®

PEECS IV+Gettting
g Sttarte
edDesigne
ed for a strress‐free transition ffrom
trraditional PECS®
P
to tablet‐baseed commuunication

PECS IV++ Gettingg Started GuidePECCS® IV++PECS IV++ is the solution for transittioning from PECSP
to high‐‐tech AAC. Foor learners who havemastereed Phases I through IV of th
he Picture Exchange Comm
munication Syystem® usingg traditional P
PECS
books, PECS
P
IV+ is the high‐tech next step! Froom Pyramid EEducational Consultants, th
he developerrs ofthe evid
dence‐based anda world‐rennowned PECSS®, PECS IV+ aallows users tto construct a multi‐picturre
Sentencce Strip™ via a dedicated Sentence Startter™ page annd up to 20 digital PECS bo
ook pages for thein‐app voicev
to speakk.

Some words
wof cauution:
Pyramidd Educational Consultants does not recoommend starrting function
nal communiccationintervenntion with an app or a speeech generatin
ng device beccause these high‐tech options do NOT
on and is thee cornerstone of the Picturre
require the social interaction that is crucial to communicaticExchangge Communication System. When startiing functiona l communication training,, start with atradition
nal low‐tech PECS
PCommunication Book using the evvidence‐baseed protocol from The Pictu
ureExchangge Communication System Training Mannual, 2nd Editi
tion by Frost aand Bondy.

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omPage |2

PECS IV++ Gettingg Started GuideUsin
ng an AppA for Comm
municattion: GGuided Accesss
PECS IV++ is available for iPad® andd iPad mini™. When usingg an iPad withh PECS IV+ forr
communnication, we recommendrputtingpyour iPadiin Guideed Access. This restricts usse of the iPadd toa designnated app (PEECS IV+) and disables
dhardwware buttonss. Exiting Guid
ded Access too access otheerapps cann only be acco
omplished ussing a 4‐digit code.
cTo enaable Guideed Access ono the home screen
sof youur iPad, selectt SETTINGS, then GENERAL,then ACCESSIBILITY anda then GUID
DED ACCESS

1.. Toggle GUID
DED ACCESS on
2.. Select a Passscode3.. Add time lim
mit warningsounds or speech if youwill be settiing time limits
4.. Toggle Acceessibility
Shortcut too On so you caan
triple‐click tthe Homebutton to enter Guided
Access fromm within any
app. This sttep is notmandatory..

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PECS IV++ Gettingg Started Guide
To usee Guided AccessA:
1. Launch PECSS IV+.
2. Triple click on the iPad Hoome button.
3. Circle areas ofo the screen to limit accesss to those fuunctions (if anny).
ONS in the boottom left to choose
cwhethher or not to grant access to Sleep/Wake,
4. Tap on OPTIO
Volume, toucch screen andd motion. Tap
p DONE.
he screen.
5. Tap START att the top of thOnce Gu
uided Access is enabled, pushing the hoome button too leave the a pp will open a bannerindicatin
ng that the ap
pp is in Guideed Access. Leaaving Guidedd Access requires triple tap
pping the hom
mebutton anda entering the 4‐digit paasscode.

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PECS IV++ Gettingg Started Guide

TheT ope
ening sccreen

Dedicatted Sentence Starter Page

Customize
pageLock Screen
SAdd addditionaltabbedd pagesPicturePLibrary

Add and sw
witch
between boooksSettings
HelpIn formation

When youy open thee app for thee first time, thet PECS boook will be blank. This iss so that youucan build a book ide
entical to yo
our student’ss traditional PECS book. Tap on thee BOOK icon tocreate yourystudent’s book.
Use the back‐up feature of your iP
Pad to backup
p settings andd vocabulary selected in thhis app.

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www.pecs.cowomPage |5PECS IV++ Gettingg Started GuideSettingSgs – Help ‐ Informatiion

Automatically aliign the pictu
ureswith VELCRRO® strips
Lock Screen orientation tomodeLandscape mMake Keypadnction
UNLOCK funavailable

Choose a language forpicture
es and speecch

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PECS IV++ Gettingg Started GuideToggle
Tbetweeen different pages for h
helpful hintss for using th
heappaToggle between pages toread abbout PECS IV
V+ or PECS.

Pyramidd Educationall Consultantss

A caution ono using PEC
CS IV+
only after studentsshavve
mastered Phases
PI‐IV oof
traditional PECS.

www.pecs.cowomAd
description oof several
unnique featurees of PECS IVV+.

Page |7

PECS IV++ Gettingg Started Guide

Add
A and switcch betw
ween bbooks
btap NEEW BOOK annd give the bbook a namee.
To begin creating your student’s PECS IV+ book,

Eacch book holdss 20 pages witth
up to 24 picturees per page. If
u student requires addition
nal
youpagges, create addditional bookks.

To deleete a book, holdhbutton anda follow on‐screenoproompts.

Picture Library
To begin adding picctures to you
ur student’s book, open the library aand choose images frommntence Starte
er folder, thee Pics for PECS library orr add picturees from yourr own libraryy tothe Sen
the customizable User
U Library.

