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This case study analyzed the impact of GRM and PECS on the reading skills of two children with ASD with severity I and II. A descriptive cross-sectional quantitative approach was used with a pre-experimental, pre-test, post-test, and single-group design. The PROLEC-R Battery was applied before and after using the aforementioned strategies to measure students’ reading ability. Results showed that although both participants improved in the initial and lexical reading processes, only the participant with severity I reached a medium reading level. It was concluded that the used methods were successful, but longer exposure to them will likely yield better outcomes.

Copyright of Journal of Educational Sciences (2706-6711) is the property of Qatar University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The current study examined vocalizations that occurred during training of the Picture Exchange Communication System for three U.S. preschool-age participants with autism spectrum disorder. In Phase IV, the protocol incorporates a delay to reinforcement in an effort to encourage vocalizations; however, the manual does not suggest additional strategies to try when vocalizations do not occur during the delay to reinforcement. Researchers evaluated a vocal model prompt following the delay to reinforcement and continued to measure vocalizations when the delay to reinforcement alone did not increase vocalizations. Two of the three participants increased independent vocalizations after the addition of the vocal model. Implications for practitioners and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Elementary Education / Revija za Elementarno Izobraževanje is the property of University of Maribor, Faculty of Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Due to the clear weakness suffered by children with autism spectrum disorder in communication in general and verbal and non-verbal communication in particular, as well as social communication, which results in the emergence of some behavioral problems in these children, the research aimed to discuss the impact of using Picture Exchanging Communication System (PECS) on improving communication skills (verbal, non-verbal and social) for children with autism spectrum disorder, and the research relied on the semi-experimental approach, and the study tools were represented in Picture Exchanging Communication System (PECS) and the scale of communication skills for autism spectrum disorder, using statistical analysis to analyze data using the Wilcoxon test as one of the methods, and the research community reached (184) autistic children enrolled in integration schools and schools of guidance for people with special needs in the State of Qatar, using a random sample of (14) children, and one group was used, where the experimental group underwent the pre-test, and the experimental period was represented in the application of the program to the experimental group for 40 training sessions, and after the application of the program, the two experimental groups underwent the post-test, and the results of the research showed that there were clear and statistically significant differences at the level of significance (0.01) between the average scores of the experimental group on the scale of communication skills for autism spectrum disorder and these results were in favor of the post-test, as the results showed that there were no clear and significant differences at the level of significance (0.05) between the average scores of the experimental group on the scale of communication skills for autism spectrum disorder in post-test and tracking test, and the results confirmed the importance of training nonspeaking children with autism spectrum disorder (PECS) in order to improve their communication skills.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that causes challenges in communication and social interaction. Since there is no single treatment for autism, autistic children need extra attention from their parents or caregivers to overcome their linguistic deficiency. Scientific studies have shown that technology-based educational methods are effective and can lead to a significant improvement, especially for autistic children. In recent years, an increasing number of mobile and multimedia applications have been developed to enhance autistic children's verbal communication, emotions, social behavior, and interaction skills. However, many of these systems are either in English or in local autistic children's native languages. Others are designed to promote specific knowledge, i.e., emotions, or are limited in their features. This paper designs and implements a prototype for Arabic mobile application, called Aawn, to help and improve Arab autistic children's, in their own language, communication and emotions, as well as educational and organizational skills. Aawn is integrated with various supporting technologies based on the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) and augmented with graphical features. The system is built and developed using Android Studio and various cloud-based tools. The system can be extended by artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Humanities Journal of University of Zakho (HJUOZ) is the property of Humanities Journal of University of Zakho and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Signos visuais estão presentes em materiais instrucionais utilizados na educação da Pessoa com Deficiência (PcD), em especial neste estudo, as pessoas com Transtorno do Espectro Autista (TEA). Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa, a partir de um estudo exploratório na modalidade de Pesquisa Documental. Nosso objetivo neste artigo consistiu em realizar uma análise de imagens do corpo humano extraídas de cartões do Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) disponíveis em um Blog de acesso público: http://pecsemportugues.blogspot.com/2008/06/corpo-humano.html. Os resultados demonstraram que: (i) invariavelmente, existem signos visuais e verbo-visuais arbitrários entre si, assim como apresentam signos que não apresentam correspondência direta entre o signo visual, a escritura e o corpo humano real; (ii) as imagens utilizadas no PECS, assim como quaisquer outras imagens, colonizam os aprendizes na prevalência de aspectos culturais não universais (não hegemônicos): cor da cútis, prevalentemente, branca; aspectos relacionados ao gênero e papéis sexuais masculinos e femininos, além do uso de estereótipos em relação a signos arbitrários que, não necessariamente, representam os diferentes contextos educativos da criança autista. Conclui-se, portanto, que a utilização dos cartões PECS requer cuidado e consideração semiológica por parte dos educadores.

