PECS and Picture Exchange

The six phases, the para's role, and common implementation errors

For paraprofessionals supporting students using PECS or other picture-exchange systems

Why this brief

PECS — the Picture Exchange Communication System — is one of the most widely-used communication systems for non-speaking students with autism and other communication disabilities. It's structured, well-researched, and trainable. It's also frequently misimplemented. Schools sometimes "do PECS" while skipping critical steps, conflating it with picture-symbol use generally, or using it inconsistently across staff. The result is a student whose communication progress stalls, or worse — a student who learns to point but never gets to the spontaneous, generative communication PECS is designed to build.

This brief covers the practical version: what PECS actually is, the six phases, what each phase teaches, what the para's role looks like across phases, the most common implementation errors, and how to coordinate with the SLP who's typically directing the program. Brief 10.02 (AAC Overview) covers the broader AAC landscape; this brief is specifically about PECS and similar picture-exchange approaches.

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| The framePECS is a structured teaching protocol, not just "using pictures." Done with fidelity, it builds spontaneous, generative communication that survives across settings and partners. Done as "have the student point to what he wants," it doesn't deliver that result. The para's role is implementation with fidelity — and recognizing when the implementation is drifting. |

Who this brief is for

Paras working with students using PECS

Paras supporting students with autism, other developmental disabilities, or significant communication needs

Paras working in self-contained or specialized programs

Supervising teachers, SLPs, BCBAs designing or overseeing PECS programs

Anyone who's been told to "work on the picture cards" without much explanation

What PECS is

Definition

The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) was developed in 1985 by Andy Bondy and Lori Frost. It's a structured protocol for teaching functional communication using pictures, originally developed for children with autism but now used across various populations. PECS teaches communication through the physical exchange of a picture for a desired item.

Distinctive features

Begins with the function of requesting (not labeling)

Initiated by the communicator (not prompted by adults asking "what do you want?")

Built on physical exchange — student gives picture; partner gives item

Structured progression through six specific phases

Based in applied behavior analysis

Trains specific motor and discrimination skills along with communication

PECS vs. "picture cards"

Many teachers and paras use pictures with non-speaking students without using PECS specifically. Common patterns:

Picture menus the student points to

Visual schedules

Choice boards

Communication books

These are valuable but they're not PECS unless they follow the specific protocol. The distinction matters because:

PECS-trained students are taught to initiate, not respond

PECS focuses first on requesting (the most reinforcing function)

PECS trains physical exchange — the student gives the picture to a partner, they don't just point

PECS has specific phases that build generative communication

Who PECS is for

Students with little or no functional speech

Students who can discriminate visual symbols

Students for whom no other AAC system is yet appropriate or who benefit from PECS as an entry to AAC

Often used as a stepping stone to higher-tech AAC for some students

Some students remain on PECS long-term; others transition to other systems

The six phases

PECS progresses through six phases, each teaching specific skills. The student moves to the next phase when they meet criteria for the current phase.

Phase I: How to communicate

What it teaches

The fundamental motor and conceptual response: see desired item, pick up picture, hand picture to communication partner, receive item.

Setup

Two trainers (in classic protocol): a communicative partner (the receiver) and a physical prompter (helps from behind)

One picture in front of the student

One desired item in clear view

Procedure

Student looks at item

Physical prompter (behind) physically guides the student's hand to pick up picture and place in communicative partner's open hand

Communicative partner names item, gives item

Repeat across many trials

Fade physical prompts gradually

Mastery criteria

Student spontaneously picks up picture and gives to partner without prompting

Phase II: Distance and persistence

What it teaches

Generalize to varied distances, partners, and locations. Build persistence in seeking out a partner.

Procedure

Move the picture board farther from the student

Move partner farther from the student

Have student travel to picture, then to partner

Vary partners, locations, items

Build the expectation that the student will come find the communication partner

Mastery criteria

Student travels to picture book and to communication partner across reasonable distances

Persists in seeking partner if first attempt isn't responded to

Phase III: Picture discrimination

What it teaches

Choose the correct picture from a field of pictures.

Procedure

Phase IIIA: discrimination between high-preference and low-preference (or distractor) item

Phase IIIB: discrimination between two preferred items

Use correspondence checks — student gives picture; partner offers both items; checks which the student takes

Build to multi-picture choice arrays

Mastery criteria

Student reliably picks correct picture from field of pictures, demonstrating discrimination

Phase IV: Sentence structure

What it teaches

Build a sentence: "I want" + item picture.

