Supporting Individuals Using Picture Communication ... - Set BC

Supporting Individuals Using Picture Communication Symbols 

by Brenda Fossett, Special Education Teacher of the Deaf 

British Columbia Provincial School for the Deaf 

Symbol and Behavioural Assessment 

Goals of symbol assessment 

From Augmentative and Alternative Communication - Management of Severe Communication 

Disorders in Children and Adults, Beukelman & Mirenda, 1998 

• “to select the types of symbols that will meet the individual’s current communication 

needs and match his or her current abilities” 

• “to identify symbol options that might be used in the future” 

Preparation 

From Augmentative and Alternative Communication Disorders in Children and Adults, 

Beukelman and Mirenda, 1998 

• identify 10 functional items with which the individual is familiar 

• reach a consensus on the items 

• compile symbols for the items, including miniature objects, black and white and colour 

photographs, black and white and colour symbol sets 

Assessment formats 

From Augmentative and Alternative Communication - Management of Severe Communication 

Disorders in Children and Adults, Beukelman & Mirenda, 1998 

• functional use format 

• receptive labeling and yes/no formats 

• alternative visual-matching format 

• question and answer format 

• requesting format 

Matching tasks 

• real item to object 

• real item to photograph 

• real item to black and white symbol 

• real item to colour symbol 

Considerations 

• visual acuity 

• symbol size 

• background/foreground 

• visual processing 

• 3 dimensional vs 2 dimensional 

• photographs vs symbols 

• colour vs black and white 

October 1998 Supporting Individuals Using Picture Communication Symbols Page 1

Goals of behavioural assessment 

• to determine who the individual is 

• to define the behaviour 

• to identify setting events and antecedents 

• to identify the maintaining consequences or motivation for the behaviour 

Assessment tools 

Personal Profile Preference Inventory - CBI Consultants, 1994 

• assists in identifying the person’s 

• preferences and strengths 

• preferred activities and environments 

• learning style 

• assets and deficits in his/her social network 

• helps to formulate the “big picture” of the person’s life 

Motivation Assessment Scale - Durand & Crimmins, 1992 

• a 16 item questionnaire that assesses four main motivators of behaviour 

• tangibles 

• attention/social interaction 

• escape/avoidance 

• sensory 

Functional Analysis Interview - O’Neill, Horner, Albin, Storey and Sprague, 1990 

• to understand the structure and function of the behaviour in order to teach and develop 

alternatives 

Functional Analysis Observation - O’Neill, Horner, Albin, Storey and Sprague, 1990 

• to gather information regarding the frequency of behaviour, the times of day and settings 

when behaviour does/does not occur and to record consequences 

Scatter Plot - Touchette, MacDonald and Langer, 1985 

• to get a visual picture of the pattern of behaviour 

Setting Events Checklist - Gardner, Cole, Davidson and Karan, 1986 

• to identify setting events that may be influencing the behaviour 

Behaviour as Communication - Considerations When Designing Supports 

Personal profile 

• systems that match the individual’s learning style 

• systems that use the individual’s strengths and abilities 

Motivation of behaviour 

• tangible - design systems to support the individual in having his/her needs or wants met 

• escape - design systems to allow the individual to ask for breaks, make choices, predict 

upcoming events 

• attention - design systems to promote social integration 


• sensory - design systems to allow the individual times to engage in sensory behaviours or 

to ask for sensory breaks 

Schedule Systems 

What are schedule systems? 

• a way of representing an activity or sequence of events 

• a collection of objects, photographs or symbols that represent activities 

• can be set up for an entire classroom, a small group or individuals 

• can be general or specific 

• a way to help upcoming events and make choices 

Why use schedule systems? 

• to develop expressive and receptive communication skills 

• to help individuals anticipate upcoming events 

• to provide individuals with an understanding of upcoming events 

• to decrease challenging behaviours by allowing for prediction and choice making 

What can schedule systems provide? 

• communication - receptive and expressive 

• anticipation and security 

• structure and organization 

• order and sequence 

• an ability and opportunity to make choices 

• motivation 

What can schedule systems teach? 

• communication skills 

• time concepts 

• time vocabulary 

• use of time pieces 

• pre/early literacy skills 

What do schedule systems look like? 

