Parents and teachers learn PECS system

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WFLI) - With a rising number of diagnosed children on the autism spectrum, the need has also risen for products that help autistic children and for professionals who know how to use them.

Communication is key and helping severely autistic children to communicate with pictures is becoming a leading therapy treatment.

PECS stands for Picture Exchange Communication System. Assistant Professor of Speech and Hearing Sciences at Purdue University Oliver Wendt said PECS can help autistic children get started early on communication.

"Knowing about PECS is definitely a must because you have to come up with some sort of solution, how to get them started and facilitate the early communication development," said Wendt.

Wendt added, "PECS fortunately has grown quite a bit in terms of its research base. There is some relatively strong empirical support behind it to indicate, 'Yes this works for children.'"

That's why parents, students and professionals signed up to learn from a one-day-workshop from Jamie Wedel, Purdue graduate and Pyramid consultant who instructs people on PECS.

"Pictures are universally understood in the community, so people who use pictures to communicate can communicate with peers, with other people at home or out in the community and stores and restaurants," said Wedel.

Wedel said because PECS is a researched-backed intervention, there is a large increase of interest in her company and a higher demand for people that can use the PECS properly. Wedel said this type of teaching technology has not always been available. Now that it is, the influx of learners is at an all time high.

"Because a lot of treatment and interventions particularly in the autism arena are false and bogus there are a lot of false treatment claims, so it is always very important to look at the entire range of treatment options and examine very carefully what is the research base behind all of these," said Wendt. 

Wendt said there is a large need for all types of autism services in the Lafayette community. He said if people can specialize in types of intervention like PECS it could help bring more therapeutic options to the community.