Picture Exchange Communication System and Delay to Reinforcement

Picture Exchange Communication Systems (PECS) is a form of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) frequently used by individuals with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability when speech development is delayed or does not develop (Bondy and Frost 1994 in Focus on Autism and Oth...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of developmental and physical disabilities 2017-12, Vol.29 (6), p.925-939
Main Authors: Cagliani, Rachel R., Ayres, Kevin M., Whiteside, Erinn, Ringdahl, Joel E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Augmentative and alternative communication
Autism
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Behavioral Science and Psychology
Child and School Psychology
Communication
Delayed
Developmental delays
Developmental disabilities
Developmental disorders
Functional communication
Intellectual development
Intellectual disabilities
Language acquisition
Original Article
Pediatrics
People with disabilities
Psychology
Public Health
Reinforcement
Spoken language
Vocalization
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Description
Summary:Picture Exchange Communication Systems (PECS) is a form of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) frequently used by individuals with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability when speech development is delayed or does not develop (Bondy and Frost 1994 in Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 9 , 1–19; Sunberg and Partington 1998 ). Researchers have previously evaluated variations of PECS as a means for vocalization development (Ganz and Simpson 2004 in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 34 , 395–409; Tincani et al. 2006 in Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 41 , 177–184). The current study investigated delay to reinforcement and an increase in response effort when utilizing PECS on the development of intelligible word vocalizations with four elementary aged students. Three participants transitioned from primarily requesting using PECS at Phase IIIb to using independent vocalizations (i.e., spoken words). This research provides further evidence for the use of PECS not only as a tool for functional communication, but also as a resource for assisting individuals in the development of vocalizations with slight variations in the parameters of reinforcement including response effort and delay of reinforcement.
ISSN:1056-263X
1573-3580
DOI:10.1007/s10882-017-9564-y