Object cue systems 

• boxes are placed on shelf, left to right 

• representational objects are place in boxes 

• the individual works through the sequence 

• as activities are completed, the objects are placed in a finished box 

• photographs or symbols may be paired with the objects 


• does not allow for portability 

• it is sometimes difficult to locate objects 

• for those who cannot process photographs or symbols, this is an important 

communication tool 


Wall systems 

• representational photographs or symbols are sequenced, left to right or top to bottom 

• photographs or symbols may be hung on hooks or attached with velcro 

• at the end of each activity, photos or symbols are turned over or placed in finished box 


• not fully portable 

• good for those who require large displays 

Single page books 

• representational photographs or symbols are sequenced in a mini photo album 

• at the end of each activity, photos or symbols are turned over 


• portable - the book can be placed in a fanny pack 

• does not show a full sequence; can only show one activity at a time 

Binder systems 

• plastic pages for slides used to house two inch square symbols 

• as activities end, symbols are turned over 

• velcro strips are placed on front and inside covers of binder 

• symbols or photographs are attached with velcro 

• the schedule is shown on the front cover; extra symbols are housed inside the binder 


• portable 

• plastic pockets may be difficult for those with fine motor problems 

• binders can become cumbersome 

The Portacom System 

• worn around the user’s waist 

• made of velcro sensitive material 

• includes a zippered pocket for placing symbols when activity is finished 


• designed by a mom of deaf, autistic twins 

• lightweight 

• hands free 

• can also house other visual supports 

Incorporating Behavioural Support in Schedule Systems 

• Premack principle - preferred activity following a less preferred activity 

• choice making - allowing students to exercise control over their day 

• time pieces - showing when transitions will occur 


Developing Communication Skills 

Difficulties in developing signed or spoken communication skills experienced by individuals 

with developmental disorders 

• processing transient forms of communication (speech/sign) 

• articulation 

• forming signs correctly 

• shifting and reestablishing attention 

• attending to speech while blocking out background noise 

• recall 

Benefits of using picture communication symbols 

• visually non-transient 

• easily understood by the community at large 

• assists in focusing attention 

• decreases frustration 

• easily individualized 

Developing communication skills 

• establishing a communicative environment - Goossens, Crain and Elder 

• engineering the classroom environment to support aided AAC in daily activities 

such as circle time, mealtime, food prep, story time, etc. 

• communication overlays/grids 

• pre-made (Goossens et al) 

• self made 

• strategic placement in environment 

• topic specific communication binders 

• identifying topics 

• selecting vocabulary 

• organizing grids/table of contents 

• the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) - Frost and Bondy, 1994 

• to teach initiation of interaction to individuals with autism 

• training Process 

• phase I - the physical exchange 

• phase II - expanding spontaneity 

• phase III - picture discrimination 

• phase IV - sentence structure 

• phase V - responding to “What do you want?” 

• phase VI - responsive and spontaneous commenting 

• errorless learning techniques 

• using PECS for receptive communication 

• managing PECS 

• topic specific books 

• PECS books 


Supporting home/school communication 

• home/school daily schedules 

• home/school daily schedules with self evaluation 

Behavioural Support Strategies 

Communication function of behaviour 

• tangible 

• introduce PECS during activities when behaviour tends to occur 

• choice boards to delineate choices 

• involve the individual in scheduling 

• escape 

• Break boards 

• attention/social interaction 

• communication books 

• PECS 

• teach peer tutors to use communication supports 

• teach individual to play games using PCS 

Supporting social/behavioural understanding 

• consequence maps 

• Show the individual two possible “roads” of behaviour and the consequences of 

each 

• imagery scripts 

• walk an individual through a situation, supporting them in making appropriate 

choices 

• social stories - developed by Carol Gray 

• incorporates specific language and writing styles 

• written in first person to support individual in understanding social situations and 

their role 

Literacy Development 

The major goals of a literacy program 

From Bringing It All Together - A Program for Literacy 

Purpose of writing 

• a way of recording 

• experiences 

• information 

• imagination 

• in order to 

• inform 

• instruct or direct 

• entertain 


Organization of texts 

• format 

• orientation 

• concept 

• organizational pattern of various forms of text 

• sequence 

• components of stories, poems, etc. 

Comprehension 

• text has meaning 

• connect illustrations to text 

• relate information from books to our experiences 

• make judgments 

• predict 

• infer 

• summarize 

Vocabulary 

• sight vocabulary 

• learning the print form of already known words 

• meaning vocabulary 

• learning the meaning, sound and visual form of new words 

Decoding and encoding 

• learning the correspondence between pronunciation and spelling 

Difficulties in developing literacy skills 


• attaching language to thoughts and experiences 


• organizing ideas or information 

• organizing words into sentences 

Comprehension 

• difficulty relating to text, due to limited background experience 

• difficulty relating to text due to different perceptions of experiences 

• difficulty processing the language level of the text 

Vocabulary, decoding and encoding 

• difficulty acquiring sight vocabulary due to visual processing difficulties 

• difficulty developing a meaning vocabulary due to auditory or language processing 

difficulties or hearing loss 

Why do Picture Communication Symbols support literacy development? 

