Effects of PECS on the Emergence of Vocal Mands and the Reduction of Aggressive Behavior Across Settings for a Child With Autism

Abstract

Effective strategies to address communication and behavior challenges are critical in early intervention programs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) on vocal mands and aggressive behavior displayed by a child with autism in China. One 4-year-old boy with autism participated in this study. The experimental design was a multiple baseline across three settings. The PECS intervention involved the first three phases described in the PECS manual. The results indicated that PECS effectively increased vocal mands and decreased aggressive behavior maintained by access to preferred items in all three settings. The results also suggested that vocal mands were potentially controlled by pictures in the PECS book. One week following the completion of the intervention, the child maintained the PECS exchanges at a high level with increased vocal mands. His aggressive behavior remained at almost zero occurrences. Results of this study have important implications to early intervention educators working with children with autism.

Keywords

PECS vocal mands aggressive behavior autism spectrum disorder China

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Boesch

M. C.

Wendt

Subramanian

Hsu

(2013). Comparative efficacy of the Picture Exchange Communication System versus a speech-generating device: Effects on social-communicative skills and speech development. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 29, 197–209. doi:10.3109/07434618.2013.818059

Bondy

(2012). The unusual suspects: Myths and misconceptions associated with PECS. The Psychological Record, 62, 789–816. doi:10.1007/BF03395836

Bondy

Frost

(1994). The Picture Exchange Communication System. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 9(3), 1–19. doi:10.1177/108835769400900301

Carr

E. G.

Durand

V. M.

(1985). Reducing behavior problems through functional communication training. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 18, 111–126. doi:10.1901/jaba.1985.18-111

Chaabane

D. B. B.

Alber-Morgan

S. R.

DeBar

R. M.

(2009). The effects of parent-implemented PECS training on improvisation of mands by children with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 42, 671–677. doi:10.1901/jaba.2009.42-671

Charlop-Christy

Carpenter

LeBlanc

L. A.

Kellet

(2002). Using the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) with children with autism: Assessment of PECS acquisition, speech, social-communicative behavior, and problem behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 35, 213–231. doi:10.1901/jaba.2002.35-213

DeLeon

I. G.

Iwata

B. A.

(1996). Evaluation of a multiple-stimulus presentation format for assessing reinforcer preferences. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 29, 519–533. doi:10.1901/jaba.1996.29-519

Durand

V. M.

Carr

E. G.

(1991). Functional communication training to reduce challenging behavior: Maintenance and application in new settings. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 24, 251–264. doi:10.1901/jaba.1991.24-251

Flippin

Reszka

Watson

L. R.

(2010). Effectiveness of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) on communication and speech for children with autism spectrum disorders: A meta-analysis. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 19, 178–195. doi:10.1044/1058-0360(2010/09-0022)

10.

Frea

W. D.

Arnold

C. L.

Vittimberga

G. L.

(2001). A demonstration of the effects of augmentative communication on the extreme aggressive behavior of a child with autism within an integrated preschool setting. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 3, 194–198. doi:10.1177/109830070100300401

11.

Frost

L. A.

Bondy

A. S.

(1994). The Picture Exchange Communication System training manual. Cherry Hill, NJ: Pyramid Educational Consultants.

12.

Frost

L. A.

Bondy

A. S.

(2002). The Picture Exchange Communication System training manual (2nd ed.). Cherry Hill, NJ: Pyramid Educational Consultants.

13.

Frost

L. A.

Bondy

A. S.

(2014). The Picture Exchange Communication System training manual (Chinese version) ( Q. X.

Bian

, Trans.). Cherry Hill, NJ: Pyramid Educational Consultants.

14.

Ganz

J. B.

Davis

J. L.

Lund

E. M.

Goodwyn

F. D.

Simpson

R. L.

(2012). Meta-analysis of PECS with individuals with ASD: Investigation of targeted versus non-targeted outcomes, participant characteristics, and implementation phase. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 33, 406–418. doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2011.09.023

15.

Ganz

J. B.

Parker

Benson

(2009). Impact of the Picture Exchange Communication System: Effects on communication and collateral effects on maladaptive behaviors. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 25, 250–261. doi:10.3109/07434610903381111

16.

Ganz

J. B.

Simpson

R. L.

(2004). Effects on communicative requesting and speech development of the Picture Exchange Communication System in children with characteristics of autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 34, 395–409. doi:10.1023/B:JADD.0000037416.59095.d7

17.

Ganz

J. B.

Simpson

R. L.

Corbin-Newsome

(2008). The impact of the Picture Exchange Communication System on requesting and speech development in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorders and similar characteristics. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 2, 157–169. doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2007.04.005

18.

Gast

D. L.

Lloyd

B. P.

Ledford

J. R.

(2014). Multiple baseline and multiple probe designs. In Gast

D. L.

Ledford

J. R.

(Eds.), Single case research methodology: Applications in special education and behavioral sciences (2nd ed., pp. 252–296). New York, NY: Routledge.

