Brief report: increasing communication skills for an elementary-aged student with autism using the Picture Exchange Communication System.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) on the spontaneous communication skills of a 6-year-old girl with autism across her home and school environments. The effects of the PECS were also examined for social interaction. Results indicated increases in spontaneous language (i.e., requests and comments) including use of the icons and verbalizations across those settings in which PECS was implemented. Intelligible verbalizations increased in two of three settings, and changes in peer social interaction were noted in one of the two school settings.