PECS® to SGD: Guideline
es and Recoommendaations for a Successfu
ul Transitio
on
Position Statement:
S
Pyramid Educational Consultantss’ position reegarding prooviding speeech generatiing devices (SGD)
en tablets withw
apps is that best aand evidencee‐based pracctice for tea
achingincluding touch screefunctiona
al communica
ation and soccial interactio
on for individduals with ASSD who are n
not speaking
g is tobegin inteervention wiith PECS, andd to transfer to an SGD oonly after spo
ontaneous, fu
unctional, piccture‐
based commmunicationn skills have beenbestablished and the learner has mmastered Phase IV of thee PECS
protocol. This sequennce assures thatt
the learn
ner has acquuired indepen
ndent social approach, piicture
discrimina
ation, commu
unicative perrsistence, andd the buildingg of multi‐piccture sentences.
Introducttion
The Picture Exchange Communicattion System® (PECS®) is a n evidence‐b
based augmen
ntative/alternnativem that is often
n chosen as a communicattion interventtion for learnners with autism orcommunication systemother commplex commu
unication needs who are notn developin g spoken com
mmunication.. Speech langguage
pathologists and othe
er clinical/edu
ucational service providerrs often plann to transitio
on from PECSS to aenerating devvice (SGD) forr long‐term use
u after learnners successffully progresss through thee PECS
speech‐ge
protocol, particularly forf those learrners who do not develop speech follow
wing extendeed use of PEC
CS andtcurrent document, we present and desscribe
complementary interrvention efforts.
In thees associated with this tra nsition, from assessment of the learneer andrecommendations for best practicehrough to inttervention pllanning and aassessment oof thethe device prior to the transition from PECS ths
inddependent usse of the SGD
D.
learner’s successful
When connsidering ado
opting or transitioning a communicatiion system, iit is importan
nt to consideer thedefinition of communication. Communication involves behaavior directed
d to another person whoo thenmediates access to a reinforcer,rwhhich may be tangiblet(e.g.,, an object orr activity) or ssocial (e.g., sharede to individuaals with autis m or other ccomplex communication nneeds,
attention). Of particular relevancecommunications needd to be initiaated spontan
neously and completed independently in order tto be
d contexts. WhileW
teachinng these skillls using high‐‐tech devicess may be posssible,
effective in real worldn swiftextensive experimentaal research haas already produced solid evidence thaat PECS training results in
ous and functtional picturee‐based commmunication in most childreen with autism
m andincreases in spontaneo
ntal researchh also furtheer suggests tthat PECS traaining
related developmentaal disabilities. Experimeno speech an
nd social deveelopment in some childreen with autism
m. In
produces notable posiitive effects onpeech comparred toparticularr, recent research suggestss that PECS iss equally as eeffective for ffacilitating sp
more dire
ectly speech‐‐based appro
oaches in you
ung children with autism who displayy very few sp
poken
words. Th
herefore, our position is th
hat best and evidence‐baseeed practice fo
or children wiith autism whho arenot speakking is to inittiate PECS traaining, and too transfer to an SGD onlyy after sponttaneous functional
picture‐baased commun
nication skillss have been establishedevvia the PECS p
protocol. Thee guidelines b
below
1
Copyright, 2014,2
Pyramid Ed
ducational Consultants‐ May bee reproduced.
PECS® and thet Picture Exchhange Communiication System® are registered ttrademarks of P
Pyramid Educatiional Consultantts, Inc.
(www.pecs..com) All rights reserved.

are design
ned to suppo
ort effective transition fromm PECS to SG
GD in learnerss with autism
m or other com
mplex
communication needs.
Pyramid EducationalE
ConsultantsCdooes not endorse or recom mend any sp
pecific speech generating ddeviceor app for tablets. Raather, our reccommendatio
on is to assesss the individual’s current PECS skills aand ton SGD or tablet app that will
w best accoommodate thhe individual’’s current com
mmunicationn skills
choose an
and allow
w for continue
ed language growth.

