Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) Implementation Program for children with autism spectrum disorder.
Ana Carina Tamanaha, Dayane Oliveira Felicio Olivatti, Simoni Camilo da Silva and 2 others
PMID 37729341WHAT IT FOUND
All 22 nonverbal children learned to exchange picture cards intentionally, and 82% progressed to building sentences.
Parents attended 96% of sessions, showing that family engagement was essential for children to adopt the system.
Key findings
01All children in the study were able to discriminate, select, and deliver target cards intentionally and autonomously.
02About 82% of children reached phase IV, building sentences with cards, while only 19% reached phase VI, commenting.
03Families had 96% adherence to the 24-session program, which the authors link to the children's successful engagement with the system.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study had no control group, so it is impossible to know if the children's progress was due to the PECS program, natural development, or other therapies they received. The sample was small (22 children) and homogeneous, consisting only of school-aged children who had already received at least six months of speech therapy. The authors acknowledge that the 24-session limit may have prevented more children from reaching the later, more complex phases of the system.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq). The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that 24 sessions are sufficient for all children to master PECS. While all children learned the basics, only 19% reached the final phase of spontaneous commenting, and the lack of a control group means natural development or other therapies may have contributed to the observed gains.