1-A Clear Picture: The Use And Benefits Of PECS Flashcards
An analysis of language from a behavior analytic viewpoint.
contains no original research and does not address how to teach.
Does not provide And approach to communication training.
A powerful Analytical tool for everyone.
The book, verbal behavior,
He focused on reflexes/respondents and Classical conditioning
Pavlov
He defined OPERANTS:, behavior is defined by their EFFECTS upon the environment
The unit of analysis is A – B – C: antecedents – behavior – consequences.
Change the A or the B and you have a new behavior
Skinner
We cannot define communication by unobservable factors like messages or meaning.
Skinner defines this as… Behavior reinforced through the mediation of other people.
The LISTEN ER must be responding in ways which have been conditioned precisely in order to reinforce the behavior of the speaker (by the verbal community)…”
Verbal behavior
In defining _____ _______. As behavior reinforced through the mediation of other persons, we do not, and cannot, specify any one FORM, mode, or medium.
Any movement capable of affecting another organism may B VERBAL
Verbal behavior
- State of deprivation or aversive stimulation
- Some aspects of the environment
3 OTHER verbal behavior
- OWN verbal behavior
Antecedent conditions that might influence verbal behavior
- Related to motivating operations
•The state of deprivation
• Aversive stimulation
Motivating operations determine if something will function as a reinforcer, and if the response will reoccur
Aversive stimuli that act as MO’ S will make escape a reinforcer
- EDUCATIONAL …… Also known as social.
They Teach Correct response
Consequence conditions – verbal behavior
A verbal operant in which the response is reinforced by a characteristic consequence and is therefore under the functional control of relevant conditions of deprivation or aversive stimulation
Derived from command, demand
Requesting, asking, directing…
The three antecedent conditions, in isolation,
are associated with what we can call the
pure mand, the pure tact (p. 151), and the
pure intraverbal.
Reinforcers specified by the VB, in isolation,
are associated with the pure mand.
When these conditions don’t occur in
isolation, we can describe the VB that results
from this complex control as impure. (p. 151
Mand- Skinners elementary verbal operant’s
Antecedents —Deprivation/motivating operation MO
Behavior——Pure Mand
Consequence—Specified by Mand (concrete or social)
Examples:
•deprived of a ball – says, I want a ball-gets ball
• Hit by a child – says, go away. Other person goes away
Pure Mand
Evoked by a particular OBJECT or event or property of an object or EVENT
Derived from contact (Commenting labeling/naming)
Note: other experts me analyze the greeting differently
Tact
Antecedents: stimulating aspect of the environment: (stimulating circumstances)
Behavior: pure tact
Consequences: education/social
Ex:
Sees a ball, says I see a ball. Hears, that’s right
Here is it’s raining, says, it’s raining. Heats, So it is.
Pure Tact
Responses under the control of audible or written verbal STIMULI supplied by another person or are the speaker himself…
Showing no point to point correspondence with the verbal stimuli that evoke of them…
And reinforced by a GENERALIZED conditioned reinforcer…
… Such as answering questions and fill in the blank’s
PURE Intra-verbal
Skinners elementary verbal operant
Antecedent – verbal behavior
Behavior – Pure Intraverbal
Consequence – educational/social
Examples:
Hears, 1, 2, 3. Says, 4. Hears, good
Pure Intraverbal
Skinners elementary verbal operant
Verbal behavior under the control of verbal stimuli in which the response generate a sound a pattern SAMALAAR to that of the stimulus…
… Resulting in a generalized conditioned Reinforcer
IS NOT: REPEATING Sounds/words that may be self reinforcing but without a verbal stimulus of corresponding a form…Immediately preceding at
Echoic Skinners elementary verbal operant
Reinforcer is specified by the VB, in isolation are associated with the…
Pure Mand
When these conditions don’t occur in isolation, we can describe the VB that results from this complex control as..