Best Pra
actice Recoommendaations and Guidelines
Assessinng the Lea
arner Beforre the TrannsitionAs a geneeral guidelinee, we recomm
mend that ind
dividuals not be transition
ned from PEC
CS to an SGD
D untilthey havee mastered Phases
P
I through IV of the standard PPECS training protocol. Co
ompletion of PECS
Phase IV ensures maastery of thee following PECS‐basedPsskills, which we considerr pre‐requisittes to
GD. Specificaally, we recoommend thatt the learnerr has an estaablished histo
ory oftransitioning to an SG
spontaneous and inde
ependent use
e of the follow
wing skills w
with his or her PECS book prior to the teamng a transition to an SGD.
considerin•Persistence inn identifying anda approachhing communnication partn
ners across ennvironments•Discriminatio
on between 20
0 pictures in a picture arraay•Navigating fro
om page to pagep
while building a Senteence Strip™
•Pointing withh index finger to individual pictures duriing Sentence Strip exchange
Recommeendation 1: PECS
P
Communnication/Langguage Samplee. Collect a coommunicationn/language saample
via observvations condu
ucted across severalsdays thatt
includess (a) total num
mber of pictures currently used,(b) averagge number of pictures use
ed per sentence, (c) longeest picture seentence usedd, (d) frequen
ncy of
PECS or other no‐tecch communiccations produced across the day, (ee) rate of sp
pontaneous vversus
promptedd uses of PECSS communicaations, and (f)) average timme or number of steps neeeded to compplete aPECS‐baseed communiccation exchange. Consider all of the pictures in tthe learner’ss PECS book, eventhose that are used on
nly occasionally.
Rationale
e: In any com
mmunication transition,t
the responsiblee team has aan ethical ressponsibility too planthe transition in a maanner that en
nsures that th
he individual does not lose any current communiccation
es. This goal is particularlyy true for ind
dividuals who have only a limited reperrtoire of functional
capabilitie
and sponntaneous com
mmunication skills. The collection a nd consideraation of this language saample
ensures th
hat the team has a full andd representattive sample oof the learnerr’s current reaal‐world functional
communication skills. Specific colle
ection and coonsideration oof data on the relative rattes of spontan
neous
ompted PECSS‐based commmunications iss particularly important, because sponttaneous initiaation
versus pro
2
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ducational Consultants‐ May bee reproduced.
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of communications is a key area of weaknesss for learner s with autism
m and relateed communiccationer back to the results of tthis assessmeent, or re‐conduct it, oncce thedisorders. The team can also refelearner haas transitione
ed to the SGD
D.
Recommeendation 2: Picture
P
Discrimination Skills. Assessmeent of picturee discrimination skills, sho
owing
clear mastery of at least 20 symbolss on each of ata least three pages withinn the PECS bo
ook.
Rationale
e: Picture disscrimination is required forf the use oof an SGD aas a functional communiccation
system. Research has found thatt insufficient picture discrrimination skkills can leadd to abandon
nment
S by the leaarner (e.g., ussing SGD as a toy; Calculattor & Johnsonn, 2008).
and/or misuse of the SGD
Recommeendation 3: PersistencePinn Social‐Comm
municative A
Approach. Asssessment and planning reelated
to the leaarner’s capaccity to transffer the skill ofo independeently finding a Communiccative Partneer andbringing the SGD to that individual, across a variety off environmen
nts, contextss, and individ
duals.
e for some leearners or de vices for the learner to fin
nd Communiccative
Alternativvely, it may be appropriate
Partners anda bring the Communicattive Partners to the SGD.
Rationalee: Communiccation is funcctional when it is spontanneously and independently implemented by
the comm
municator too effectively provide a messagemto m
mediate the behavior of a Communiccative
Partner. Identifying an
nd exchangin
ng with a Com
mmunicative Partner is a ccritical first‐sttep initiation to allcommunication skills that is typicaally severely limited in inndividuals wiith autism. Therefore, caarefulplanning and considerration is requuired for thiss aspect of coommunicatioon in the tran
nsition to an SGD.
ng social‐com
mmunicationss independenttly across a variety
This includes ensuring that the learner is initiatinof environments, contexts, and inndividuals, reeflecting solidd persistencee in initiatingg and successsfullyng communiccation. Addittionally, the teamtshould develop lesssons to addreess learner ‘rrepair
completin
strategiess’ for when th
he SGD's voice
e is not heardd (e.g., in noissy environmeents).
Recommeendation 4: MasteryMof Naavigation for Sentence Strrip. Assessmeent and plannning related tto thelearner’s capacity to trransfer the multiple‐stepmproceduralpskkill of indepen
ndently naviggating a PECSS bookdex finger to point to/toucch theto create a picture‐bassed sentence on a Sentencce Strip, and to use an indindividuall pictures on thatt
Sentencee Strip withou
ut promptingg.