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www.pecs.cowomPage |8PECS IV++ Gettingg Started Guide

First creeate your stu
udent’s Senttence Starte
er page. Tapp or drag andd drop a pictture onto thee
dedicatted Sentencee Starter pagge.

Add additio
onal taabbed ppages

ook and con
ntinue adding pictures byy dragging ppictures fromm the libraryy
Add pagges to the bo
onto the desired paage.
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omPage |9PECS IV++ Gettingg Started GuideCustom
mize a page
To customize a pagge, click on th
he GEAR icon on the tabb. Choose nu
umber of VEELCRO® strip
ps,color off page, and/or icon for tab.

Create and customize up to 20 pages per bookbwith upp to 24 pictures per pagee. The numbberon eachh tab represeents the nummber of pictures on thatt page. To reearrange pages, hold a ttab
and draag to new loccation.

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www.pecs.cowomP a g e | 10PECS IV++ Gettingg Started GuideBegiin Commmunication M
ModeOnce yo
ou have creaated your PEECS book, yo
ou are ready to start teaching your sstudent to usse
PECS IV
V+ to commu
unicate! Please visit wwww.pecs.com
m for more innformation oon transition
ningfrom PEECS to PECS IV+.
To begin communiccation modee, click the LO
OCK icon an d choose a pprofile. Thiss profile willdetermmine how you
ur student moves
mpictures from a PEECS book pagge to the Sentence Stripp.
Additional featuress are available when you
u create a Cuustom Profilee.

Choose an includedi
proofile or creatte your own profile.

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PECS IV++ Gettingg Started Guide

Creeate a Custom
m Profiile

Selectioon Method  Studentt drags picture to Sentennce Strip.
 Studentt taps picture
e to move itt to Sentencee Strip.
 Either option.
oNumber of taps Choose hoow many tap
ps on CLEAR button to clear the Senttence Strip.
to resset pictures
Shaake to reset Toggle on or off. Student can eithher clear Senntence Strip by tapping
CLEAR button or by shhaking the deevice.
Hidee Sentence Toggle on or off.
Starterr Page after In the ON position, on
nce student moves a piccture from th
he Sentence
selection Starter pagge to the Sentence Stripp, the Senten
nce Starter P
Page
automatically closes.
In the OFF position, student must manually close Sentencce Starter Paageby tappingg the tab.

Speech Choose lannguage
Synthesizer
SPlay when Toggle on or off.
selected In the ON position, eacch picture iss spoken as sstudent movves it to theSentence Strip.
SIn the OFF position, pictures are nnot spoken u
until Studentt selects SPEAK
button.
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PECS IV++ Gettingg Started GuideToggle on or off.
Tap
p to play on In the ON position, stu
udent can ta p each pictu
ure on Senteence Strip too
Sentence Strip speak thatt picture.
In the OFF position, student picturre will not be spoken as student tap
ps.

Position Toggle on or off.
In the ON position, picctures can bee rearranged
d on tabbed page.
In the OFF position picctures cannoot be rearran
nged on tabb
bed page.
Size Toggle on or off.
In the ON position, picctures can bee resized on tabbed pagge.
In the OFF position picctures cannoot be resizedd on tabbed page.

Read text at Toggle on or off to reaad text adde d to bottom
m of each picture.
bottoom if exists
Readd from right Toggle on to read Senttence Strip ffrom right too left.

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PECS IV++ Gettingg Started Guide

Custoomize PPicturees

Taap the GEAR icon in the corner
cof thee picture to customize

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PECS IV++ Gettingg Started Guide
Custommization Options
OSlide to increaase or decreease size of ppicture.
Chhoose to appply to single picture or aall pictures innPEECS book.

Chhoose to dissplay:
Piicture &Textt
Piicture onlyTeext onlyAuudio
Deefault: Speeech Synthesiizer will speaak the text
User: Record your own teext to speakk

Teext for top liine of picturreChhoose defauult text creatte your own for the app toreead.

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PECS IV++ Gettingg Started GuideAd
dd a line of ttext to the bbottom of th
he picture byy
crreating your own label oor by choosinng from
addditional lannguages.

hoose to usee the Delayeed Audio feaature by settting
Chdeelay length. The Delayeed Audio featture
inncorporates tthe Constan
nt Time delayy strategy ussedwithinw
the PEC
CS protocol to encouragge the studeenttoo speak.
WhenW
selecteed for a speccific picture, a blue dot w
will
ap
ppear in the lower left ccorner of thaat symbol.
Seelect this feaature for eacch picture thhe student hasleearned to speeak.

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PECS IV++ Gettingg Started Guide

Picturre Libraaries

Choosee from 3 libraaries: Sente
ence Startters, Pics foor PECS, User
Chooose from anyy of the 31 Pics for PECS
imagees from the Sentence Sttarters Libraary
to ad d to the ded
dicated Senttence Starterr
Page..

Openn a folder witthin the Picss for PECS
Libra ry and chooose pictures tto replicate
thosee in your student’s PECSS Book.