Procedure

Sentence strip introduced

"I want" picture combined with item picture on the strip

Strip handed to communication partner

Partner reads the sentence aloud, gives item

Mastery criteria

Student constructs and exchanges sentence strips

Phase V: Answering questions

What it teaches

Respond to direct questions, especially "What do you want?"

Procedure

Partner asks "What do you want?"

Student responds with sentence strip

Builds responsive communication on top of the spontaneous communication taught earlier

Note

Phase V is sometimes implemented prematurely. Adults often start by asking "What do you want?" because it feels like teaching. PECS deliberately puts spontaneous requesting before responsive requesting — students learn to initiate, not just respond.

Phase VI: Commenting

What it teaches

Communication beyond requesting — commenting on what's seen, heard, or experienced.

Procedure

Sentence starters expanded: "I see," "I hear," "I feel"

Use across natural contexts — books, activities, environment

Less reinforcing inherently than requesting (you don't get an item for commenting on the weather), so requires careful programming

Mastery criteria

Student comments spontaneously and responds to commenting prompts

The para's role

PECS is typically directed by the SLP (or BCBA in some settings); paras are usually the primary implementers across the day.

Across all phases

Implement the protocol with fidelity — exactly as the SLP has trained

Maintain access to the communication book or board at all times

Keep highly preferred items visible but not freely accessible — they're the "why" of the communication

Run multiple opportunities daily, not just once or twice

Document the data the SLP wants — exchanges, errors, prompt level

Communicate progress and concerns to the SLP

Phase-specific roles

Phase I

Often serve as physical prompter or communication partner

Two-person training is typical

Coordinate carefully with the second trainer

Phase II

Be the partner the student travels to find

Be patient — fading the proximity matters more than rushing

Phase III

Run discrimination probes carefully

Don't reduce to "point to which one you want" — physical exchange continues

Discrimination errors are information, not problems

Phase IV

Help with sentence strip construction

Read the strip aloud as you give the item — supports vocal modeling

Phase V

Wait for spontaneous before asking — don't rush to questions

Vary your question forms and contexts

Phase VI

Embed commenting opportunities throughout the day

Model commenting on the device yourself (if multimodal)

What paras don't do

Design or modify the PECS program

Decide when to advance phases

Modify the materials without SLP guidance

Substitute speech demands when student is on PECS ("say it\!" undermines the system)

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| PECS isn't a side activityPECS isn't something you do for 30 minutes after lunch. It's how the student communicates during the entire day. The communication book goes everywhere; opportunities are constant. The intensity of practice matters. |

Common implementation errors

PECS frequently goes wrong in ways that look like "PECS isn't working" when really the implementation has drifted. Some patterns:

"Picture pointing"

The student points to a picture instead of physically giving it to a partner

This is not PECS — it's pointing

The exchange is the core of PECS; without it, the student is missing fundamental aspects

Push back: "Why are we accepting pointing? PECS is exchange."

Asking "What do you want?" too early

Adult instinct: ask the student to use the system

PECS deliberately starts with spontaneous initiation

Asking before Phase V undermines the spontaneous foundation

Wait for the student to initiate — set the environment up so they want to initiate

Putting the book away

Communication book on a shelf, in a drawer, or in another room

Communication needs to be available all the time, like speech is for speakers

Brief 10.01 (Communication Bill of Rights) covers this — access at all times

Limiting pictures to "what's available"

Some teams remove pictures of items the student can't have right now

Better: leave the pictures, model that the item isn't available right now ("We don't have iPad now; what about Play-Doh?")

Removing pictures teaches the student that communication is about asking for what's available, not about expressing preferences

Substitute speech demands

"Say 'I want' first" before giving the item

This punishes PECS use; the student gave you the picture, expecting the item

If speech is emerging, model it ("I want cookie") but give the item for the picture

One-size-fits-all symbols

Generic symbols that don't match the student's actual environment

Pictures need to represent what's really in the student's life — including family, foods, and items relevant culturally

Long delays in advancing phases

Some students sit at Phase I or III for years

Often because data isn't being collected or the SLP isn't actively involved

Push for advancement when data supports it

"Outgrowing" PECS without a transition plan

Some students benefit from transition to higher-tech AAC at some point

This is a team decision based on student needs

Don't drop PECS without a transition plan

PECS and other AAC

PECS isn't the only picture-based communication system, and it's often used alongside other AAC.