A considerable number of studies have demonstrated that augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is effective in increasing speech production in some children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Thus, this study aimed to (a) investigate the effects of a Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) Phase IV protocol on the acquisition of spontaneous augmented requests, (b) evaluate the impact of progressive time delay and synthetic speech output on the development of vocal requests, and (c) determine the participants' preferences for each modality after reaching mastery. A multiple-baseline design across four children with ASD was used to measure the acquisition of augmented and vocal requests during the transition from low-tech to high-tech AAC systems. During a natural condition (i.e., playtime), a modified PECS Phase IV protocol was applied to teach the participants to request by producing multisymbol messages (e.g., I WANT + names of a preferred item) using an iPad as well as vocalizations. After mastery, the participants' preference for using the modified PECS Phase IV app or the communication book was assessed by comparing the response allocations. The preliminary results suggest that the modified PECS protocol can be used to transition from a low- to high-tech communication modality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is a communication system for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a PECS-based tooth-brushing programme on gingival health in children with ASD and assess parents' perception of PECS. Methods: This was a prospective interventional study. Using PECS as a pictures/cards series showing a structured tooth-brushing method, 37 children with ASD (31 males, 6 females) (average age 9.49 ± 4.10, 4–16 years) and their parents/caregivers were trained on tooth-brushing twice, 2 weeks apart. Data collected after examinations (baseline, 3, 6-months) included gingival and plaque indices (GI, PI) and two questionnaires (baseline, 6-months) for demographic data and parents' perception of PECS including difficulty rating (easy, hard, very hard) and PECS usefulness. Results: Most children with ASD had language abilities (64.9%) and prior PECS use (67.6%). Both GI and PI significantly dropped between baseline and both re-evaluations, (P < 0.001). Age, among studied factors, significantly affected PI only at all stages (P < 0.001). Most parents/caregivers (75.7%) rated PECS as hard, but useful (100%). Age and PECS prior use significantly affected PECS difficulty rating (P = 0.000 and 0.031, respectively), while sex did not (P > 0.05). Conclusion: PECS though rated as hard was useful in improving gingival health in children with ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To conduct a follow-up assessment of the maintenance of communication skills of a 7-year-old child with autism spectrum disorder, 3 years 7 months post PECS training; and investigate the effects of environmental adaptations on the child's PECS and vocal communications. Methods: An alternating-treatments design enabled comparison of the effects of two treatment conditions (an environmental adaptation to increase need and opportunities for communication, versus a continuation of baseline procedures) on the child's PECS and vocal communications in the child's home. Results: Baseline data demonstrated decreased levels of PECS and vocal communication at follow-up, compared to post PECS training 3 years 7 months prior. The environmental adaptation had no observable effect on the participant's use of PECS, but vocal manding increased in this condition. Conclusion: These results suggest ongoing need for motivating environments with ample opportunities to practice post PECS training. Implications and directions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alternative methods of communication skill development, such as Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), are often used in speech therapy. PECS has been widely used for communication development in children with autism and has proven its efficacy in a large number of studies. PECS is used with people displaying a variety of communication disorders. A review of the literature over the past decade revealed little systematic activity to document or improve PECS intervention services for bilingual children. This study evaluates the effects of PECS intervention with bilingual children from immigrant families in Armenia. PECS could serve as an alternative tool to improve connected speech in bilingual children from immigrant families, thus enhancing their socialization. The study was conducted with nine Armenian children for whom Arabic or Russian was a native language, and Armenian was a second language. These children did not have a good command of the Armenian language. PECS was used to improve their fluency in Armenian. Speech and language therapy sessions using PECS were conducted three times a week for six months. Evaluation of connected speech occurred before the language therapy program was initiated, and three and six months after the intervention. After the completion of the language therapy program, the communication scores improved significantly for all students. PECS has the potential to increase the connected speech level in bilingual children from immigrant families. The method can serve as an option to improve the language skills of immigrant children in Armenia and facilitate their social and academic integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of pecs training on social skills of children (boys) with autistic disorders. Study procedure was experimental with pretest-posttest design with control group. The statistical population of this research includes all children with autistic disorders in Shiraz in the academic year 2012- 2013. The sample size was 30 boys with autistic disorders that were selected in an available sampling method and assigned into experimental and control group, randomly. So each group consisted of 15 students. Both groups were assessed pre-test. The Experimental group received pecs training in 16 sessions while control group did not. After completion of intervention period for Experimental group the post-test was administered for both groups. The Children's Social Behavior Questionnaire (Jackson, Volkmar & Minderaa, 1998) were administered to assess the social skills. The data analyses by ANCOVA showed that there were significantly increase in the mean scores of social skills and subscales (Not tune, Tendency to withdraw, Orientation problems, Not understanding, Stereotyped behavior, Fear of changes) in experimental group (P