Impure Mand
Multiple or mixed antecedent control
Multiple or mixed consequence control
Bondy , Tincani, & Frost, (2004)-complete description
Possible Combinations of Control
Antecedents— Verbal behavior aspect of environment
Behavior—Intra-verbal/Echoics/Tact
Consequence—Social/educational
Ex: With a pencil and view, hears, “Say Pencil” – says, “pencil” – HEARS, “good talking”.
Intraverbal/Echoic/Tact
All changes within the PECS protocol
involve changing a single verbal operant into another by detracting or adding a single antecedent or consequence
Many traditional speech training protocols achieve the mand only after many months of working on other verbal and non-verbal operants
Using VB to Analyze the PECS Protocol
Involves TACTS of private events
We only learn to describe a feeling after someone else has told us what we are feeling
Talking about feelings/emotions Is NOT the same as having them.
Teach language of emotions while learner is experiencing the emotion
Talking about feelings and emotions
Intended to:
Suggest behavior which is based upon
or depends upon other verbal behavior of the speaker
Affects the listener by indicating either a property of the speaker’s behavior or the circumstances
responsible for that property (p. 329).
Derived from ‘self-leaning
The use and understanding of _____ (such as ‘really’) depends upon social reinforcement
Ex. I am “REALLY” hungry
Those with ASD have great difficulty using and responding to these as predicted by Skinner!
AUTOCLITIC - The Subtle Aspects of language
Skinner offers a great analytic tools for anyone teaching language skills
Not a set of teaching strategies.
Can help everyone do what they aim to do more Effectively.
Most useful for teachers, SLP’s, psychologist, behavior analysts, parents, etc.
Verbal behavior- For whom is it helpful?
An approach that teaches early
communication skills using pictures
Students are taught to exchange pictures for something they want
Critical in early teaching is NOT to pre-empt, but wait for students to hand over the picture first, so they initiate the communication
PECS
The Base Elements
Functional Activities
-Functional and purposeful activities
Powerful Reinforcers
-Powerful motivation that drives learning
Functional Communication
-Communication between at least 2 people
Contextually Inappropriate Behaviors
•Focus on functionally equivalent alternative
behaviors
In between Functional activities and functional communication: The “why” of behavior:
The science of learning
Towards the top of the pyramid: - Collecting and analyzing data - The How if teaching
The Pyramid Approach to Education
The Top Elements
Generalization
-Skills generalized right from the start
Effective Lessons
-Sequential, Discrete, Incidental
Specific Teaching Strategies
- Goal is to eliminate prompts
Minimizing and Correcting Errors
-Opportunities to teach-not just fixing mistakes
Data Collection
The Pyramid Approach to Education
Not all behaviors are communicative
Must occur between two people
“Speaker” directs behavior to “listener”
“Listener” mediates access to reinforcer
Communication?
Requires interaction with other people from the start (social approach)
Encourages individual to initiate communication
rather than respond to a prompt (spontaneous)
Starts with requesting, not labeling/commenting
(functional/reinforcing)
Based on the analysis of Skinner’s Verbal Behavior
Advantages of PECS
- HOW to communicate
II: Increasing Spontaneity and Range
IIIA: Simple Discrimination
IIIB Conditional Discrimination
IV: Building Sentences
V: Answering “What do you want?”
VI: Commenting
What next? PECS Advanced Skills
• Continue to teach new Sentence Starters
• Introduce new vocabulary and syntax
PECS - Phases
Goal: Approach people to initiate
communication
To teach initiation
use two-person prompting procedure
Teach three-step sequence
Pick up, reach, release
One picture at a time – NO discrimination
Key: Communicative partner does not prompt
Phase I: How to Communicate
PECS
Goal: Generalize this skill into the natural environment.
To create some distance, and a better exemplify the natural environment:
Adult moves away from student and the picture on the communication book is moved further from the student (still single cards, No discrimination is required). PERISTENCE is taught this
Vary The people, activities, locations, and a reinforcer is involved.student (still single cards, no
discrimination)
The Key: Communicative partner doesn’t prompt
Goal: To teach students to travel to the communicative partner with the book or to get a picture from the book, and to move from room to room with the book.