Rationalee: Successful use of an SGD requires mastery of a mmultiple‐step nnavigational p
process in ord
der tocreate a picture‐basedd sentence. In order to complete thhis task, the learner musst be proficieent intouching individual picctures, alongsside other navvigational skillls. Thereforee, it is importtant for the leearnermthee creation of picture‐baseed sentences via PECS, ass well as poinnting to indivvidual
to have masteredpictures ono the Senten
nce Strip, bothh of which are
e PECS Phasee IV skills.

Match PECSP ® Fea
atures to SG
GD Featurres to Choo
ose Approp
priate Devvice
In any com
mmunication transition, th
he responsible team has a n ethical resp
ponsibility to plan the tran
nsitionin a mannner that ensurres that the inndividual doe
es not lose an y current com
mmunication capabilities. This
3
Copyright, 2014,2
Pyramid Ed
ducational Consultants‐ May bee reproduced.
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Pyramid Educatiional Consultantts, Inc.
(www.pecs..com) All rights reserved.

is particu
ularly true foor individualss who have only a limi ted repertoiire of functional spontan
neous
communication skills. Given thaat individualss with autissm experiencce significant difficulties withpragmaticc aspects of communicattion, and parrticularly soc ial‐communiccative approach, it is critticallyimportantt that portaability issues do not interfereiwitth continued
d communiccation or reeduce
communication opporttunities for th
he learner.
Directly comparecthe features of the SGD witth the currennt PECS skillss of the individual, specificallydeterminiing whether anda how the SGD has the capacity for both providing the learneer with a meaans toboth rapid
dly transfer existingecommmunication skkills for use w
with the SGD and continue to expand his or
her functiional communication and language skills.
Recommeendation 5: NumberN
and Type
Tof Symbols. Select a software pro
ogram or appllication that aallows
for repliccation of all vocabulary currently in the learnerr’s PECS boo
ok, allows fo
or constructio
on ofsentencess, and will accommodate
e continued languagelgroowth. The ddevice must aalso allow fo
or thelearner too access all vocabularyv
associatedawith the devicce independeently, rather than relying on a
Communiicative Partner to change
e overlays or screens. PEECS books caan accommo
odate any tyype ofsymbol. If the learner is usingg a combination of line drawings aand photos, the device must
odate this. Maany tablet apps and SGDs have the cappability of imp
porting a pictture or photoo fromaccommothe intern
net or from a personal pictture library sttored on the ddevice. Conssider the typee of specific syymbol
set curren
ntly in use in the PECS book to determmine if that syymbol set willl be availablee with the SG
GD. Ifnot, then assess the learner’s use ofo the differen
nt symbol set by replacing frequently used pictures in theols from the sets used in th
he potential SSGD. Assess u
use of the neew vocabularyy withPECS book with symbo
Corresponndence Checkks (see Frost & Bondy, 200
02).
Rationale
e: Introductio
on of an SG
GD must guarantee that the learner does not lo
ose the ability to
independently access his or her entire PECS voccabulary to coommunicate about particular items, evvents,
or activities. The PECSS learner first learns to use
e individual piictures, but th
hen combines multiple picctures
p in order to communicate increa singly compplex messagees (e.g., phrases,
on a Sentence Stripng to an SGD
D with phrase
es that are prreprogrammeed to be acceessed with a single
sentencess).Transitionin
button prress takes awaay the capacity for the learner to combbine pictures in sentences that commun
nicatenovel ideaas.
Recommeendation 6: VoiceV
Outputt. The SGD voicev
can be either digitiized (recordeed) or syntheesized(compute
er generated) speech. The age‐approprriateness and sex of the vo
oice should aalso be consid
dered,
and an agge‐appropriate and same‐ssex voice should be used iff that is an op
ption. Becau
use the learneer will
be using the SGD in multiplemenvironments, consider whetther or not tthe device h
has adjustablee andwill beadequate volume for various envirronments. If the transitioon team anticcipates that tthe learner w
spelling words,wthen a device with text
t to speech
h capabilities should be chhosen.
Rationale
e: There is verry limited reseearch on the effects of diffferent types of SGD voice output optio
ons oncommunication and speechsdevelopment (Schlosser & B lischak, 20011). Howeveer, adjustablee and4
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ducational Consultants‐ May bee reproduced.
PECS® and thet Picture Exchhange Communiication System® are registered ttrademarks of P
Pyramid Educatiional Consultantts, Inc.
(www.pecs..com) All rights reserved.