Other systems in this family

Communication boards — pictures arranged on a board the student points to (different from PECS)

Communication books — bound pictures, often organized by category

Aided language stimulation — partners model on a system as they speak

Core vocabulary boards — focused on high-frequency words across contexts

PECS as a stepping stone

For some students, PECS is an entry to AAC that leads to higher-tech systems (speech-generating devices, tablets with communication apps). The motor and conceptual skills built in PECS often transfer.

PECS vs. higher-tech AAC

Some considerations:

| PECS | Higher-tech AAC |

| :-: | :-: |

| Tangible — physical pictures | Digital — touch screen, speech output |

| Limited vocabulary in any one book | Often very large vocabulary available |

| Doesn't speak for the student — partners read | Speech output speaks for the student |

| Requires a partner to receive the exchange | More independent in some ways |

| More portable in a basic sense (low-tech) | Battery and device dependent |

| Often considered easier to start with | More powerful for complex communication |

Different students benefit from different systems. The team makes the choice; many students use multiple modalities.

Multimodal communication

Best practice often involves multiple modes of communication:

PECS for some functions

AAC device for broader communication

Speech approximations the student is developing

Sign language or gesture

All accepted; all reinforced

Brief 10.07 (Modeling AAC, planned) and 10.08 (Core Vocabulary, planned) extend these themes.

Data and progression

What data is typically collected

Number of exchanges per session or day

Spontaneous vs. prompted

Successful exchanges

Discrimination errors

Range of items requested

Range of partners

Vocabulary growth

Mastery criteria

Each phase has specific criteria for advancement

Typically requires consistency across trials, sessions, partners, settings

Don't advance too fast (premature) or too slow (stagnation)

Para's data role

Collect data the SLP has set up

Track patterns — what's the student requesting most? Are there preferred items the team should add?

Note errors and prompts

Bring data to weekly check-ins

If progress stalls

Common at Phase III (discrimination) and Phase VI (commenting)

Bring observations to the SLP

May need to revisit reinforcer assessment

May need to adjust pacing

May need to add modeling or other supports

Working with family

Generalization to home

PECS works best when used at home too

Family training matters — SLP usually leads

Communication book travels home as appropriate

Shared vocabulary across home and school

Cultural considerations

Pictures should reflect the student's actual life — family members, foods, religious or cultural items

Bilingual considerations — some symbols and labels in both languages

Family input on important vocabulary

Family ambivalence

Some families are uncertain about PECS — worried it'll keep their child from speaking, or that it's giving up on speech. The research is clear:

PECS does not delay speech

Some students develop speech while using PECS

PECS provides communication NOW for students who don't speak

Communication breeds communication — having a way to communicate often supports speech development, doesn't suppress it

The SLP should address these concerns directly with families. The para's role is supporting the family's understanding through how you use the system.

Ethics considerations

Some thoughts on PECS in the broader disability rights context:

Disability rights critiques

Some autistic adults critique behavioral approaches generally as compliance training

PECS is rooted in ABA — same critique applies in part

Listen to autistic and AAC-user voices on these debates

Spontaneity and choice

PECS done well prioritizes student initiation and choice — that's its design

PECS done badly can feel like compliance — point to this, get this, repeat

The protocol matters; the implementation matters more

Long-term outcomes

Some students transition fluidly from PECS to higher communication

Some students remain on PECS as their primary system long-term — and that's fine if it serves them

The goal is functional communication that works for the student, not arrival at speech specifically

Decision-making about systems

Family voice matters in choosing AAC approaches

Student voice matters increasingly as they age

Don't impose a system because it's what the school does

Different students benefit from different approaches

Pitfalls

| Try this | Watch out for |

| :-: | :-: |

| Implement the full protocol — physical exchange, structured phases | Reduce PECS to 'pointing at pictures' |

| Wait for spontaneous initiation in early phases | Ask 'What do you want?' before Phase V |

| Keep the communication book accessible at all times | Put it away during certain activities or settings |

| Run frequent opportunities throughout the day | Treat PECS as a 30-minute lesson |

| Coordinate with the SLP and follow their guidance on phase advancement | Decide independently to skip steps or stop |

| Use pictures that reflect the student's real life and culture | Use generic symbols disconnected from the student's environment |

| Accept multimodal communication — speech, sign, AAC alongside PECS | Demand speech as a 'next step' before delivering items |

| Bring concerns about progress or stagnation to the SLP | Continue same approach for years without escalating |

| Generalize across partners, settings, and times of day | Use only with one or two partners in one setting |

| Document data and bring it to weekly check-ins | Run the system without data and discover problems too late |

Scenarios

Scenario 1: "He just points"

You arrive at a new school. Your student supposedly uses PECS, but he just points to pictures. The communication book is on the shelf. Items are given when he points.

