PECS

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 1/25/01 11:14:16 PM Eastern Standard Time,

Scherb@... writes:

<< Gail,

JJ is profoundly retarded, totally non-verbal. His language skills are 3

months!! If we talk IQ(yuck) he between 15 & 20 points, JJ started with

pictures(icons) in the ST room, then was moved to the classroom. PECS was

started in September about 3 weeks after school started. No one at school

thought he was intelligent enough to be able to do this program. There is

more going on in that head than they know. We just have to get it out.

>>

,

That is GREAT!!!!! Seth is at 0-3 months with language too. He just makes

those back of the throat noises most of the time. Like he's hacking up a fur

ball! LOL I am sure he could get the pictures if they tried it. They are

putting the pictures on his " objects " , but it seems to me that they are

making twice the work. For him and them. Do they use TEACH or ABA or

anything with JJ? It's so exciting that his world is opening like this. I

like the PECS system, I just don't think with Seth that it is used

aggressively enough. Please tell me more?

Gail

[Guest guest]

At 12:09 AM 1/26/01 EST, you wrote:

I

>like the PECS system, I just don't think with Seth that it is used

>aggressively enough. Please tell me more?

I hear this!!

Andy's world opened up with the pictures and symbols, but we still don't

have spontaneous requests beyond taking us places and watching his eyegaze.

He Ooo's and Ahh's...and lately he's been working very hard at actual

speech, poor kid! There's so much he wants to say!

I went to Micheals...they have different types of the acrylic stuff. One is

called Pour-On. They talk about it on the PECS page (I think) but don't

tell you where to get it. I couldn't find it on the Internet for antyhing.

But there it was.

I " m planning to use it for something besides communication, but thought I'd

share.

Also at s I found a vibrating pen that holds little gel pens, a

black dry erase board with flourescent markers, and photo holdesr (little

flimsy albums) on sale. That's also where they have the Xyron

laminator/sticker thing, but not the laminate cartridge, the stinkers.

j

[Guest guest]

Gail,

Diane, his teacher. did take a class in TEACH this summer. Don't know if

she learned anything. Up to this point he has had no behavior plan.

Before Christmas I put up the red flag---I needed help! So our service

coordinator started working on geting us some services. They are just now

writing the work order and looking for the right person to provide services.

I figure another month before we get behavior management. Bummer.

& Garry, parents of (10 ds), (9 ds/g-tube), JJ (7

ds/autism/celiac), (6 ds/ADHD/Celiac), and Esther (3 ds). All adopted.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 1/26/01 6:06:56 AM Eastern Standard Time,

jmedlen@... writes:

<< One more snoopy question....

Do you konw, did they use teh " 2 trainer " method to get him going? Iv'e

been to their workshop, and the trouble I have is getting someone to

help...and then...that we don't have him in a super controlled environment.

So figuring this all out is a challenge. But I " m closer tonight than others.

He woke up at 2am with a fever......

j >>

Joan,

Hope Andy is feeling okay, and that you got SOME sleep. With Seth, they

still use the 2-trainer method, even to eat. The " behind " person has been

able to back off a whole lot more now, but still has to be there. That

really makes it impossible for me to use much PECS at home with my husband

working second shift. I use the things he knows WELL, but don't even attempt

things that I feel he would need help with. Is Andy at objects and pictures?

I'll have to get one of the vibrating gel pens...maybe he would actually

hold the pen for a second instead of doing that little backhand throw of his!

LOL Sounds like you had a good little shopping spree. :-)

Gail

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 1/26/01 2:37:26 AM Eastern Standard Time,

Scherb@... writes:

<< Gail,

Diane, his teacher. did take a class in TEACH this summer. Don't know if

she learned anything. Up to this point he has had no behavior plan.

Before Christmas I put up the red flag---I needed help! So our service

coordinator started working on geting us some services. They are just now

writing the work order and looking for the right person to provide services.

I figure another month before we get behavior management. Bummer.

>>

,

Is the behavior management for home or school? Seth has no chance at school

to do anything because his aide, class aide, therapist or teacher are on him

every second. He is kept sooo busy that I don't think he has time to stim or

anything. They always have the next " job " to do, and he LOVES " jobs " ! LOL

I think his schedule changes every 15 minutes. We had behavior management

for home, but that didn't work. They said to set the house up like school

and keep him on that schedule. YEAH, RIGHT!!!!

Gail

[Guest guest]

One more snoopy question....

Do you konw, did they use teh " 2 trainer " method to get him going? Iv'e

been to their workshop, and the trouble I have is getting someone to

help...and then...that we don't have him in a super controlled environment.

So figuring this all out is a challenge. But I " m closer tonight than others.

He woke up at 2am with a fever......

j

[Guest guest]

We have not tried Pecs where do you start.......Is there something you

used like a book or program that helped you get going?

[Guest guest]

OOOPS, the link is www.mayer-johnson.com

Look for the free boardmaker demo link. It is good for a month.

Re: PECS

We started with FREE PECS found at websites like Boardmaker. But we also

used magazine pictures and photos. EXAMPLE: When we wanted him to learn

(simultanaeous with sign) I want a drink. He signed and we gave hime a

picture of a glass of milk, water, juice. HE could pick. When he learned

the signs for milk- we added big glass or small glass pictures.