adequate volume is immportant for communicating across diffferent environments thaat involve diffferentbnoise.
n
An agee‐appropriate
e and same‐ssex voice is also helpful inn that it proviides alevels of backgroundmore similar proxy voice to the leaarner’s own voice,v
and maay be viewed
d as more accceptable by ppeers.
o voice outpu
ut condition has
h been dem
monstrated too improve eitther commun
nication skills or toAs yet, no
promote more vocalizaation.
Recommeendation 7: Message
MWinddow. Many SGDs
S
have meessage windo
ows that provide the user w
with astationaryy display of the symbols selected during the genneration of a message. W
When the leearnerpresses a vocabulary button, either that pictu
ure, the printted word, orr both appeaar in the meessage
window. It is very imp
portant to chhoose an SGD
D that will acccommodate tthe picture, oor both the picture
and word, in the messaage window.
Rationale
e: Learners who
w have maastered Phasee IV of PECSS and are usiing expanded
d vocabulary havelearned too build a pictu
ure sentence by moving pictures from PECS book paages to the Seentence Strip
p. Themessage window option on the SGD
S
is an eq
quivalent feaature, and itss use supporrts the learner byon and repaiir. Learners who have reelied on this visual
providing visual cues during sentence generatio
picture cu
ue during sentence consttruction mayy fail to consstruct senten
nces on an SSGD that doees notprovide th
his same pictu
ure‐based vissual support duringdsentennce construction.
Recommeendation 8: Display Conffiguration. Ch
hoose a deviice that allow
ws for changging the sizee of a
specific picture, and th
hus array sizee, on each sin
ngle display p age. Many SSGDs also offeer the capability ofchoosing specific pictures to displayy on all pagess, which can bbe helpful for some learneers.
Rationale
e: Upon comppletion of Phaase IV, a PECS user has masstered a fieldd size of 20‐60
0 pictures perr pageand can navigatenbetw
ween multiple
e pages of thiss array size. M
Ds can be set up to
Most dynamiic display SGD
have this same organizzational struccture. This vissual and funcctional similarrity between the learner’ss PECS
book and the SGD faccilitates effecctive use of the SGD and generalizatio
on of the PEC
CS skill set too SGD
mmunicationss.
based com
Recommeendation 9: Auditory
Aand Visual Feedback. SGDs ussually have a variety of setttings that prrovide
auditory feedback (e.gg., a “click,” or the voice
e speaking thhe word) andd/or visual feeedback (e.gg., theome fashion or appears inn the messag e window poortion of the screen) for b
buttonpicture hiighlights in sopresses. The
T team sho
ould determine what activvation feedb ack options tthe device offfers and com
mpare
this to whatw
happenns when a PECS
P
picture is selected and exchan
nged (e.g., V
VELCRO® souunds).
Specifically, the learrner using PECS
P
hears only VELCR
RO® when cconstructing messages. The
er reads the strip after the learner h as exchanged
Communiicative Partne
d the messagge, so the leearnerhears thee spoken feedback only afterahe/she has built a ssentence andd establishedd contact witth theCommuniicative Partne
er.
Rationale
e: PECS users receive speciific forms of feedbackfduriing sentence constructionn and the exchhange
of the Se
entence Strip. This immed
diate feedbacck is importaant for the ttransitional uuser, who sim
milarly5
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ducational Consultants‐ May bee reproduced.
PECS® and thet Picture Exchhange Communiication System® are registered ttrademarks of P
Pyramid Educatiional Consultantts, Inc.
(www.pecs..com) All rights reserved.

needs to confirm a succcessfully activated buttonn on the SGD . The auditorry feedback, oor its absencee, alsoiforf both the leearner and th
he teacher reegarding errorrs, such as inaadequate preessure
provides informationto activate the button or multiple buttonbpushess.
Recommeendation 10: Communicattion Device Portability.
P
Thhe team shou
uld expect th
hat the learneer will
carry his SGD
S to variou
us activities and locations throughout hhis day, and aalso find and aapproach a variety
of Commu
unicative Partners. Choosse an SGD thaat is rugged eenough to bee used in all eenvironmentss, thatcan withstand being dropped, and that is able too be configurred with a carrry handle orr strap. Inputt frome in determiniing the best w
way for the leearner to carry thean occupaational or phyysical therapist is valuable
SGD oncee it has arrive
ed. While prreparing for thet transitionn, the team sshould ensurre that the leearner
independently moves throughout his
h day and does not requ ire reminderss or prompts to get or carrry his
ok. If this skill has not bee
en expected or taught, thhe team shou
uld recognizee this limitatiion to
PECS boospontaneous and independent com
mmunication anda teach thee skill before ttransitioning to the devicee.
