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Cairns Autism Spectrum Forum
31/01/2012
Pyramid's Clinical Director & Consultant, Sophie Kerr will be attending the Cairns Autism Spectrum Forum as part of the expert panel on Saturday 18th February, 2012. The forum will be held at James Cook University, Smithfield.
Don't miss the opportunity to see Sophie and other experts in Cairns.
Click here for the Cairns Autism Spectrum Forum flyer.
Autism & Communication: EBP & PECS - Linda Oggel, M.A., CCC-SLP
31/01/2012
Virginia Commonwealth University website: Autism & Communication: EBP and PECS article - Linda Oggel, M.A., CCC-SLP
Click here to read the full article
Product Shipping Rates
21/12/2011
Pyramid Educational Consultants of Australia P/L
product shipping rates (as at 1st January, 2012).
Shipping to Australia - $AUD10.00 flat rate, and FREE shipping when order over $AUD250
Shipping to New Zealand - $NZD20.00 flat rate, and FREE shipping when order over $NZD300
Shipping to Asia - $AUD20.00 flat rate, and FREE shipping when order over $AUD300
Employment Opportunity at Pyramid Australia
11/12/2011
Employment Opportunity at Pyramid Australia
We’re currently looking for a part time Office Assistant/Conference Coordinator to begin on 16th January, 2012.
You can send your resume or request a job description from Erin Hobbin - ehobbin@pecs.com
Kelly & James' PECS Success Story
29/11/2011
Pyramid Educational Consultants first opened its doors for business in 1992. Known for the Picture Communication Exchange System, or PECS, the company branched out into several countries, covering communication barriers for not only those with autism, but many other forms of developmental disabilities. The following is a success story from a woman in West Ireland on her experience with PECS.
I'm a foster parent living in Galway (West Ireland). Last year I took this course (PECS Basic Training) along with teachers at our foster child’s new school – He (James, my foster son) is coming on fantastically with it, words cannot describe the incredible positive difference PECS has brought to his and our lives.
James not only gave me purpose but also taught me not to compare present life to the past; he has taught me so much about my own self being and brought so much to our family. In having to find the strength and courage to stand up and fight for what I knew was right for him, I had to find my own voice (another gift James has given me)!
PECS was the foundation of so many things that has helped us bring James to where he is now. He was once also diagnosed with Attachment Disorder and would hit himself or others if they came near him. Now he stands very strong, funny, playful, aware, connected and loves to be held, touched, snuggled, tickled and loved.
The power of positivity goes a lot further than negativity.
Thank you once more - I'll never stop thanking you!
Kelly
Pyramid Educational Consultants - Brazil
18/11/2011
Pyramid Educational Consultants is proud to announce the upcoming opening of our newest office in Brazil! Pyramid Educational Consultants-Brazil is set to open in February 2012 and already has multiple PECS Basic Trainings scheduled throughout the country.
For more information, please visit www.pecs-brazil.com
2012 Workshops Listing Now Online
27/09/2011
2012 Workshops Listing Now Online!
We have added our 2012 workshops to our website at www.pecsaustralia.com/training.php
You can now register for any of our 2012 workshops online (payment via PayPal only), or by downloading a registration form from our "Forms & Applications" page.
Better Start Initiative
27/09/2011
FaHCSIA Provider Information - Australian Clients
Better Start Initiative
As of 1 July 2011, children who are aged under 6 years and have been diagnosed with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, Fragile X syndrome, or a moderate or
greater vision or hearing impairment, including deafblindness, can be registered to access early intervention funding. The categories of disability identified in
the announcement were determined based on evidence that intensive early intervention in the pre-school years is effective in preparing this cohort of
children for school.
Children with one of the listed disabilities will also be able to access new Medicare items under the Better Start for Children with Disability (Better Start) initiative.
The Better Start initiative includes the following components:
- Funding for early intervention services and treatments for eligible children
- Additional assistance for eligible children who live in outer-regional, rural or remote locations to help with the costs of accessing services
- A Medicare item for the development of a treatment and management plan for eligible children up to the age of 13
- Medicare items for up to four allied health diagnostic services, the results of which contribute to the development of the treatment and management plan, and
- Medicare items for up to 20 relevant allied health services in total for each eligible child up to the age of 15 provided the treatment and management
plan is in place before the age of 13.