Lesson type: SEQUENTIAL
Teaching strategy: SHAPING
Phase II: Increasing Spontaneity and Range
Goal: discrimination of desired and undesired items.
Two items are present: a reinforcer and item not a reinforcer.
Have a picture for each item.
MOTIVATION to use the correct picture – results in getting desired item and avoiding undesired item.
Reminders:
• reinforce at 1st indication of choice!
• Picture being taught varies by what is
currently reinforcing
• Vary the “distracter” picture
4 Step Error Correction Procedure for mistakes
Vary position of the pictures and be careful not to create any patterns with respect to the location of pictures
If child reaches for correct, (reinforcer) picture, Provide praise immediately.
If child reaches for a picture of the non-preferred item don’t do anything.
Once child hands you a picture, deliver items that corresponds to picture.
Use The 4 step error correction procedure for mistakes.
Alternative Strategies:
- blank distractor
- large vs small
- Bigger Pictures
- Big Pictures Far Apart
Phase lllA: Simple discrimination
Blank distractor: it’s a prompt so Need to phase out quickly:
Can add a line each trial to make a picture
Can make them from small to large
Large versus small
Bigger pictures.
Big pictures Far apart
Can start with both pictures large and far apart. – Lazarus. Gradually reduce picture size as discrimination improves. Can be on a table and a different location
There are no universal strategies
If child chooses blank card Look like you don’t understand
- Do four step era correction, move picture around.
- If preferred- non-Preferred pictures don’t not work, use.
Alternative Strategies: (Phase lllA Discrimination strategies)
Conditional Discrimination
Discrimination between equally reinforcing stimuli
Conduct Correspondence Checks:
- Show both items at one time
- Wait for exchange
- Offer items to student
- Say, take it
4-step Error Correction Procedure following mistakes
Phase lllB: Conditional Discrimination
- Model/show
- Practice (Use praise for prompted responses instead of the item)
- Switch
- Repeat
Mark the entire sequence as one incorrect trial.
Four Step error correction procedure for mistakes.
Present two pictures of reinforcing item.
When child chooses a picture, present both items and tell the child to take it, here, go ahead.
If child takes item corresponding to picture that he selected, allow a child to have item.
If he reaches for item that does not correspond to selected picture, block response and conduct the fourth step error correction procedure
During era correction, you are teaching the selection of correct picture
(Includes: show both items at one time, wait for the exchange and then off for both items to the student.)
Conducting correspondence checks
Phase 111B Conditional discrimination
Building Sentences:
Teach inflection .
“I want” PECS + picture placed on sentence strip handed to the teacher:
• Keeps interaction going vs. pointing.
Whole sentence handed to adult
Phase IV: Building Sentences
Use backward chaining:
• First teach a child to put reinforcer symbol down. Then teach them to put “I want symbol.
• Then encourage tapping to facilitate more social interaction
- “I want” is already on the sentence strip. Student places the reinforcer symbol on the strip and exchanges strip.
- Student puts the “I want” and the reinforcer symbol on the strip and exchanges.
- Student taps the symbols
- Teacher Inserts a 3 to 5 second time delay before naming the reinforcing, Encourages vocalization. If they don’t vocalize, hand over the candy
If he approximates vocalization, lots of reinforcement.
Phase IV: Building Sentences
Answering “What do you want?”
Leads to Commenting
Maintain Spontaneity
Introduces Intermediate step- Helps us bridge from request to comment.
(Until now not supposed to ask what do you want
Use a Progressive time delay. Gradually increased the delay between the question and a prompt
- Zero delay between question, What do you want? And gestural prompt (point to pic, What do you want?”
- Half second delay.. gradually stretch to 3-5 secs.
Critical: you’ve taught to ask question. Might loose spontaneity. So strike balance. Set minimum number of spontaneous requests
Phase V
People comment on: • SURPRISES • Changes in expectations • NOVELTY ex. Put a basketball in the water fountain. • Unusual events
Commenting lessons should involve above elements
Do not focus on one type of comment to exclusion of others such as, “I see” lesson for six months and then introduce I hear. Introduce a variety of commenting lessons independently.