We created a velcro strip to organized getting dressed in the morning and

going to bed at night - pictures of washing face - or taking a bath,

toothbrushing, PJ's on, into bed, story read, lights out. After awhile we

veried the order of somethings to be sure that he understood the picture and

eventually he would re-order things. In school he used PECS for

scheduleing. At first they used photo's and gradually moved him to

schematic PEC figures. At home we used what ever had the words we were

trying to convey - whether from a magazine, photo, actual PEC.

On Tue, Oct 21, 2008 at 9:05 AM, jaakdander <jaakdander@ yahoo. com> wrote:

> We have not tried Pecs where do you start....... Is there something you

> used like a book or program that helped you get going?

>

>

>

--

Sara - Life is a journey- we choose the path.

[Guest guest]

Thank you so you can imagine how the turn out occurred at

the IEP meetings when I had rebuttal with my input based on the

research resource information I had on hand, actual pics of

utilizing it home & out in the community and I even had my last ammo

of documentary videos of as a last resort but I did not have to

go this far as they realized no matter what was discussed I could not

be intimidated by whatever was thrown my way.

As a matter of fact I was denied Parent training because I was too

knowledgeable according to the autism specialist assigned at the time

but then had to remind them that it was not the parent training needed

it was the In-Home training as 's rights to carry over whatever

was being taught at school to home so that he could reach the goals on

any form of communication being implemented across the day.

Parent training included helps with the school district assisting when

not tight on budget with workshops, conferences, etc.

I am actually very happy that your son really lucked out with a ST who

was trained within the PECS.

Many who claim they are using PECS are misrepresenting the system

which I encounter working with my son.

Seems like your next steps could be towards the technology arena.

I hope you video-tape your son in action, you could probably begin

sharing this on the YouTube under the DS & AU category.

I really appreciate you sharing about your experience with the PECS

with your son on the listserve, thank you.

Irma,20,DS/ASD

[Guest guest]

I went to a really great training that talked about taking everyday things from

around the home to make picture systems.  The OT talked about cutting up cereal

boxes, etc to show the ACTUAL cereal that your child eats.  She also mentioned

doing a Google Image search for other things.  Her example was she typed in

image search on Google and then searched for Horizon Organic Milk.  She then

printed the picture on 2 " x2 " paper and then " laminated " it with clear packing

tape. She also cut up a cheap plastic cup, in half and stuck it to a picture

board.  She said to get creative, that there are many product boxes etc around

the house that can be turned into picture systems.

Amy

________________________________

To:

Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 4:46:56 AM

Subject: Re: Re: PECS

What was the name of the book for PECS you used?

Thanks

From: Izzo <cabevizzoyahoo (DOT) com>

Subject: Re: PECS

To: @yahoogrou ps.com

Date: Tuesday, October 21, 2008, 9:07 PM

Irma, great post about the difference between the PECS system, which is a

specific system of using pictures, and the more informal picture communication. 

PECS is wonderful and we started out with that because we were fortunate enough

that our ST had been trained in the system.  What a difference it made in

transitioning him from imitative to spontaneous communication and onward!  We

used PECS on a daily basis in therapy sessions, but plastered our walls and made

books, placemats, games, etc. with Boardmaker and other pictures (from

everywhere) for regular informal whatever-we- could-get- out-of-him picture

communication, as well as used signs, gestures, and pictures on a Dynavox MT4. 

We are now learning cued speech, which is a visual phonics system that can be

used for speech, language, and communication, which we prefer because of

apraxia, though we still use the signs he has already learned as well. 

 

You can get really creative with making pictures available and useful.  As I

mentioned, you can do electronic devices, notebooks, placemats, games, stickers,

wall borders, charts, label toy bins to sort, label items around the home, etc.

to make them available. You can make individual cards or whole-sheet charts. 

You can use velcro, magnets, or felt/flannel boards for putting them up.  When

he was really young, I made a felt book for my son with velcro on the backs of

the cards.  This rolled up and had a strap on it so it was very light for him to

carry since he was so small *still is " .  You can get a big piece of sheet metal

(or several) and attach them to your walls (cover the edges somehow so they

aren't sharp) and then use magnet paper to print pics on (I would avoid small

magnets on the backs as they would be a choking hazard for younger kids). These

also stick to the fridge.  When he was young, we did the felt/flannel also

because when we

tried the velcro he was more interested in the sound that it made (autism and

stimming stuff) than the pic, so we switched.  Your ST should have Boardmaker

and should be able to print you out a copy of whatever pics they are using so

that you can follow through at home.  If you do an internet search on a word and

then go up on top of the scrren and click on " image " you might find useful pics.

You can then right-click on the pic and choose " save as " to save it to a

location on your computer so you can resize it if needed and print it out. A

digital camera works great.  Also, you can use pics out of toy magazines/flyers,

cereal boxes and other food boxes, etc.  Whatever works.  It doesn't have to be

pretty and won't be after a while no matter how hard you try, so let

perfectionism go (that was tough for me). Also, it is a journey so you may make

lots of changes as your child grows and gets older. 

 

Anyway, I wanted to mention that instead of training for PECS, they do offer a

manual that, when I got mine, was $40.00.  It tells specifically how to do it

step-by-step.  Perhaps this might be an easier and cheaper method of getting the

entire team on board with the PECS system than the in-person trainings.  Again,

they should be assisting you with getting the materials you need at home to

follow through.  This should be on his IEP/IFSP.  Follow-through  is extremely

important!!!

 

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