Pyramid Educational Consultants offers the following services through the Better Start Initiative:
- Consultation (In-Home, Newport or Highett Clinics)
- Outreach Consultation
- PECS Intensive Program
Please visit our FaHCSIA provider information page at www.pecsaustralia.com/fahcsia.php for more information.
A Picture's Worth (Second Edition): Now Available
29/08/2011
A Picture's Worth (Second Edition)
Now Available
Written by Andy Bondy, Ph.D., and Lori Frost, M.S., CCC/SLP, 2011, 160 pages
A Picture's Worth, the PECS primer written by the developers of the Picture Exchange Communication System, is now available in a second edition. This user-friendly guide introduces PECS, a simple and empowering communication tool in which partners exchange cards with photos or line drawings representing objects, attributes, and actions. A child or adult who has delayed or no speech can easily express his basic desires (e.g., “ice cream”) or needs using a PECS card without prompting from another. And as a person’s PECS usage progresses, he or she learns to put pictures together in sentences to express desires (e.g., “I want chocolate ice cream.”), to comment, and to ask questions.
A Picture’s Worth examines verbal communication development and how autism affects these skills, and shows how a child's poor communication skills can lead to problem behaviors. Providing communication options—PECS and the other augmentative and alternative communication strategies (AAC)—described in the book—reduces frustration and enhances learning.
This new edition cites research that proves PECS (and other AAC strategies) doesn't interfere with the development of speaking skills, and actually can provide a boost to the acquisition of these skills. There's also expanded information on:
- Deciding whether a child needs AAC and could benefit from PECS
- Who is an appropriate candidate for PECS
- Error correction strategies during the initial stages of PECS
- How to choose challenging behaviors to try to eliminate
- What to do when a child does not look at pictures
Thousands of people with autism and other disabilities have benefited from using PECS. The book's complete set of introductory lessons makes it easy for parents and therapists to get started using this low-tech strategy to help young children through adults develop effective communication skills!
Visit our online for further information
Pyramid Apps
18/07/2011
Pyramid Educational Consultants' Apps
are now available through the iTunes store and the Android Market.
Visit www.pecsaustralia.com/apps.php for more information and links
The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) What Do the Data Say? - A SAGE 2010 Most Downloaded Article
17/07/2011
The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) What Do the Data Say?
A SAGE Online Most Downloaded Article - 2010
Click here to read the article in full
Sulzer-Azaroff, B., Hoffman, A., Horton, C., Bondy, A., & Frost, L. (2009).
The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS): What Do the Data Say? Focus on Autism, 24, 89-103.
Abstract: Originally designed to enable young children with autism lacking functional communication to initiate requests and to describe what they observed, the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) has been the subject of an ever-expanding body of research and development. Thirty-four peer-reviewed published reports on PECS are analyzed in this article with documentation of research questions, methodology, and results. Findings suggest that PECS is providing people around the globe who have no or impaired speech with a functional means of communication. Refinements in methodology and additional questions that might be addressed in future research are discussed.
Pyramid Australia is now on Twitter
10/07/2011
Pyramid Australia is now on Twitter!
follow us @pecsau
Revised PECS Related Publications
17/06/2011
The PECS Related Publications list has now been updated.
The PECS Related Publications listing now contains 100 PECS related articles/publications, with 14 listings being added in this revised edition.
To view the entire list, please visit www.pecsaustralia.com/research.php, or click here for a printable version.
Parlerai: Harnessing the power of the internet for children with special needs
17/06/2011
Parlerai
Harnessing the power of the internet for children with special needs.
Parlerai creates a secure network of family, friends and caregivers surrounding a child with special needs using innovative and highly personalised tools to enhance collaboration and provide a safe means of communicating via the Internet.
About Parlerai
"Jon and I founded Parlerai in January 2008. Struggling with communication issues surrounding Karly, our seven-year-old daughter with special needs, we took advantage of Jon’s vast experience with Internet communication and collaboration tools to make our life easier. Even Grant, our eleven-year-old son, came up with some simple ideas that were brilliant. As we explored these ideas for Karly, we realized we could make a huge difference for all families with children with special needs. As Jon’s mother put it, “It would be cruel for you not to do this.”
For children who need special services, the task of sharing information among the people involved with the child falls primarily on a parent. Parents deal with photocopying documents, relaying information, advocating for their child, scheduling tutoring, therapy sessions, doctor’s appointments, etc. The list goes on and on. It occurred to us that managing a child or any person with special needs is a full time job. If corporations, businesses, and institutions have sophisticated tools to manage their businesses, parents with a child with special needs should have the SAME types of tools.
