchange and gradually progresses to more complex communication, including sentence formation, answering questions, and making comments.
A 2019 meta-analysis published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders revealed that PECS implementation resulted in significant improvements in functional communication for 80% of participants across 23 studies, with positive outcomes maintained at follow-up assessments.
The Six Phases of PECS Implementation
PECS follows a structured, protocol-driven approach divided into six distinct phases, each building upon the skills developed in previous stages:
Phase I: Physical Exchange
The initial phase focuses on teaching the fundamental skill of the physical exchange. During this phase, individuals learn to pick up a picture of a desired item and hand it to a communication partner, who immediately honors the request by providing the actual item.
Implementation Strategy: Begin with highly motivating items identified through preference assessments. Two facilitators are typically required—one serves as the communication partner positioned in front of the learner, while the second provides physical prompting from behind when necessary. The physical prompter gradually fades support as the learner demonstrates independence.
Key Component: No verbal prompts like “What do you want?” or “Give me the picture” are used during this phase to prevent prompt dependency and ensure spontaneous communication.
Phase II: Distance and Persistence
Once the physical exchange is mastered, Phase II expands on these skills by increasing the distance between the learner, their communication book, and the communication partner. This phase teaches persistence in communication—pursuing the partner, gaining their attention, and completing the exchange even when faced with obstacles.
Implementation Strategy: Systematically increase the distance between the learner and the communication book, then between the learner and the communication partner. Later, create natural environmental arrangements that require the learner to problem-solve to complete the exchange.
Research Insight: A study published in Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities found that children who mastered Phase II demonstrated increased spontaneous communication attempts in natural environments by an average of The second communication partner from Phase I transitions to providing less physical assistance, with a greater emphasis on offering support only when necessary.
Phase III: Picture Discrimination
The third phase introduces discrimination between multiple pictures, teaching learners to select the specific picture that represents their desired item from an array of options.
Implementation Strategy: Begin with highly preferred versus non-preferred items to create clear motivation for correct selection. Gradually increase the number of pictures and their similarity, moving from discrimination between obviously different images to more subtle distinctions.
Correction Procedures: When errors occur, a four-step error correction procedure is implemented: (1) stop the learner, (2) re-present the opportunity, (3) provide a correspondence check by asking the learner to point to the named item, and (4) implement a distractor trial before returning to the original request.
Phase IV: Sentence Structure
Phase IV introduces the sentence structure by teaching learners to construct a simple sentence strip using an “I want” picture followed by the picture of the desired item.
Implementation Strategy: The learner places the “I want” symbol on a sentence strip, adds the picture of the desired item, removes the strip, approaches the communication partner, and hands them the complete sentence strip. Initially, the communication partner reads the sentence strip back to the learner before honoring the request, gradually introducing a delay before providing the item to encourage speech or vocalization.
Statistical Impact: Research published in the American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology indicates that 65% of previously non-vocal PECS users develop some form of speech after implementing Phase IV, with approximately 25% transitioning to primarily verbal communication over time.
Phase V: Responding to “What do you want?”
In Phase V, the learner is taught to respond to the direct question, “What do you want?” This phase builds on previous skills while introducing responsive communication alongside the spontaneous requesting established in earlier phases.
Implementation Strategy: The communication partner presents the “What do you want?” question while simultaneously pointing to the “I want” symbol as a visual prompt. This prompt is gradually faded as the learner becomes proficient at responding to the question independently.
Maintenance Strategy: It’s essential to continue providing opportunities for spontaneous requesting throughout this phase to ensure earlier skills are maintained while new ones develop.
Phase VI: Commenting
The final phase expands the learner’s communication repertoire beyond requesting to include commenting on environmental stimuli. Learners are taught to respond to questions like “What do you see?” or “What do you hear?” using sentence starters such as “I see,” “I hear,” or “I feel.”
