PECS
Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) serves as a teaching approach for children and adults with Autism and communication difficulties to communicate and tell others what they want.
The approach teaches the learner to independently hand the adult a picture to request an item, and the learner is encouraged to discriminate between the pictures and make sentences.
PECS is a key communication strategy used at Perseid to support our pupils, the benefits of this approach include:
- Reducing levels of frustration
- Helps to develop language skills
- Easily understand by all members of the school and wider community
- Pupils can use PECS at home to communicate with their families
- PECS has proven to help many of our pupils develop their speech
- Can be tailored to individual needs.
Perseid School has been practising PECS since 2001, and is dedicated to implementing it across the school. All teachers and TA3’s are trained in PECS and the school also has a certified PECS Implementer, who works in partnership with the Speech and Language Therapist to support the development of PECS with staff, pupils and families.
To help our families start PECS at home, Perseid School provides a PECS coffee morning for new parents in the autumn term and 1:1 sessions with the PECS Implementer in spring and summer term.
If you require further information or wish to express an interest in PECS, please contact the school on 020 8658 9737 or email office@perseid.merton.sch.uk and address all support requests to Nicola Woodward, PECS Implementer.