Autism is a disorder in the growth and development of a brain or central nervous system that covers a large spectrum of impairment, symptoms and skills. The children who are suffering from autism face difficulties in communicating and adapting well in the community as they have trouble in understanding what others think and feel. Therefore, there is a need to design effective e-learning method to ease the communication process and to deliver required knowledge to autistic children. Past researchers have highlighted that a virtual reality based learning environment, a computer simulated environment, can facilitate the learning process among autistic children. It is also recognized that the virtual agent plays an important role in virtual worlds as it eases the communication process between the virtual environment (VE) and children with autism. This research aimed to design an effective learning environment for autistic children by developing a virtual environment prototype using face-to-face interviews and picture exchange communication system (PECS) methodology for data collection which was analysed using quantitative tests. The findings suggest that the toilet virtual environment topped the list for being the most popular learning environment among autistic children for behavioural training. The designed prototype identifies autistic children's and their parents' needs and also addresses limitations in an existing virtual environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of pecs training on social skills of children (boys) with autistic disorders. Study procedure was experimental with pretest-posttest design with control group. The statistical population of this research includes all children with autistic disorders in Shiraz in the academic year 2012- 2013. The sample size was 30 boys with autistic disorders that were selected in an available sampling method and assigned into experimental and control group, randomly. So each group consisted of 15 students. Both groups were assessed pre-test. The Experimental group received pecs training in 16 sessions while control group did not. After completion of intervention period for Experimental group the posttest was administered for both groups. The Children's Social Behavior Questionnaire (Jackson, Volkmar & Minderaa, 1998) were administered to assess the social skills. The data analyses by ANCOVA showed that there were significantly increase in the mean scores of social skills and subscales (Not tune, Tendency to withdraw, Orientation problems, Not understanding, Stereotyped behavior, Fear of changes) in experimental group (P<0.01). Findings indicated that pecs training intervention lead to improve social skills of boys with autistic disorders. Therefore, it is suggested to design and implemen pecs training in order to increase children's social skills with autistic disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is a popular augmentative communication system frequently used with 'nonverbal' children with autism. Several studies suggested that PECS could represent an effective tool for promoting improvement of several social-communicative skills. Only sparse evidence is instead available on the long-term effectiveness of this treatment system. Aims To test the long-term effects of PECS, for which a follow-up study was conducted by assessing social-communicative skills in nonverbal preschool children with autism after 12 months from treatment completion. Methods & Procedures Two groups of children ( N = 14) were assessed; one group had completed the PECS training and the other conventional language therapy (CLT). At follow-up all children received the same pre- and post-treatment assessment. Outcome measures were the following: Communication and Social domains of Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS); Language and Personal-Social subscales of the Griffiths' Mental Developmental Scales (GMDS); Communication and Social Abilities domains of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS); and several social-communicative variables coded in an unstructured setting. Outcomes & Results The PECS group showed significant improvements compared with the CLT group on ADOS severity scores (Communication, Social and Total), on GMDS Social domain and on VABS Communication and Social domains. PECS-related gains on the VABS Social domain and on specific social-communicative measures coded during free-play, i.e. frequency of joint attention and initiation, and duration of cooperative play, were stable after 1-year follow-up. Cooperative play continued to improve on follow-up with respect to both post- and pre-treatment assessment. Conclusions & Implications These findings demonstrated that PECS training can promote long-term enhancement of specific socio-communicative skills in children with autism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to establish a modality for behavioral intervention for dental management in autistic children using Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)., Study Design: A prospective interventional study was carried out on 30 autistic children in the age range of 4-18 years diagnosed with mild to moderate grades of autism to evaluate the effectiveness of PECS in improving oral health over a period of 6 months., Results: PECS Phases showed a gradual rise from first to third visit, which was statistically highly significant ( p < 0.001). Oral Hygiene Index-Simplified (OHI-S) scores improved significantly from first visit and second visit. Definitely substantial correlation was seen between PECS and OHI-S., Conclusion: Gradual decrease was observed in OHI-S scores over a period of 6 months, indicating an improvement in the oral hygiene status of autistic children. Gradual progress in Phases of PECS proved to increase cognitive ability of autistic children towards understanding the dental setup related PECS cards., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (©2022 The Author(s). Published by MRE Press.)