Implementation Strategy: Similar to Phase V, the communication partner introduces these questions while providing visual prompts to the corresponding sentence starters. The key distinction in this phase is that comments are reinforced with social praise rather than the item itself, teaching the learner the value of sharing information.
Long-term Outcomes: A longitudinal study tracking PECS users over five years found that individuals who mastered Phase VI demonstrated significantly higher rates of social interaction, increased vocabulary, and greater inclusion in educational settings compared to those who only mastered earlier phases.
Benefits of PECS Beyond Communication
While PECS is primarily designed as a communication intervention, research has consistently documented ancillary benefits across multiple developmental domains:
Reduction in Challenging Behaviors
Perhaps one of the most significant secondary benefits of PECS implementation is the documented reduction in challenging behaviors. According to research published in the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, approximately 80% of PECS users demonstrate a significant reduction in disruptive behaviors within 6-12 months of implementation.
This correlation is logical when considering the communicative function of many challenging behaviors. When individuals lack effective communication systems, they often resort to problematic behaviors as a means of expressing needs, wants, or discomfort. By providing an alternative, socially appropriate communication method, PECS effectively eliminates the need for these challenging behaviors.
Enhancement of Social Interaction
Contrary to common misconceptions, PECS does not inhibit social interaction but rather facilitates it. The exchange component inherently requires social engagement with a communication partner, creating natural opportunities for eye contact, joint attention, and turn-taking—fundamental social skills that may otherwise be challenging for individuals with autism.
A 2018 study in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders found that children using PECS demonstrated a 45% increase in positive social interactions with peers and a 60% increase in interactions with adults compared to baseline measurements before PECS implementation.
Development of Speech and Language
While PECS does not explicitly teach verbal language, numerous studies report increased vocalizations and speech development following PECS implementation. The system’s design, particularly in Phase IV when the communication partner reads the sentence strip aloud, provides consistent modeling of verbal language paired with visual supports.
Research from Pyramid Educational Consultants, the developers of PECS, indicates that approximately 65-70% of children who use PECS consistently for at least two years develop some form of functional speech, with many eventually transitioning to verbal communication as their primary mode of expression.
Cognitive Development and Academic Support
PECS supports cognitive development through the classification, categorization, and discrimination skills required in various phases. As learners progress through the protocol, they develop the ability to sort and select from increasingly complex arrays of pictures, strengthening executive functioning skills.
In academic settings, PECS can be adapted to support curricular access by providing visual supports for academic concepts. Teachers can incorporate curriculum-specific vocabulary into PECS books, allowing students to participate in classroom activities and demonstrate knowledge even when verbal expression is limited.
Implementing PECS: Practical Considerations
Creating and Organizing PECS Materials
Effective PECS implementation requires thoughtful preparation of materials:
Picture Selection: While standardized symbol sets like Boardmaker or SymbolStix are commonly used, any visual representation that the learner can understand is appropriate. This may include photographs, line drawings, or even product logos depending on the individual’s visual discrimination abilities.
Durability: Pictures should be laminated or printed on sturdy cardstock to withstand frequent handling. Velcro backing allows for flexible arrangement and rearrangement on communication books.
Organization Systems: As vocabulary expands, systematic organization becomes essential. Most advanced PECS users benefit from color-coded category systems (e.g., yellow for people, orange for food, blue for activities) with tabbed dividers for easy navigation.
Portability: Communication books must be portable and accessible across environments. Options range from three-ring binders with strip storage on the front cover to smaller, more discrete wallet-sized books for adolescents and adults.
Training Communication Partners
PECS success depends heavily on the consistent response of communication partners across environments. Comprehensive training should include:
Response Protocols: All communication partners should understand the importance of immediately honoring PECS requests when possible, providing clear explanations when requests cannot be fulfilled, and never ignoring or dismissing PECS exchanges.
Prompting Hierarchies: Caregivers and educators should be trained in appropriate prompting techniques and the importance of prompt fading to promote independence.