Rationale
e: In Phase II ofo PECS, the leearner learnss to carry his PPECS book to
o various activvities and locaations
throughout his day annd to find andd approach a variety of Coommunicativve Partners. This component is
critical too independen
nt functional communicattion, particul arly for indivviduals with autism and othercomplex communicatiocon needs. Plaanning is requuired in orde r to transfer tthese critical pragmatic asspectsof the learner’s PECS‐b
based commu
unication skills to an SGD.

SGD Configuration and Custtomizationn
Most SGD
Ds allow for customizatio
on of a varie
ety of optionns including llanguage sofftware, vocab
bularyorganization, selectionn of a synth
hesized voicee, picture siz e, and whetther picturess are arrangeed onpor succcessive pages. Selecting co
onfiguration and customizzation option
ns that match with,scrolling pages
or otherw
wise support, the learner’’s existing PEECS‐based coommunicationn skills is crittical for successfultransition from PECS‐b
based commu
unications to communicaticons with an SSGD.
Recommeendation 11: Voice Optio
ons. If the device offers multiple voices, choose a voice thatt best
matches thet age and gendergof thee user. Most SGDs
S
offer opptions as to w
when the speeech is activatted sothat the useruand listeener hear eacch word as itss button is p ressed or wh
hen the entiree sentence or iconsequence has been co
onstructed annd the learne
er presses thhe message w
window “speak all” butto
on. Inorder to simulates
PECS use, we reccommend thaat the learneer builds a meessage in thee message window
and then activates the message windoww
to sp
peak the enttire sentence. If the user requires sp
pecific
e moment a button is pushed,pthenn consider ussing both op
ptions (i.e., dduringauditory feedback then and activation of the full sentencce in the meessage windoow). If sentence
sentence construction
nto or out of categories/foolders, then pressing thesse category/ffolder
construction requires navigating in
oduce a vocallization.
buttons should not proe: The PECSS user hearss only VELC
CRO® when constructingg messages.. Howeverr, theRationale
Communiicative Partne
er reads the strip after the learner h as exchanged
d the messagge, so the leearner
6
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Pyramid Educatiional Consultantts, Inc.
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hears thee spoken fee
edback only after he/sh
he has built a sentence and made contact withh theCommuniicative Partne
er. Configuring the SGD to speak the ssentence afteer the learneer activates th
he fullmessage in the messaage window provides con
nsistency in the transitio
on from PECSS use to SGD
D use.
eferred or heelpful for som
me learners too also hear th
he vocalizatio
on of each selected
Although it may be preword durring sentencee constructionn, vocalizatio
on of categorry/folder labeels should bee avoided because
these item
ms are not part of the senttence.
Recommeendation 12: Vocabulary Organization.
O. Once the SG
GD has arriveed, the team should determine
whether to use the vocabulary organizationosystem avaiilable on thee device or to customize thevocabularry organizatio
on. Many deevices offer a choice of vvocabulary oorganization o
options of vaarying
levels of complexity.
c
If the transition team use
es the SGD “aas is,” then w
we suggest mmapping wherre thelearner’s vocabulary frrom his PECSS book is founnd on the devvice. If choicces for vocab
bulary organizzation
are includ
ded with the device, then choose one that matchess the learner’’s current PEC
CS skills. Con
nsidertaking advvantage of options to hide/unhide cerrtain picturess that are nott likely to be used immed
diatelyby the learner.
lFoor customizing the orgaanization, beegin program
mming the SGD with those
items/pagges/navigatioon buttons that will allow the learner tto use the mobularyost frequentlly used vocab
and senteence constructions from hish or her PEECS repertoirre. Vocabulaary can be orrganized on ddigitalpages acccording to en
nvironmental functions an
nd contexts, such as foods, toys, playyground activvities,
etc., or according to parts of speeech. Vocabu
ulary items thhat pertain tto multiple contexts shou
uld ben the main diggital page.
placed on
Rationale
e: The SGD must include alla of the learner’s currentt PECS vocabu
ulary. This vo
ocabulary mu
ust bequickly an
nd functionally accessible to the learne
er. Vocabulaary organizatiion within the SGD shouldd alsominimize the required
d number of button pressses and otheer aspects off navigational complexity.. The
CS experiencee will typically involve orrganization off pictures acccording to acctivity
learner’s previous PEC
types (e.gg., “snack time,” “playgrou
und time,” “luunch time,” ““circle time,” etc.) on individual pages.. This
organizational structure for vocabulary should be maintainned. In addittion to matcching the learner’s
previous picture‐basedpd vocabulary organization,, this structurre also limits the navigatio
onal complexiity foreach communication, sincesthe learrner will not neednto makee or plan extrra steps accorrding to traditionale (e.g., nouns, verbs) and, instead, will have functio
onally and con
ntextually relevant
categories of language
symbols available
a
to th
hem.