This isn't PECS. Bring it to the SLP and supervising teacher: "He's pointing, not exchanging. We're not on the protocol. Where's the program documentation? Can we re-establish the system?" Push for retraining — yourself, the team, possibly the student. Pointing isn't bad communication, but if he's been positioned as a PECS user, the team owes him the actual system.

Scenario 2: "What do you want?" from day one

Another para responds to your student by asking "What do you want?" before any communication. The student gives a picture, but only in response to that question.

This is putting Phase V before Phase I in spirit. Talk with the colleague and SLP. "PECS is supposed to start with spontaneous initiation. Asking the question undermines that. Let's wait for him to come to us with the picture instead." Adjust environment so the student wants to initiate. The SLP may need to do a refresher with all staff.

Scenario 3: A student stuck at Phase III for two years

Your 6-year-old has been at Phase III (discrimination) for two years. He gets the right picture about 60% of the time and that hasn't budged.

Bring it to the SLP urgently. Two years at one phase is a problem. Consider: is the discrimination genuinely hard, or is the program drifting? Are reinforcers still motivating? Are opportunities frequent enough? Is the data being collected? Sometimes a fresh assessment, fresh reinforcer pool, or modified procedure breaks through. Sometimes a different system is more appropriate. Don't continue the same approach indefinitely.

Scenario 4: Family concerned PECS will delay speech

A parent asks if PECS will keep their child from talking.

Refer to the SLP — they're the expert on this conversation. From your end, you can offer reassurance based on what you've been told: "The research shows PECS doesn't delay speech, and some kids develop speech alongside it. Mrs. Lin can talk you through this in more detail." Don't extemporize beyond what the SLP has explained. Brief 12.03 (SLP) and 12.09 (Working with Families) are both relevant.

Scenario 5: A student moving to higher-tech AAC

Your student has mastered Phase VI of PECS. The team is considering moving him to a tablet-based AAC system.

This is appropriate for many students. Coordinate with the SLP on the transition plan. PECS skills often transfer — the requesting structure, vocabulary, motor planning. Don't drop PECS abruptly; many students benefit from parallel systems for a period. Document the transition. The bigger system opens up vocabulary and grammatical possibilities that PECS books can't easily hold.

Scenario 6: A field trip without the communication book

On the morning of a field trip, you realize the PECS book wasn't packed.

This is a serious gap. If possible, run home and get it; if not, bring as many emergency supports as possible (laminated low-tech board, key vocabulary cards) and warn the SLP. The student's communication is fundamentally compromised without the system. This is what triggers the right-to-functioning-AAC consideration in brief 10.01. After the trip: build a protocol so the book always travels with the student. This is a planning failure to fix permanently.

Closing thought

PECS is one of the most successful AAC approaches developed for non-speaking students with autism and similar communication profiles. Done with fidelity, it produces students who initiate, choose, persist, and communicate generatively. Done as "point to the picture you want," it produces students who respond passively and make limited progress.

The para's role is enormous — most PECS implementation happens in para-led time, and the fidelity of that implementation determines outcomes. Master the protocol. Coordinate with the SLP. Push back when implementation drifts. Carry the book. Run frequent opportunities. Trust the structure. The students who learn to communicate through this system, in some cases for the first time in their lives, are getting access to one of the most important parts of being human — and you're the one delivering it most of the day.

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| Bottom linePECS is structured exchange-based communication, not picture-pointing. Six phases: how to communicate, distance/persistence, picture discrimination, sentence structure, answering questions, commenting. Wait for spontaneous initiation in early phases. Keep communication accessible at all times. Run frequent opportunities. Coordinate with the SLP. Push back on implementation drift. Use multimodal communication. |

Related briefs

10.01 Communication Bill of Rights

10.02 AAC Overview

10.04 Assistive Technology Overview (planned)

10.06 Visual Supports

10.07 Modeling AAC (planned)

10.08 Core Vocabulary (planned)

07.01 Autism

07.05 Intellectual Disability

12.03 Working with the SLP

12.06 Working with the BCBA

Resources: Pyramid Educational Consultants (the original developers and trainers); the PECS protocol manual; Bondy & Frost training; the SLP overseeing your student's program

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