Re: PECS- questions

September 28, 2009

My son has apraxia and is on the autism spectrum. We started using it

because it is easy for kids to learn, it is a way for them to start

communicating and studies show it does help them learn to talk. It is a way

everyone

knows what the child wants, some people don't know sign language but they

can look at a picture and figure out just what the child wants. I think our

son was 2 1/2 or 3 when he started, he can now make sentences and more

words expressively have started coming in, now he rarely uses it, he tries to

say what he wants.

In a message dated 9/28/2009 3:58:31 P.M. Central Daylight Time,

lucy2max@... writes:

hello- wanted to know who is using this system and why?

what made you decide to start it?

Is it hard or take time for the child to learn?

what is a good age to start? what is too young?

did your child succeeded w/signing..are you doing PECS and signing?

I really appreciate the input, my child is 25 months and has JUST started

to get signing a little- he has motor planning issues and all signs end up

looking similar to him. I was thinking to continue- that signing is

exercising his motor planning issues- maybe??

Our SLP suggested PECS a month ago, and I passed, now again, she is asking

if I want to start.

My son has few sounds and approximations for words, sorta, and if he says

a clear word- he most likely won't say it again!

I don't know! If anyone can give me guidance- thanks!

Iveta

September 28, 2009

Our son's therapists use PECS but we have never used it much at home. Instead I

taught him to read, starting at age 3. I used the Glenn Doman books (How To

Teach Your Baby To Read, How To Give Your Child Encyclopedic Knowledge, What To

Do About Your Brain-Injured Child, etc). It is an easy method (though

time-consuming in making the materials, but fun!) and it works! You start with

the words that are in his world " cup, bed, car, Mommy, " and go from there. As

our son learned the words and I had them velcroed on a board, he would go get

the word and bring it to me to express what he wanted. I always thought it was

more practical than PECS because if I wasn't sure what he wanted but had some

idea, I would write the words in a list and he would point to the one that he

was trying to communicate. With the PECS drawings it's not so easy to make such

a list!

I didn't exactly answer your question, I realize. Just put in a plug for TEACH

YOUR CHILD TO READ! Oh, and since our son is completely non-verbal it has been

key to his being able to catch on to computer games and to learn more words. He

is now learning to spell (very slowly) using his Alpha-smart laptop.

(ny, almost 12)

>

> hello- wanted to know who is using this system and why?

>

September 29, 2009

My daughter's ABA therapist suggested it this Spring and we decided to give

it a try. is 4 1/2 and we have been doing sign language with her

since she has been one. She can get her point across in sign and has finally

started speaking single words this year but we did still decide to start the

PECS mainly because it will give her another way to communicate, especially

in situations like daycare where nobody knows sign. She loves using the

pictures to communicate and I believe it has expanded her communications

skills and reduced her frustrations. I am glad we started it. It is not hard

to learn at all. Not sure what a good age is, I guess any age would be good

to start as long as you are willing to try. Especially with your child not

being able to sign consistently it would give him or her a way to

communicate which is so important. I would give it a try. My daughter uses

PECS mostly in school and daycare and sign and speech at home.

Anja

September 29, 2009

, that is a great idea. You could write the words on the pecs

pictures also. But teaching them to read is very important. Once they can

read and write they have another way to communicate. My daughter pretty much

taught herself how to read. I think through watching signing times she

learned on her how since they put the words on the screen with the signs.

Anja

September 29, 2009

wow, that's great that you taught your son to read like that!!

The pecs pictures are quite easy to find though. There are a bunch

of free sites where you can print off what you need. The other reason

pecs is good (not as good as reading though!) is that when a child enters

pre-school or kindergarten, the schools like to use pecs as a visual

schedule as well as a means of communication. By their hooks, they could

put a sentence like strip that shows " coat off " " indoor shoes on " , " backpack

on hook "

ect. These are a great tool to show the kids (all kids) what the routine for

the day will be.

You really don't need an expensive program like boardmaker, the free stuff is

just as good.

September 29, 2009

I think PECS is good, as you wrote, for showing the schedule for the day. Our

therapists use this. We have our son at home for ST each morning 8-12, two

therapists come on different days. We live in Costa Rica and he does not attend

school. I took on the project of " teaching him to read " because I was on my own

for his therapy. Now I'm so glad I did it, and, like I said, it was fun to do!

(ny almost 12, nonverbal)

>

> wow, that's great that you taught your son to read like that!!

>

> The pecs pictures are quite easy to find though. There are a bunch

> of free sites where you can print off what you need. The other reason

> pecs is good (not as good as reading though!) is that when a child enters

> pre-school or kindergarten, the schools like to use pecs as a visual

> schedule as well as a means of communication. By their hooks, they could

> put a sentence like strip that shows " coat off " " indoor shoes on " , " backpack

on hook "

> ect. These are a great tool to show the kids (all kids) what the routine for

> the day will be.

> You really don't need an expensive program like boardmaker, the free stuff is

> just as good.

>

September 29, 2009

thank you for everyone for saying how good PECS is for the child. I think I will

give it another serious thought and perhaps start in a month or so. Where can I

find the free downloads to make these cards and such?

thanks!

Iveta

>

> My daughter's ABA therapist suggested it this Spring and we decided to give

> it a try. is 4 1/2 and we have been doing sign language with her

> since she has been one. She can get her point across in sign and has finally

> started speaking single words this year but we did still decide to start the

> PECS mainly because it will give her another way to communicate, especially

> in situations like daycare where nobody knows sign. She loves using the

> pictures to communicate and I believe it has expanded her communications

> skills and reduced her frustrations. I am glad we started it. It is not hard

> to learn at all. Not sure what a good age is, I guess any age would be good

> to start as long as you are willing to try. Especially with your child not

> being able to sign consistently it would give him or her a way to

> communicate which is so important. I would give it a try. My daughter uses

> PECS mostly in school and daycare and sign and speech at home.

> Anja

>

September 29, 2009

just google " free pecs symbols " and you'll get a bunch of sites. you might like

one site

better than an other, or take some pecs from 10 different sites.

I have a little laminating machine at home (walmart) so i can cut out and

laminate

as many as i can get in a sheet and then cut from there.

hth

sandy

________________________________

From: lucy4gets <lucy2max@...>

Sent: Tuesday, September 29, 2009 10:04:17 AM

Subject: [ ] Re: PECS- questions