Recommeendation 13: SGD Page Navigation Req
quirements. Dynamic dispplay SGDs offfer various op
ptionsto allow the user to transition be
etween pagess. Tablet appps typically provide the option of lim
mitingw
will fit on
o a single display page oor the optionn to include virtually unlimited
vocabularry items to what
vocabularry items on a page that is scrollable.
s
If the learner w
will be moving between paages, buttonss suchas “next” or “back” will
w be necesssary to includ
de on each ppage. If the device’s voccabulary storaage iscategory based,blearneers will need tot select a cattegory symbool to open a p
page containing that vocab
bularyand then push a close or home buttton to exit th
hat page. Cu stomize the ddevice so thaat these naviggationo not appear in the messagge window orr speak whenn activated.
or category buttons do
7
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Pyramid Educatiional Consultantts, Inc.
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Rationale
e: It is critically important notn only that the SGD incluudes all of the learner’s voocabulary, bu
ut that
his or her vocabulary is quickly an
nd functionallly accessiblee. Vocabularry organizatio
on within thee SGD
should allso minimize
e the require
ed number of button p resses and other aspectts of navigational
complexitty.
Recommeendation 14: Clear Display. Many PEC
CS users, oncee they have exchanged thhe Sentence Strip,
retrieve thet Sentencee Strip from the Commu
unicative Parttner and putt the picturees back into theirassigned locations in thet PECS book. Once the learner has cconstructed aand spoken a message, deevices
o clear the display
offer optiions for the user to clearr the display. Some devicces can be ccustomized toautomaticcally after the message has
h been spo
oken. Otherss require thaat the user p
push a “delette” or“clear” buutton for voice to read th
he entire me
essage displayyed in the wwindow. The message window
should bee cleared afte
er each messaage activation rather thann allowing the learner to activate the speakfeature multiplemtimes to repeat thee same messaage.
Rationale
e: The goal off SGD use shhould continu
ue to be indeependent com
mmunicative interaction w
with avariety off Communicattive Partners, including “laay” listeners.. In order foor the learnerr to independ
dentlyconstruct several messages within a multiple
e‐exchange aactivity or coonversation, he must asssume
bility for clearring the messsage window after the deevice has spoken. We reccommend teaaching
responsib
the learne
er to clear the message window after eacheactivatioon even if hiss or next messsage is likely to be
identical. This is compparable to what a speakingg individual mmust do to reppeat the samee message.

Teachinng Device Use
UTransitionning the learn
ner’s PECS skills to the SGD
D will require time and carrefully planneed lessons. M
Merelypresenting the learnerr with the devvice and dem
monstrating itts use is not ssufficient. On
nce the devicce has
been custtomized, begin teaching th
he learner to use the devicce with a Com
mmunicative P
Partner.
Recommeendation 15:: Create Stru
uctured Lesso
ons for Begiinning SGD Use. Initial lessons should be
conducted
d with activitties that are familiarfand motivatingm
too the PECS usser and durin
ng which he oor sheinteracts withw the CP forf a variety ofo communicaative exchangges. Refer to tthe PECS Lannguage Samplle andchoose seeveral of the learner’s moost frequentlly used senteences to beggin teaching. The team should
write a sttep‐by‐step seequence (talkk analysis) off all actions t he learner mmust completee to construcct anddeliver thhe message inn an interactiive manner. This sequen ce should incclude accessing and turning on
the device
e, navigating to and seleccting the corrrect vocabulaary to constru
uct the messaage, activatin
ng thevoice, andd preparing th
he device for the next com
mmunicative eexchange.
Rationale
e: Transfer of skills from a PECS book to
o an SGD will best be acco
omplished byy beginning leessons
in a motivvating and fam
miliar activityy during which the learnerr is accustomeed to using PECS. Becausee SGD
use will not exactly mirror the stepss used to com
mmunicate w ithin PECS, th
he transition team should know
ety of messaages. This transfer is mo
ost thoroughlyy andprecisely which steps are necessary for a varie
8
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reliably do
one by mapping out a variiety of frequeently used ph rases so thatt team members involved in thefirst trainiing lessons arre aware of and fluent in completingceaach step in the sequence.
