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This is a tried and tested, systematic approach using pictures (symbols or photos) to exchange for things/actions that are desired in the environment. This approach develops communication in stages from single picture, to making a choice and eventually using increasingly more complex sentences.
Young people are taught to exchange the picture for what they want and this may need to be hand over hand initially. The young people are encouraged to initiate and the communication is designed to be spontaneous and NOT prompted. PECS helps develop functional expressive communication skills.
Functional Communication is at it’s simplest, turning behaviours into acceptable communication that serves the same function. For example, a young child constantly screams when she wants milk but she can’t yet say milk - she is taught the sign for milk and replaces the screaming with the sign. Or, to develop purposeful actions into better communicative acts. For example, if a young person can press a single message device to make a request then this can be developed into using more vocabulary and choices to make the act of pressing the switch more ‘functional’.
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