19.

Greenberg

A. L.

Tomaino

M. A. E.

Charlop

M. H.

(2012). Assessing generalization of the Picture Exchange Communication System in children with autism. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 24, 539–558. doi:10.1007/s10882-012-9288-y

20.

Greenberg

A. L.

Tomaino

M. E.

Charlop

M. H.

(2014). Adapting the Picture Exchange Communication System to elicit vocalizations in children with autism. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 26, 35–51. doi:10.1007/s10882-013-9344-2

21.

Hagopian

L. P.

Fisher

W. W.

Sullivan

M. T.

Acquisto

LeBlanc

L. A.

(1998). Effectiveness of functional communication training with and without extinction and punishment: A summary of 21 inpatient cases. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 31, 211–235. doi:10.1901/jaba.1998.31-211

22.

Jurgens

Anderson

Moore

D. W.

(2009). The effect of teaching PECS to a child with autism on verbal behaviour, play, and social functioning. Behaviour Change, 26, 66–81. doi:10.1375/bech.26.1.66

23.

J. P.

Yang

Z. W.

Shu

M. Y.

L. Y.

(2004). CARS liang biao de xin li xue ce ping [Reliability and validity analysis of Chinese version of CARS]. Journal of Chinese Modern Medicine, 14, 119–123.

24.

McCabe

. (2012). Bamboo shoots after the rain: Development and challenges of autism intervention in China. Autism, 17, 510-526.

25.

O’Neill

R. E.

Albin

R. W.

Storey

Horner

R. H.

Sprague

J. R.

(2014). Functional assessment and program development for problem behavior: A practical assessment handbook (3rd ed.). Marceline, MO: Wadsworth Publishing.

26.

Park

Alber-Morgan

Cannella-Malone

(2011). Effects of mother-implemented Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) training on independent communicative behaviors of young children with autism spectrum disorders. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 31, 37–47. doi:10.1177/0271121410393750

27.

Petursdottir

A. I.

Carr

J. E.

(2011). A review of recommendations for sequencing receptive and expressive language instruction. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 44, 859–876. doi:10.1901/jaba.2011.44-859

28.

Preston

Carter

(2009). A review of the efficacy of the picture exchange communication system intervention. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39, 1471–1486. doi:10.1007/s10803-009-0763-y

29.

Schlossor

R. W.

Wendt

(2008). Augmentative and alternative communication intervention for children with autism. In Luiselli

J. K.

Russo

D. C.

Christian

W. P.

Wilczynski

S. M.

(Eds.), Effective practices for children with autism: Educational and behavioral support interventions that work (pp. 325–389). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

30.

Schopler

Lansing

M. D.

Reichler

R. J.

Marcus

L. M.

(2005). Psychoeducational profile: TEACCH individualized psychoeducational assessment for children with autism spectrum disorders (3rd ed.). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.

31.

Schopler

Reichler

R. J.

Renner

B. R.

(2002). The Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). Los Angeles, CA: Western Psychological Services.

32.

Skinner

B. F.

(1957). Verbal behavior. New York, NY: Appleton-Century-Crofts.

33.

Sulzer-Azaroff

Hoffman

Horton

Bondy

Frost

(2009). The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS): What do the data say? Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 24, 89–103. doi:10.1177/1088357609332743

34.

Sun

D. K.

(2000). Gu du zheng er tong xin li jiao yu fa zhan liang biao de xin li xue fen xi [Reliability and validity of Chinese version of Psychoeducation Profile (PEP-3)]. Chinese Journal of Psychology and Health Care, 414(4), 5–16.

35.

Tien

K.-C.

(2008). Effectiveness of the Picture Exchange Communication System as a functional communication intervention for individuals with autism spectrum disorders: A practice-based research synthesis. Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 43, 61–76.

36.

Tincani

Crozier

Alazett

(2006). The Picture Exchange Communication System: Effects on manding and speech development for school-aged children with autism. Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 41, 177–184.

37.

Tincani

Devis

(2011). Quantitative synthesis and component analysis of single-participant studies on the Picture Exchange Communication System. Remedial and Special Education, 32, 458–470. doi:10.1177/0741932510362494

38.

Wechsler

(1989). Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised. San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.

39.

Yoon

S.-Y.

Bennett

G. M.

(2000). Effects of a stimulus—Stimulus pairing procedure on conditioning vocal sounds as reinforcers. The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 17, 75–88.

40.

Yoon

S.-Y

Feliciano

G. M.

(2007). Stimulus-stimulus pairing and subsequent mand acquisition of children with various levels of verbal repertoires. The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 23(1), 3–16.

41.

Zhang

H. C.

(2009). Wei shi you er liang biao xiu gai ban de xin li xue ce liang fen xi [Psychometrical analysis of Chinese version of Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised]. Chinese Journal of Psychological Science, 15(5), 1–13.