• PCS are non-transient, supporting those with auditory processing difficulties 

• PCS make a variety of classroom reading activities more accessible to visual learners 

How can Picture Communication Symbols support the development of literacy skills? 


• expression of ideas, experiences and information 



• organize ideas and thoughts prior to writing 

• provide a framework for grammar 

• assist in categorizing parts of stories 

Comprehension 

• allows for access to print 

• enables students to demonstrate their understanding of print 


• provides a visually non-transient equivalent to print and through the air language 

Strategies for supporting students in developing literacy skills 


• topic specific grids 

• organize information 

• brainstorming 

• keep focus 

• blank comic strips or thought bubbles 

• use of symbolized text in daily living activities 

Organization texts 

• colour coded symbols and similarly coded writing forms 

• symbolized organizers 

• PECS style writing boards 

• IntelliKeys with PCS overlays 

Comprehension 

• symbolized stories 

• activities incorporating the matching of symbols to text 

• activities incorporating the matching of symbolized text to illustrations 

• comprehension checking activities that do not require through the air language 

• story organizers to assist students in summarizing text 


• communication environments 

• Velcro books 

• symbol supported games (bingo, concentration) 

• symbolized seat work (matching, crossword puzzles, fill in the blank) 

• symbolized picture dictionaries 

Adapting and Modifying Classroom Activities for PCS Users 

Discussion/brainstorming activities 

• topic specific grids 

• errorless 

• grids that require decision making 

• discussion guides/overviews 


Research projects 

• PCS graphic organizers 

• writing forms 

• IntelliKeys/overlays 

Novel studies 

• transcription 

• synopsis of chapters 

• adaptation of assignments 

Daily writing activities 

• morning letter 

• symbolized 

• cloze 

• IntelliKeys with alphabet overlay 

• IntelliKeys with PCS overlay 

• journal 

• PECS style writing board 

• IntelliKeys with PCS overlay 

Incorporating PCS into Self Help and Daily Living Skills 

Dressing, self care routines, bathing 

• mini schedules 

• communicative environment 

Grocery Shopping 

• PCS lists 

• communication grids 

• PECS 

Cooking 

• symbolized recipes 


• PECS 

Restaurants 

• ordering forms 

• PECS 

• communication grids 

Chores 

• mini schedules 



References and Resources 

Beukelman, David R. and Pat Mirenda. (1998). Augmentative and Alternative Communication: 

Management of Severe Communication Disorders in Children and Adults. Baltimore, MD: Paul 

H. Brookes Publishing. 

Durand, V. Mark. (1990). Severe Behavior Problems: A Functional Communication Training 

Approach. New York: Guilford Press. 

Frost, Lori A. and Andrew S. Bondy. (1994). The Picture Exchange Communication System 

Training Manual. Cherry Hill, NJ: Pyramid Educational Consultants. 

Goossens, Carol, Sharon Sapp Crain, and Pamela S. Elder. Communication Displays for 

Engineered Preschool Environments, Books 1 and 2. Solana Beach, CA: Mayer-Johnson. 

Goossens, Carol, Sharon Sapp Crain, and Pamela S. Elder. Communication Displays for 

Engineered Training Environments, Books 1, 2, 3 and 4. Solana Beach, CA: Mayer-Johnson. 

Goossens, Carol, Sharon Sapp Crain, and Pamela S. Elder. Engineering the Preschool 

Environment for Interactive Augmentative Communication. Solana Beach, CA: Mayer-Johnson. 

Goossens, Carol, Sharon Sapp Crain, and Pamela S. Elder. Engineering the Training 

Environment for Interactive Augmentative Communication. Solana Beach, CA: Mayer-Johnson. 

Gray, Carol. The Original Social Story Book. Arlington TX: Future Horizons. 

Gray, Carol. New Social Stories. Arlington TX: Future Horizons. 

Gray, Carol. Comic Strip Conversations. Arlington TX: Future Horizons. 

Hodgon, Linda A. (1995) Visual Strategies for Improving Communication, Volume 1: Practical 

Supports for School and Home. Troy, MI: Quirk Roberts Publishing. 

Johnson, Terry D. and Daphne R Luis. (1990). Bringing It All Together: A Program for Literacy. 

Richmond Hill, ON: Scholastic Canada. 

Musselwhite, Caroline and Pati King-DeBaun. (1996). Emergent Literacy Success: Merging 

Technology and Whole Language. Park City, UT: Creative Communicating.

Supporting Individuals Using Picture Communication ... - Set BC

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