Reinforcer: Social excitement. Not Reinforcer itself
Phase Vl- Commenting
Answering “comment” questions
“What do you see?”…“What is
it?”…“What do you have/hear/feel?”
Discriminate between “What do you
see?” and “What do you want?”
Want to promote SPONTANEOUS commenting and
requesting. Eliminate the question, “What do you see?”
•lower volume
•Cut off length of question,
•Time delay(Show object. Do you lay asking the question)
What next? PECS Advanced Skills
Continue to teach new Sentence Starters
Phase Vl
Commenting
The cookie pic is generic
Later, can work on How to describe that feature of Oreo cookie, chocolate chip etc.
PECSUSA.com website – publications Describing generalized use of those attributes: novel combinations of requesting even when the specific picture is missing..
Ex: Pop tart can be described as, I want big rectangle cookie.
Attribute
Expand vocabulary using other strategies:
- Continue to new variety of sentence starters: I have, I don’t like, my name is, it’s a ..
- Introduce new vocabulary and syntax
- Teach vocabulary children are using
- Combinations: I want Oreo and milk.
- Asking questions: when am I going, who has my cookie, where is my ball,
Commenting on emotional status.
Goal? To get elaborate sentences. Example: I want to bounce on the big red ball
(Vocabulary grows and complexity)
Once introduced Commenting..
ASR #20
Attributes lessons within PECS: a. Cannot be taught unless the individual has mastered receptive attributes b. Are generally dull or boring c. Are taught after mastery of Phase IV d. Should be avoided at all costs
C
ASR #21
Teaching an individual to answer “What do you want?” in Phase V of PECS:
a. Results in purely social consequences
b. Requires a vocal response to accompany picture manipulation
c. Uses a progressive time delay prompting strategy
d. Is the only question asked in this phase
C
ASR #22
Phase VI of PECS:
a. Leads to the same consequence as for requests
b. Is acquired as easily as requesting by individuals with autism
c. Can be easily taught before requesting
d. Begins with responding to a commenting question
D
Will they need PECS forever?
Need to Learn why they interact. (Get reinforcers). Then, issue of Modality becomes critical.
•Concern: When starting with pictures or other augmentative system i.e. sign language or device, if I use pictures he will come to rely on them and never learn to speak.
1. PECS Part of broader augmentative alternative communication. Over 40 years research indicates no evidence to support PECS Interferes with the development of speech.
2. Increasing evidence that there is high correlation between PECS leading to speech.
Can Teach functional communication using PECS while working on vocalization. Sometimes they merge
Modality Transitioning
New modality vocabulary should = current vocabulary. Ie, When switching modalities how many words Should he be able to say before we have him stop using the picture book? Same number of pictures as in his book.
• MATCH new Repertoire with what he was able to do with all the modality. Risk Taking skills away
• Rate of initiation should be equal
• Length of utterance is equal. Pics to words
•New modality is at least 80% intelligible to
unfamiliar listener
• Speed of interaction is equal! Number of steps
Response effort should be the same
Taking away skills is unethical!!
Successful transitioning From any modality to any other modality I.e.. PECS to SGD:
If child starts talking, don’t take PECS away. Child May gives it up .
Child knows what’s best for them.
When child is using more than one MODALITY, Set up a situation and only for the assessment in which they can have access to PECS in one situation, set up comparable situation where they don’t have their pictures and see what they do.
Transitioning modalities
ASR #23
A student may be ready to begin transitioning away from PECS to speech when:
a. The individual utters his/her first word
b. Speech vocabulary, rate of initiation and
length of utterances are equal and speech is intelligible to the untrained listener
c. The individual has mastered sentence construction with PECS but speaks in single words
d. The individual is verbally prompted to “use your words
B
Nearly 130 published articles
At least:
•70 data based or case studies, 12 descriptive articles, 6 literature reviews
Articles generated in 13 countries including the USA, UK, New Zealand, Brazil, Greece, Japan, Australia, France, Peru
See www.pecsusa.com
How widespread is PECS?
