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Picture Exchange Communication System

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Definition

The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) (http://pecsusa.com/pecs.php) is an aided picture-based augmentative intervention used to teach functional communication within a social context (Charlop-Christy et al. 2002; Frost and Bondy 2002). It requires an individual to spontaneously select a picture representing a desired item and exchanging that picture with a communication partner to retrieve the desired item. It is one of several interventions used to augment the communication of individuals with no or limited functional communication, particularly those with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Historical Background

Lori Frost and Andrew Bondy originally developed PECS at the Delaware Autism Institute for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other socio-communicative disorders who had limited or no functional communication. PECS was designed to address some of the problems associated with more traditional language training programs that require prerequisite...

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References and Readings

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Franklin County Home Health, 3 Home Health Circle, 05478, St. Albans, VT, USA

    Eugenia Corbett

  2. Communication Sciences & Disorders, Dean’s Office, College of Nursing & Health Sciences, 105 Rowell, 106 Carrigan Drive, 05405, Burlington, VT, USA

    Patricia Prelock

Authors
  1. Eugenia Corbett
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  2. Patricia Prelock
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eugenia Corbett .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

    Fred R. Volkmar

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Corbett, E., Prelock, P. (2017). Picture Exchange Communication System. In: Volkmar, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_801-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_801-3

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  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-6435-8

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