There is a growing research literature on the potential benefits of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for individuals with autism; however few studies have investigated implementation of AAC within real-life contexts. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of training for practitioners in implementation of aided AAC, and to examine implementation of Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) in real-life contexts. In particular, this study involved the implementation of instructional coaching to increase opportunities offered by behavioral therapists for their preschool-aged clients to use PECS to make requests. Results indicated increases in therapist implementation of AAC and client use of AAC in trained contexts, with limited generalization to untrained contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is a common treatment choice for non-verbal children with autism. However, little empirical evidence is available on the usefulness of PECS in treating social-communication impairments in autism. Aims: To test the effects of PECS on social-communicative skills in children with autism, concurrently taking into account standardized psychometric data, standardized functional assessment of adaptive behaviour, and information on social-communicative variables coded in an unstructured setting. Methods & Procedures: Eighteen preschool children (mean age = 38.78 months) were assigned to two intervention approaches, i.e. PECS and Conventional Language Therapy (CLT). Both PECS (Phases I-IV) and CLT were delivered three times per week, in 30-min sessions, for 6 months. Outcome measures were the following: Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) domain scores for Communication and Reciprocal Social Interaction; Language and Personal-Social subscales of the Griffiths' Mental Developmental Scales (GMDS); Communication and Social Abilities domains of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS); and several social-communicative variables coded in an unstructured setting. Outcomes & Results: Results demonstrated that the two groups did not differ at Time 1 (pre-treatment assessment), whereas at Time 2 (post-test) the PECS group showed a significant improvement with respect to the CLT group on the VABS social domain score and on almost all the social-communicative abilities coded in the unstructured setting (i.e. joint attention, request, initiation, cooperative play, but not eye contact). Conclusions & Implications: These findings showed that PECS intervention (Phases I-IV) can improve social-communicative skills in children with autism. This improvement is especially evident in standardized measures of adaptive behaviour and measures derived from the observation of children in an unstructured setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the effects of mother-implemented Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) training on the independent communication of three young children with autism spectrum disorders. Three mothers were trained to teach their child PECS Phases 1 through 3B, which they did with high integrity. Moreover, all three children successfully acquired independent picture exchanges that were generalized to a different communication partner and maintained for at least 1 month. Vocalizations across participants showed limited or no improvement. These findings systematically extend previous PECS research by training mothers to be the primary implementers of PECS training. In addition, this research provides practitioners with insight into the feasibility and necessity of parent-implemented PECS training. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is a widely used communication intervention for non-verbal children with autism spectrum disorder. Findings for the benefits of PECS have almost universally been positive, although there is very limited information about the characteristics of PECS users that determine the amount of progress that they are likely to make. Aims: To explore the utility of using children's developmental age to predict the subsequent degree of progress using PECS. Methods & Procedures: In a retrospective study, 23 non-verbal 5- and 6-year-old children with autism spectrum disorder attending a special school were assessed to determine their highest level of PECS ability. They were then allocated to one of two groups depending on whether or not they had mastered PECS phase III. All participants had been assessed using the Psycho-Educational Profile-Revised (PEP-R) on entry to the school and before being introduced to PECS. Total developmental age scores were examined to determine whether they accurately predicted membership of the two PECS ability groups. Outcomes & Results: All the 16 children who had mastered PECS phase III had total developmental age scores of 16 months or above, whilst six of the seven children who had not progressed beyond phase III scored below 16 months-the other child had a score of 16 months. Conclusions & Implications: The assessment of the developmental level of potential PECS users may provide valuable predictive information for speech-and-language therapists and other professionals in relation to the likely degree of progress and in setting realistic and achievable targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems have addressed the potential for such systems to impact word utterances in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is an AAC system designed specifically to minimize difficulties with communication skills experienced by individuals with ASD. The current study examined the role of PECS in improving the number of words spoken, increasing the complexity and length of phrases, and decreasing the non-word vocalizations of three young children with ASD and developmental delays (DD) with related characteristics. Participants were taught Phases 1–4 of PECS (i.e., picture exchange, increased distance, picture discrimination, and sentence construction). The results indicated that PECS was mastered rapidly by the participants and word utterances increased in number of words and complexity of grammar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]