PECS Phase 2: Increasing Spontaneity

Once the child is initiating requests by independently picking up and handing a picture to another person, it is time to move on to phase 2. This phase focuses on increased spontaneity for the child. This includes removing the picture from a board, getting up and moving to the partner and moving to get the picture. It also involves the partners eliminating any subtle prompts given to the child.

Similarities to Phase 1

• Only one picture is available at a time for the child to use. Now, however, the picture is placed on a communication book with hook/loop fabric
• Highly preferred items are used
• A prompter is available
• No verbal prompts are used

Components of Phase 2

Requests
One aspect of Phase 2 is to continue to increase the variety of reinforcer items used during PECS training. It is important to not only increase the number of items but also the variety. For instance a child may be independently exchanging a picture for 5 different food items but not for any other type of activity such as books, balls, videotapes, music tapes, toys, and crayons. Partners need to continually look for and have available preferred items to maintain a high rate of requesting using picture exchanges. It is still necessary At this point for the partner to anticipate the student’s desires and be prepared by having the desired object and appropriate picture ready and available.

Communicative partners: During Phase 2 the child should be using picture exchanges with a variety of communicative partners. With brief coaching, anyone the child is in contact with can become a communicative partner. This includes parents, siblings, family members, classroom or building staff, and visitors. The person designated as the partner may “entice” by casually eating a preferred snack near but out of reach of the student or playing with a toy that has been identified as reinforcing to the child. The student may initially need a physical assistance from the prompter to give the picture to a variety of partners. The partner continues to acknowledge the child’s request by saying, “You want the ___” and giving her the requested object. In Phase 1 the communicative partner’s hand was readily available to accept the picture. In Phase 2 the partner should gradually fade the subtle prompts of holding her hand out to receive the picture or looking expectantly at the child. In Phase 2 the child learns a very important part of what communication is all about – they learn that getting the attention of the person that they are communicating with is very important.

Environments
In order for a student to truly understand and learn to spontaneously use picture exchanges to ask for the things that he wants, it is important that training take place in a variety of environments both at home and at school. Possible activities include: bath time, books at bedtime, snack, videotape, music group, play, sensory activities, playground or gym.

Traveling

Increase distance to the communicative partner: In Phase 1 the partner was readily available (within arm’s reach) of the child when he handed the picture to the partner. In Phase 2 the partner gradually moves away from the child so that the child must first take the picture off the communication book or table, and then stand up and reach to give the picture. As the communicative partner moves further away, the child stands up and walks over to hand the picture to the partner and eventually moves around obstacles to seek out the partner in order to exchange the picture for the desired item. When this phase begins, the student may need an initiating physical assistance (such as giving her a boost up from her chair or a nudge towards the partner) from a prompter. Prompting should be faded as quickly as possible and many opportunities for traveling to request should be arranged to maintain a high rate of requesting.

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Increase distance to the communication board
Once the student is carrying a picture across the room to make requests from a variety of people, the communication book is gradually moved further away from the student. Increasing distance usually needs to be done in small steps.

The outcome of Phase 2 is generalization and persistence. By the end of Phase 2 students will look for and move to their communication book, take the picture, look for and walk across a room to find a communicative partner and open the partner’s hand to give her the picture. They will do this with a variety of partners and during a variety of activities in different environments. They have achieved a milestone in learning what communication is all about.

Key Points

• Outcome of Phase 2 is generalization and persistence; communicative partner and prompter are needed
• Traveling to a variety of communicative partners
• Traveling to communication book
• Fading of physical prompts and subtle visual cues are faded
• No verbal prompts

Helpful Tips:

• Fade prompts quickly but in small steps
• Entice with highly preferred items
• Continue to do reinforcer assessments
• Provide many (20-30) opportunities per day in a variety of settings and with a variety of partners