Is PECS out as an AAC tool for autistic kids? Today, we’re diving into a hot topic in the world of autism and communication: the Picture Exchange Communication System, or PECS. Over the years, PECS has been widely used as a way for autistic children to communicate, but as new research and insights have emerged, there’s been a lot of conversation—some of it controversial—around its effectiveness and limitations.

In this episode, I’m thrilled to be joined by two speech-language pathologists, Paulina Elias, and Amanda Blackwell, from Natural Communication, who share their invaluable expertise on PECS and the bigger picture of AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) for autistic children. We explore how PECS started, what it offers, and why more and more professionals are moving toward more flexible, child-led communication methods that honor autonomy and individuality.

You’ll hear us discuss everything from the importance of giving kids the freedom to say ‘no’ to strategies that empower communication beyond requests. Plus, we talk about the pitfalls of hand-over-hand prompting and the emerging preference for tools that grow with a child’s communication needs.

If you’re an educator, parent, or anyone working with autistic children, this episode will give you new perspectives on PECS, AAC, and the role of true connection in supporting autistic communication. Get ready for a thought-provoking discussion that might change the way you think about communication support!

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Tu4rKeAM0dc

Connect With Paulina & Amanda:

• Our English website (for free resources, our parent and professional courses, professional development events, and individual consultations info): www.naturalcommunication.com

• Our Spanish website (for free resources, our parent and professional courses, professional development events, and individual consultations info): www.comunicacion-natural.com

• Our socials: @natural.communication (English) and @comunicacionnatural (Spanish)

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natural.communication/ and https://www.instagram.com/comunicacionnatural

Resources Mentioned:

• ASHA Journal Article: https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2023_PERSP-23-00098

• Playground AAC board:https://www.prc-saltillo.com/articles/playground-core-communication-boards-from-prc-saltillo?mode=view

• PRC Saltillo core: https://saltillo.com/chatcorner/content/29

• GRID core board: https://thinksmartbox.com/news/low-tech-super-core-resources/

• Avaz core board: https://avazapp.com/avaz-aac-coreboards/

• Assistiveware core boards in different languages: https://www.assistiveware.com/learn-aac/quick-communication-boards

• Project Core boards: https://www.project-core.com/communication-systems/

• Smarty Symbols Core: https://smartysymbols.com/free-core-board-download/

Bios: 

Paulina Elias, M.Cl.Sc., SLP Reg. CASLPO

Paulina is a multilingual speech language pathologist (SLP) living in Canada. Although she works with people of different ages and communicative needs, she has a special interest in the areas of multilingualism, gestalt language development, and autism. Paulina enjoys collaborating directly with families and interdisciplinary teams in each person's native language. At this time, Paulina offers international consults virtually, and evaluation and intervention services in Ontario, Canada. She regularly presents internationally on the topics of multilingualism, gestalt language development, and AAC.

Dr. Amanda Blackwell, EdD, SLPD, CCC-SLP

Dr. Amanda is passionate about communication in all forms. She has had the opportunity to learn from a variety of people from diverse cultural backgrounds as she has lived and worked full time as a bilingual (English/Spanish) SLP in Guatemala since 2013. Dr. Blackwell teaches postgraduate courses in autism and AAC at Minot State University and Saint Mary's College, and mentors SLPD students in their capstone research projects through the MGH Institute of Health Professions and Rocky Mountain University. She loves to travel around the world (with recent trips to Spain, Argentina, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Honduras, and Sri Lanka) to collaborate with professionals in presentations, workshops, research, and autism identification (ADOS-2).

Topics Covered:

1. Podcast features Paulina and Amanda from Natural Communication discussing updates in PECS and AAC.

2. Paulina is a multilingual speech-language pathologist from Guatemala; Amanda is a U.S. speech-language pathologist with 11 years in Guatemala, focusing on autism and AAC.

3. Both advocate for accessible information in multiple languages, especially Spanish, and are expanding to French and Portuguese.

4. PECS, created in 1985, is a structured communication system based on ABA principles, mainly for requests.

5. Criticism of PECS includes its rigidity and lack of fostering true communication skills beyond requests.

6. Hand-over-hand prompting is discouraged due to autonomy concerns; hand-under-hand is recommended for better control.

7. Communication books should enable autonomous communication, including the ability to protest or reject.

8. Building relationships and trust with clients is essential for effective communication and learning.

9. The podcast calls for a shift from traditional methods like PECS to more flexible, multimodal communication strategies.

10. Natural Communication provides resources in English and Spanish, including a crash course on Gestalt language development, and engages in research and workshops to enhance AAC practices.

11. Listeners are encouraged to explore free printable communication boards and resources to support AAC implementation.

You may also be interested in these supports:

1. Visual Support Starter Set 

2. Visual Supports Facebook Group

3. Autism Little Learners on Instagram

4. Autism Little Learners on Facebook

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