Maglione et al. (2012)
“… agreed that applied behavioral analysis, integrated behavioral/developmental programs, the Picture Exchange
Communication System, and various social
skills interventions have shown efficacy
Guideline: “Individuals with ASDs who have limited verbal language, or those who do not respond to multiple interventions aimed at improving communication, should be offered the opportunity to use PECS”
• “We identified no controlled trials or observational studies on the efficacy or effectiveness of Augmentative and Alternative
Communication devices. A small number of
single-subject studies have been conducted,
with mixed results.
Publication in Journal pediatrics
McCleery et al. (2013)
•” As mentioned, a plethora of research has demonstrated the link between the onset of speech, and the development of coordinated hand banging gestures. It is possible that the speech gains observed in many children
during this phase (IV) of PECS are a
reflection of this link…”
• “In sum…research also suggests stronger
links between speech development and PECS training vs. SLT (sign-language), in children with autism.
PECS in Neuroscience Journals
Ogletree et al. (2013)
•”A specific communication treatment, the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), is presented as an example of an intervention that addresses the learner needs of many individuals with ASD. The success of PECS is discussed within the context of its fit with brain-based learner characteristics
PECS in Neuroscience Journals
continued
Schreibman and Stahmer (2013)
39 nonverbal/minimally verbal children with ASD (2–4 yrs) were randomly
assigned to either PRT or PECS. Received on average 247 h of intervention across 23 weeks. Children in both intervention groups demonstrated
increases in spoken language skills, with no significant difference between the two conditions. 78% of all children exited > 10 functional words
PECS versus PRT Study (pivotal response training)
Facilitates acquisition of speech In children younger than 6 yrs old (moderate support)
Increases social approach during play. Those who do well with PECS, 1tend toplay more with peers
Reduces behavior management targets rates (even when not specifically addressed)
Is easily understood in community
and by peers
Research-based Benefits of
Use of PECS
If we’re using pictures of any kind, we’re
using PECS
We’re using visual schedules, so we’re using PECS.
-See Bondy, 2012, The Unusual Suspects:
PECS is only for people who don’t speak at all. Can teach a child with echolalia when to use his words.
PECS is only for young children.
PECS just teaches people to request..no meaning. “Meaning is not derived from the picture but how it is used. Can use it in abstract and direct situations”
If we use PECS, the person using the system won’t learn to speak
Only for those with AUTISM
PECS users produce only simple
constructions
(Recently) : “You can’t do PECS and verbal
behavior! Quote from a consultant in Australia
“I went to an AVB workshop last year and the presenter spent 2 days saying …”and PECS is not verbal behaviour.”
Myths and Misconceptions Associated with PECS
You can’t tact with a picture…”
Using pictures is just matching-to-sample…
•Can a matching-to-sample repertoire
influence using pictures as mands?
-matching-to-sample verbal behavior?
• Can an imitative repertoire influence
the echoic? Yes
• Is imitation verbal behavior?
•See Skinner’s section on “What echoic
behavior is not
Verbal behavior And PECS
Verbal operant are not defined by their form
Defined by their relationships between the antecedents and consequences so it is illogical to think one form can only exist with one operant and no other operant. That violates the definition of what’s an operant
Which verbal operant?
What is the SD for the behavior answering the phone’?
The ringing of the phone
NOT THE PHONE
So what is the telephone?
• manipulandum
• The telephone allows defining the response
•Its form influences the form of the response
• Not the functional control of the response
Antecedent control, functions
The three antecedent conditions, in isolation, are associated with what we can call the pure mand, the pure tact (p. 151), and the pure intraverbal.
Reinforcers specified by the VB, in isolation,
are associated with the pure mand.
When these conditions don’t occur in
isolation, we can describe the VB that results
from this complex control as impure. (p. 151)
Impure and Multiply Controlled
Verbal Operants
Goal: Teach students to travel:
• communicative partner
•with book or to get picture from book
• From room to room with book
Lesson Type:
•Sequential
Teaching Strategy:
• Shaping
Distance: Teaching Traveling
Leads to Commenting
Maintain Spontaneity
Phase V- Answering “What do you want?”