Recommeendation 16: Maintain Leaarner Spontaneity/Initiatioon. To begin the first lesson, the PECS bookand the SGD
S
must be available to the learner as he or shee is most likeely to initiatee a communiccativeinteractio
on by reaching for the picttures on/in his PECS bookk. To transfer this behavio
or to the SGD
D, usethe 2‐Perrson Promptin
ng Proceduree (Frost & Bo
ondy, 2002). This strateggy involves th
he Communiccative
Partner makingmthe leaarner aware ofo the commu
unicative conttext (enticingg with a desired item), andd thenthe Physiccal Prompterr waiting for thet learner too reach to hiis PECS book (initiating th
he interactionn) andbefore phhysically prom
mpting the leaarner to the SGD. Follow
wing the princciples within tthe PECS pro
otocol,the Physiccal Prompterr would use backwardbchaaining to firstt physically prompt the learner to com
mpleteeach step
p of the tassk analysis and then elim
minate thesee prompts ovver successivve communiccative
opportunities.
Rationalee: Communicaation is only functional when it is sponntaneously and independently producced by
the comm
municator to effectivelyemeediate the beehavior of a C ommunicativve Partner. The PECS user has arich history of initiating communicaative interactions by gettinng his book, cconstructing a message, fiinding
unicative Partner and delivvering the meessage, so thiis history sho
ould be utilizeed in teachingg SGD
a Commuuse.
Recommeendation 17:: Replicate PhaseP
II of the PECS Prootocol. Once the learner no longer n
needs
promptingg to use thee SGD to gen
nerate a variety of messsages and deeliver them tto Communiccative
Partners, incorporate opportunitie
es for being a persistent communicattor into train
ning. The leearnere taught to carry the deevice with him
hfrom acttivity to actiivity and loccation to location,
should be
independently. He should also beb taught ho
ow to gain tthe attention
n of a Comm
municative Paartnereandd appropriatte ways to persist wh
hen aappropriaately and efffectively, ass well as effective
ples might inCommuniicative Partne
er does not respondr
to the device’s vvoice. Exampnclude repeatting amessage, adjusting th
he volume ofo the devicce, using thee Communicaative Partner’s name too gainmmunicative Partner is avaailable to inteeract.
attention,, and waiting until the Com
Rationale
e: In Phase II ofo PECS, the leearner learnss to carry his PPECS book to
o various activvities and locaations
throughout his day, too find and approach a variety of Comm
municative Paartners, and tto be persisteent inmunications. These are
e critical com
mponents too independen
nt functionaal communication,
his comm
particularrly for individuals with auttism and otheer complex coommunicatioon needs. The learner’s degreeof independence in using the SGD iss related to his
h ability to eexhibit similarr levels of soccial communiccativeence, and too problem soolve when h is initial com
mmunicative attempts are notinitiation and persisterin orrder to transffer these critiical pragmatic aspects of tthe learner’s PECS‐
effective. Planning is required
mmunication skills to an SG
GD.
based com9
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ducational Consultants‐ May bee reproduced.
PECS® and thet Picture Exchhange Communiication System® are registered ttrademarks of P
Pyramid Educatiional Consultantts, Inc.
(www.pecs..com) All rights reserved.

Recomme
endation 18:: Teach New
w Vocabularyy Using the PECS Phase III Protocol. Within the PECS
protocol trainerst
use Correspondeence Checks™
™ and the 4‐SStep Error Co
orrection pro
ocedures to aassess
and teachh picture/sym
mbol discrimin
nation (Frost & Bondy, 20002). When adding new vocabulary tto the
SGD, use thesetstrateggies to ensure
e appropriate acquisition aand use of thee new symbols.
Rationale
e: When picture discrimin
nation is not taught systeematically orr effectively, the learner often
defaults to
t use of the device for lim
mited, genericc requests, annd/or uses th
he device as a toy (Calculaator &Johnson, 2008). It is also impo
ortant to noote that som
me learners may press buttons for non‐hthe audittory feedbackk). The use oof Corresponddence Checkss is ancommunicative purposses (e.g., to hearestablishe
ed, systematic, and effective means fo
or functionallyy assessing and teaching new vocabulary inthe context of a learne
er selecting ammong a numbber of preferrred items andd activities.