Environmental Arrangement: Creating communication opportunities through strategic environmental arrangement is essential for generalization. This includes placing preferred items in sight but out of reach and creating situations that necessitate requests for assistance.
Digital Adaptations of PECS
While traditional PECS uses physical pictures and communication books, digital adaptations have emerged with the advancement of technology:
Tablet-Based Systems: Applications like PECS IV+ provide digital versions of traditional PECS materials with the advantage of audio output, expanded vocabulary capacity, and reduced physical preparation time.
Hybrid Approaches: Many practitioners recommend hybrid approaches that maintain the physical exchange component (perhaps using a detachable tablet case or digital token) while leveraging the expanded vocabulary and customization options of digital systems.
Research Considerations: Emerging research suggests that while digital adaptations offer many advantages, careful consideration should be given to maintaining the critical exchange component that distinguishes PECS from other visual systems. A 2020 study in Assistive Technology found that learners who began with traditional PECS before transitioning to digital versions showed greater generalization of communication skills than those who began with digital systems.
PECS Across the Lifespan
PECS effectiveness extends beyond early childhood, with applications across the lifespan:
Early Intervention
When implemented with children as young as 18-24 months, PECS provides an early foundation for communication development. Early implementers often demonstrate accelerated progress through the phases, with many young children developing speech alongside their PECS use.
The National Autism Center’s National Standards Project identifies PECS as an established, evidence-based intervention for young children with autism, with strongest outcomes reported when implementation begins before age five.
Adolescence and Transition Planning
As PECS users enter adolescence, vocabulary expansion focuses increasingly on community access, vocational skills, and independence. Communication books evolve to include age-appropriate vocabulary related to secondary education, employment options, and social relationships.
During transition planning, PECS can be integrated into vocational training by including relevant job-specific vocabulary and creating task-specific communication books for workplace environments.
Adulthood and Quality of Life
For adults who continue to benefit from PECS, the system supports community integration, choice-making, and self-determination. Research published in the Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities demonstrates that adults with developmental disabilities who use PECS report higher quality of life scores, particularly in domains related to autonomy and social inclusion, compared to those without established communication systems.
Common Misconceptions About PECS
“PECS Prevents Speech Development”
Perhaps the most persistent misconception is that picture-based communication systems inhibit speech development. Extensive research contradicts this belief, with multiple studies documenting increased vocalizations and verbal approximations following PECS implementation. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association officially recognizes that AAC approaches, including PECS, support rather than hinder speech development in most cases.
“PECS Is Only for Individuals with Autism”
While PECS was initially developed for children with autism, its applications extend to individuals with various communication challenges, including developmental disabilities, apraxia of speech, traumatic brain injury, and degenerative neurological conditions. The protocol’s structured approach and visual supports benefit many individuals who struggle with traditional speech-language interventions.
“PECS Is Just About Pictures”
This misconception overlooks the distinctive exchange component that defines PECS. Unlike other picture-based systems that focus on receptive language or labeling, PECS explicitly teaches initiation and social approach behaviors through the physical exchange. This unique feature addresses the social-communication deficits often present in autism and distinguishes PECS from simpler visual support systems.
Conclusion
The Picture Exchange Communication System represents a transformative approach to addressing communication challenges for individuals across the lifespan. Its evidence-based methodology, systematic implementation protocol, and focus on functional communication skills have established PECS as a cornerstone intervention in special education, speech-language pathology, and behavioral health.
As research continues to document its effectiveness and applications expand across settings and populations, PECS remains a vital tool in supporting the fundamental human right to communication. For parents, educators, and therapists supporting individuals with communication challenges, understanding and implementing PECS opens doors to connection, reduces frustration, and empowers individuals to express their needs, wants, observations, and feelings—the essence of human interaction.
By embracing this structured yet flexible approach, stakeholders contribute to building more inclusive communities where all individuals, regardless of verbal ability, can participate meaningfully in the communicative exchanges that define our shared human experience.