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PECS IV++ Gettingg Started Guide
Add aand customize pictures tto your Userr
Libra ry.

The User LibraryypTo addd pictures tto your User Library, tap
NEW PICTURE.

Chooose any optioon.

Photo Library optiion
Chooose Photo Libbrary to open the photolibrarry within you
ur device.
To ta ke a new piccture, choosse CAMERA,selec t OK to allow
w PECS IV+ tto access you
urcameera. Take a ppicture of the new item
and cchoose RETA
AKE or USE P
PHOTO.

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PECS IV++ Gettingg Started Guide
Use 2 fingers to sscale or rotate the picture
the ppicture. Dragg picture into square fraameand sselect DONE.

Give yyour picturee a title and choose thecolorr for the textt. This will bbe the word
spokeen by the synthesized sppeech.

Teext Option
To creeate a text‐oonly symbol, Tap TEXT aandenterr the text.

WebW Option
Chooose WEB to ssearch for a ppicture.
Selecct a picture.
Movee, scale and rotate the ppicture.
Give tthe picture a title.

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PECS IV++ Gettingg Started Guide

Customize User Pictures and Libraryy
Tap t he gray/blacck box in thee lower left
corneer of picturees in your User Library too
edit tthe text on tthe picture.

Tap t he EDIT buttton and tap X to delete a
pictu re. The trassh can will exxplode whennthe ppicture is deleted.

To creeate a foldeer in the Useer Library, whhilein ed it mode dragg a picture oonto anotherpictu re.
he other pictture
Hold the picture on top of th
mpleted its
until the timer‐circle has com
cycle .
Give tthe new foldder a name.

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PECS IV++ Gettingg Started Guide

Communicatioon ModdeSenten
nce Starter TaabSpeakButton

Senntence Strip

ClearButton

Teach yourystudentt to use the app
a for communication ! Because thhe digital PEECS book you
uhave crreated looks just like you
ur student’s traditional PPECS book, tthe only skillls to teach yourstudentt are:
1. To open thee Sentence StarterSpage by tapping tthe black tabb.
2. To drag or dropda picturre onto the Sentence
SStrrip.
3. Open a tabb
bed page containing thee pictures to add to the SSentence Strrip and drag ordrop a pictuure onto the Sentence Sttrip.
4. Read the Se
entence Stripp, either by tappingteachh picture to speak or by tapping SPEEAKbutton (deppending on whatw
is seleccted in your profile).
entence Stripp by
5. Clear the Se
a. Swip
ping individu
ual pictures backb
towardd the book. TThey will be moved backk totheirr correct tabbbed page.
b. Shakking the iPadd if this optio
on is selecte d in your proofile.
c. Tappping the Cleaar Button.

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PECS IV++ Gettingg Started Guide
PECS IV
V+ provides visualv
cues foor these skills

AAs each picture is touched, it ishhighlighted w
with a yelloww frame.

TThe yellow frrame remain
ns whiletthe picture iss being draggged.

Ass each picturre is touchedd orsp oken on thee Sentence Strip, theye llow frame hhighlights thhepiccture.

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PECS IV++ Gettingg Started Guide

Social Interacction
Within the PECS prootocol, placiing a picturee in the handd of the Com
mmunicative Partner
assuress an interaction. When usinguan appp on a tablett, tapping a p
picture or th
he SPEAK
button does not asssure an interaction betw
ween the useer and the C
Communicative Partner h
hasp
Therefore, if there
e is no evide
ence of an innteraction, id
dentify a beh
havior whichhtaken place.
guaranttees that thee Communiccative Partne
er is attendinng to the user. These w
would includee:
1. Tapping thee Communicaative Partneer.
e tablet to th
he Communiicative Partnner before activating thee SPEAK
2. Bringing thefunction.
3. Waiting for the Commu
unicative Parrtner to apprroach.
4. Calling the Communicat
Ctive Partner.. You can crreate a call feeature withiin PECS IV+ bbyadding Com
mmunicative Partner nammes, etc.
5. Repeating the message if the Comm
municative PPartner doess not respond.

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PECS IV++ Gettingg Started GuideErrorr Correcction
Within the PECS pro
otocol, we useu two typees of error coorrection pro
ocedures. Thhese proceddures
mmunicationn System Traaining Manuual, 2nd Editiion.
are described in The Picture Exxchange Com1.
2.

For sequenttial lesson su
uch as arrangging picture s in the corrrect order onn the Senten
nceStrip, we use a Backstep
p Error Correection Proceedure.
e lessons succh as choosin
ng the corre ct picture too add to the Sentence Sttrip,
For discrete
we use a 4‐SStep Error Correction Prrocedure. Too assess corrrect picture selection coonductperiodic Corrrespondencce Checks.

sarraanges picture
es in the wro
ong order onn the Senten
nce Strip, PEECS IV+ allow
ws an
If your student
easy meethod for coorrecting thiss. Simply touch and dra g a picture tto its correctt location onn theSentencce Strip!

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