Recommeendation 19: Teach Self‐Co
orrection Straategies. Anticcipate that thhe learner will make errorss suchas multiple hits of a single button, placement off pictures in tthe wrong orrder in the meessage windo
ow, oropening oro transitioninng to incorrect pages. Usse error correection strateggies such as tthe 4‐Step Error or
Backstep error correction procedurres (Frost & Bondy, 2002) tto respond too these errorss.
Rationale
e: The teache
er or Communicative Partner should n ot fix mistakkes the user m
makes when using
the SGD. This will resu
ult in repetitio
on of the erro
ors and/or reeliance on thee Communicaative Partner in thed and have been
future. The 4‐Step and Backstep error corrrection strateegies are evvidence‐basedmof thee target skills..
demonstrrated to lead to efficient mastery
Recommeendation 20
0: Team Traaining and Support. Prrovide trainiing in all SSGD and reelated
communication teaching and suppo
ort methods forf this individdual learner tto all relevant individuals.
Rationalee: As with anyaeffective
e communication interv ention that aims to teeach and su
upportspontaneous functionaal communication with ge
eneralization across conteexts, settings,, and in nonvverbal
mally verbal individuals with
w autism, it
i is critical tthat the interrvention teamm and all relevant
and minim
individualls are awaree of, and skkilled in, anyy required teeaching and support strrategies, including
promptingg and error coorrection techniques, currrent ability levvels, and futu
ure skill targets.
Recommeendation 21: Maintain the PECS Bookk as a Back‐U
Up Strategy. Keep the leaarner’s PECS bookavailable as a back‐up means for communicatio
on, in case thhe SGD becom
mes unavailable for a periiod ofe learner use the PECS boook periodicaally, in order to maintain PECS‐
time (e.g.., hours, dayss). Have thebased commmunication in preparatio
on for possible SGD failuree.
Rationale
e: High‐tech SGDs
S
rely on sophisticatedsprogramminng and on batttery or AC po
ower, so anticcipate
power ou
utages, batterry failure, or device breakkdown. SGD
D technical failure is a com
mmon occurrrence,and has both direct and indirecct impacts ono learner c ommunicatioon and well‐‐being (Sheppherd,
Campbell,, Renzoni, & Sloan, 2009).. Having the PECS book avvailable, and maintaining the learner’ss skills
in using itt, provides a reliablerback‐up communiccation strateggy.
10
Copyright, 2014,2
Pyramid Ed
ducational Consultants‐ May bee reproduced.
PECS® and thet Picture Exchhange Communiication System® are registered ttrademarks of P
Pyramid Educatiional Consultantts, Inc.
(www.pecs..com) All rights reserved.

Referencees:Calculatorr, S., & Johnso
on, A. (2008, November). Factors relateed to the rejeection & abanndonment of A
AAC
devices. Paper
P
presentted at annual convention ofo the Americcan Speech‐Laanguage‐Hearing Associatiion,
Chicago, IL.
Frost, L.,&& Bondy, A. (2002). Th
he Picture Exxchange Com
mmunication System Training Manuall, 2nd
Edition. Newark,N
DE: Pyramid Educcational Conssultants.
Schlosser,, R. W., & Blisschak, D. M. (2001). Is theere a role forr speech outp
put in interveentions for peersons
with autissm? Focus on
n Autism and Other Develo
opmental Disaabilities, 16(33), 170 – 178.
Shepherd, T. A., Camppbell, K. A., Renzoni,R
A. M.,
M & Sloan, N
N. (2009). R
Reliability of speech generatingew. Augmenttative and Altternative Com
mmunication, 25(3), 145 – 153.
devices: A 5‐year revie
mmunication
For more information about transitioning from the Picture EExchange Com
n System (PEC
CS) toDattend Pyramid Ed
ducational Co
onsultants’ n
new full day ttalk, Transitiioninga Speech Generating Device
from PEC
CS to Speechh Generatingg Devices (SGDs). Go tto www.pecss.com or co
ontact Pyram
mid atpyramidu
us@pecs.com
m or 888‐732‐7
7462 for morre informatioon on this new
w talk.

11
Copyright, 2014,2
Pyramid Ed
ducational Consultants‐ May bee reproduced.
PECS® and thet Picture Exchhange Communiication System® are registered ttrademarks of P
Pyramid Educatiional Consultantts, Inc.
(www.pecs..com) All rights reserved.