Andy Bondy, PhD and Lori Frost, MS, CCC-SLP, creators of the PECS protocol, share fun and practical tips for expanding communication skills for all learners.
Most PECS implementers find teaching Phases I-III simple and reasonably quick. How can we continue to expand and broaden the pictures learners use with PECS? We want to avoid doing drill work with pictures, so we need to assure that these vocabulary expansion lessons are both functional and fun from the learner’s point of view. Let’s review three strategies 
that involve teaching the use of attributes in PECS to describe desired item, expanding on the functions of language, and beginning to introduce conversational exchanges about new topics.
TELL ME MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU LIKE!
I love cookies- but not every cookie! I enjoy driving some cars- not all cars! We learn to be more exact and explicit about what we like, and our learners need to acquire this skill as well. When I watch Lily with a box of crayons, she consistently picks out the red ones, and avoids the green ones, even if I hand her one. This contrast—liking red and rejecting green—is necessary to start a PECS discrimination lesson for these colors. We cannot teach red with only a red crayon. There must be a different color present. Of course, we need to find other items that are red: perhaps grapes, or clothing, or shoes. However, we also must teach that green can be a valued color in some situations. Perhaps we put Lily’s favorite toy inside a green box while the red box has nothing in it. In this situation, Lily needs the green box to get at what she likes.
LET’S SHARE INFORMATION AND START A CONVERSATION
After completing Phase VI of the PECS protocol, users can comment about a variety of things in the world that they see, hear, smell, taste, etc. But how can we help them communicate about things out of sight, or various features about things in the world, or about what they’ve done? We begin by building a bridge about what is current and then remove some support. For example, we hold up a red app
le, and ask, “What color is an apple?” After the learner responds, “Apple is red” then we remove the apple and repeat the question. Now, when the user responds, “Apple is red,” there is no apple to be seen. We need to do this lesson with other red items- a fire truck, for instance, and make sure apple is tied to other features, as in “Name a fruit.”
In this manner, we also can teach learners to tell us about past events. We would start with a very short delay, of course. For example, while a learner is eating toast, we can ask, “What are you eating?” while the learner sees, smells (perhaps tastes) the toast. Once the toast is eaten, we can ask, “What did you eat?” Now, the answer toast relates to a previous experience, not a current one. Over time, we would gradually expand the delay between the event and reporting about the event, being sure to add experiences other than those involving food or drink. Many other topics involving all types of information can be taught in a similar manner, if we remember to make a series of gradual changes and always involve contrast to support discrimination.
KEEPING THINGS REAL
In all these lessons, it is crucial to remember to involve items and activities that have current meaning to the learner. Topics should be interesting or fun to the learner. No one wants to comment or discuss things that are boring. We never make students communicate about things–rather we encourage them to expand upon their interests. The more exciting and attractive you make things, the more motivation will be built into the lesson to support expanding communication skills.
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
To learn more about expanding communication and other hot topics, attend the Pyramid FUNctional Conference 2023: Beyond the Basics with presentations by Dr. Andy Bondy and Lori Frost along with other Pyramid Consultants from around the globe Pyramid FUNctional Conference 2023: Beyond the Basics.
To take your PECS implementation to the next level, take a PECS Level 2 Training
Written by Andy Bondy, PhD, and Lori Frost, MS, CCC-SLP
© Pyramid Educational Consultants, LLC. 2023