🧩 6 Phases of PECS – Step-by-Step

🔹 Phase 1: How to Communicate

• Goal: The child learns to give a picture of what they want to an adult.

• How:

  • Child is shown a single picture (e.g., of a snack).

  • They are guided to pick up the picture and hand it to the adult.

  • The adult immediately gives the item as a reward.
    
    

• 🔁 Repeat until the child starts doing it on their own.
  
  

🔹 Phase 2: Distance and Persistence

• Goal: Child learns to seek out the picture and person, not just grab what's in front of them.

• How:

  • Place the communication book or picture farther away.

  • The child walks to get it and gives it to the adult.

  • Builds independence and initiation.
    
    

🔹 Phase 3: Picture Discrimination

• Goal: Child chooses between 2 or more pictures.

• How:

  • Use pictures for different items (e.g., ball vs. apple).

  • Only give the item they requested using the correct picture.

  • Helps them learn that pictures represent specific items.
    
    

🔹 Phase 4: Sentence Structure

• Goal: Child begins to build simple sentences.

• How:

  • Use a sentence strip with “I want” + picture of the item.

  • The child places the sentence strip and gives it to the adult.
    
    

🔹 Phase 5: Answering Questions

• Goal: Responding to “What do you want?”

• How:

  • Adult asks, “What do you want?”

  • Child uses their sentence strip to answer with pictures.
    
    

🔹 Phase 6: Commenting

• Goal: Child begins to make comments, not just request.

• How:

  • Teach phrases like “I see,” “I hear,” or “I feel” with matching pictures.

  • Helps children use language for more than just asking for things.
    
    

🧸 Example in Preschool

• A child points to the snack picture, hands it to the teacher using the “I want” strip → Teacher says, “Great asking!” and gives the snack.