Continue to teach new Sentence Starters
Introduce new vocabulary and syntax
What next? PECS Advanced Skills
Behavior analysts were not the first to
discuss this issue
-Aided versus unaided systems
-Similar to “recall” versus “recognition” memory-Should we ask “Which is better?”
The mediator (listener) determines whether verbal behavior has occurred
Stimulus Selection versus
Topographical Selection
Finger spell in air…
in sand…
-with paint on fingers on paper…
-pick up that piece of previously
painted paper…
The final response is always the same with stimulus selection…
•What is the final aspect of talking?
Exhaling?
Is the Line Between Topographical
versus Stimulus Selection Always Clear?
Keyboard usage- stimulus or
topographical selections?
?
Teaching feelings and emotions involves
TACTING for learner at the time of the….
Private events
Antecedent: verbal behavior of the speaker
Affects the behavior of the listener relative to the speaker
Example, I really” want a cookie, informs the listener about an aspect of the speaker.
Commenting on what you were talking about
•”I think I’d like” coffee when someone asks what you want to drink
Autoclitic
Oil changes in the PECS protocol involves analysis of pure and multiply controlled verbal operant’s
Many traditional speech training protocols achieve the MAND only after many months of working on other verbal and non-verbal operant
Using VBA to analyze the PECS protocol
the what of teaching
The why of behavior.
The science of learning
The how of teaching
The pyramid approach to education
In the pyramid approach to education, what ties the base and top together
Data collection
Functional activities
Powerful reinforcers
Functional communication – communication between at least two people
Contextually inappropriate behaviors
The basic elements of pyramid approach to education
Teach students to request a very specific reinforcers
Increase sentence length (VOCABULARY) Through attribute combinations
Receptive mastery not a prerequisite
Attributes
Phase 1: approach people to initiate communication
Phase ll: increasing spontaneity and range
Phase III A Simple discrimination (Desired/undesired)
Phase IIII B Conditional discrimination (equally reinforcing items)
Phase IV: Building sentences
Phase V: Answering what do you want?
Phase VI: Commenting
Phase review
Andy Bondy:
Categorizing verbal behavior as either topography-based or selection based not necessary… Why
Verbal behavior analysis of the response unit does not require the distinction
PECS IS Verbal behavior
The three antecedent conditions, in ISOLATION, are associated with what we can call the :
- pure mand,
- pure tact
- pure intraverbal.
Reinforcers specified by the VB, in isolation,
are associated with the pure mand.
When these conditions don’t occur in
isolation, we can describe the VB that results
from this complex control as impure.
Impure and Multiply Controlled
Verbal Operants
“…verbal behavior…under the control of
verbal stimuli [in which] the response
generates a sound-pattern similar to that of the stimulus…” (p. 55) “resulting in a
generalized conditioned reinforcer.”
What the echoic IS NOT:
- Repeating sounds/words that may be self-
reinforcing but without “a verbal stimulus of
corresponding form… immediately preced[ing] it.”
Echoic
What did Leo do?
At first he babbled- it is vocal but not necessarily verbal
When asked “Where’s Sam?” he pointed to his
daddy- not verbal behavior
He gestured for his water while looking at his
mother- a non-vocal mand
He said ‘no’- a vocal mand
He shook his head ‘no’- a non-vocal mand
He pointed and approximated ‘dog’- a tact
He approximated repeating ‘sit down’ (‘mit
down’)- this is an echoic-mand
All of this in 2 minutes!
Using the Analysis in the Real
World
Teach students to request very specific reinforcers. Make sure they RESPONDS. to the feature.
-ASSESS the feature first. Ex: you pull out a handful of skittles and child takes only red one but can he communicate about red?
Increase sentence length through
attribute combinations.
•Teach discrimination of Attributes
Receptive mastery not a prerequisite!
Don’t pick just one feature. In the morning can do color, afternoon a size, etc.
Don’t assume because they have expressed of attribute that they will have receptive attribute.
Start expanding on use of attribute. Example I want big brown circle cookie
Attributes/ expanding vocabulary