Managing a child with a non-verbal learning disability heightens the importance of communication and collaboration among caregivers. The name Parlerai, the French word for “shall speak”, captures our desire to help these children have a voice. We’ve taken the world of communicating through pictures and symbols to the next level, making this media personal, accessible and adaptable through Internet, mobile device and touch screen technology.
As we brainstormed our idea with friends and family, we added more features to our service such as a calendaring function, a secure messaging system and a daily reporting system tracking and recording information for use in managing a child’s needs. When we found that every parent has a need for some aspect of our service - we knew we were on to something big. We call it Augmentative Collaboration™.
Now, using Parlerai, we are in touch with Karly’s team of caregivers and we can communicate with Karly using pictures and symbols anywhere, anytime, with any device accessing the Internet. Information essential to the quality of Karly’s life is in one place, safe and secure and accessible to those who matter"
Kristin Erickson
President & Co-Founder
If you think this service can help your family, Parlerai welcomes you to try it for 30 days at no cost. If it is missing a feature that would make a difference for you or your child, please tell Kristin & Jon about your idea at support@parlerai.com.
Visit www. parlerai.com to view demo networks and videos, or click here to download the Parlerai brochure.
High-tech, Lo-tech or No-tech?
02/02/2011
High-tech, Lo-tech or No-tech?
Sophie Kerr
Clinical Director - Pyramid Educational Consultants of Australia
The world of Augmentative and Alternative Communication systems is in a constant state of flux. The most recent additions to this ever expanding set of tools are the iPod/iPhone apps. Some apps focus on building sentences to be shown to a listener, others function as speech generating devices (SGD). The question for parents then becomes ‘What is the best option for my child?’ And some of you may be asking ‘In a world of high and low tech gadgets, where does PECS, now categorised as a ‘no-tech’ system, fit in?’
The development of PECS began in 1985. In the 25 years since this time, numerous research papers have concluded that PECS and the protocols used to teach it are effective. PECS truly is an evidence-based system, with proven outcomes. Using PECS has improved communication skills, increased independence and decreased inappropriate behaviours in students of all ages across the world. Many students who use PECS eventually transition to using speech as their primary mode of communication. When this is the case, investment in a high-tech device may not be warranted until other options have been explored.
For those considering use of high and low tech devices individuals must consider, weight, size, transportability, battery life, button size, voice output options, vocabulary size, communicative functions, cost and more. The beauty of the iPod/iPhone system is that it provides a light weight, transportable, low-cost option. With the development of applications like Grace App, it is clear that personalising the system is possible with some technical know-how. However, as with any communication system, there are a range of other issues to consider.
One of the clear advantages of PECS is that with no batteries or microchips, charging and breakdowns are not a consideration. It is often recommended that PECS is the starting point for students who will eventually transition to using a SGD. Beginning with PECS allows students to learn about communication more quickly, as the pre-requisite skills are far fewer. When this is the case students will have the ability to develop a functional communication more quickly. For students who have learned PECS prior to SGD use, they also have ready access to a communication system if their high-tech device breaks down or runs out of charge.
Setting up a no-tech communication system like PECS is often far easier than setting up a high-tech device. One of the most important considerations when providing a communication system is how quickly the student will be able to use it. If the lead in includes having to program or modify a device, the student may have an extended period without a functional communication system. In addition, a pre-requisite to using this type of picture point system, is that the student can discriminate pictures. This again increases the time until the student is able to functionally communicate.
When considering a communication system always think back to the definition of communication. Communication involves approaching a communication partner and delivering a message. While it is possible to teach both of these skills using high-tech devices (most effectively done through the use of techniques from the PECS protocol), it is often easier to teach these skills using a no-tech system like PECS. With no voice output, the PECS user must approach their communication partner to deliver their message, thus ensuring the skill of social approach is required.
On the whole, whether choosing a no-tech, low-tech or high-tech communication system, it is essential that communication systems are customised to best suit the individual student. When doing so, always consider what is being taught and how it will be taught. The Pyramid Approach to Education and PECS protocol provide a strong base for teaching any communication system. A focus on no-tech systems can provide a functional communication system with very little lead in. Consider starting with a no-tech system and transitioning to a high-tech system if the individual does not develop speech. This will also allow time for the newest editions to high-tech communicaiton systems to be further developed and made more user friendly.
Bulk Rolls of Velcro Dots and Velcro Strips Now Available
27/01/2011
16mm Velcro® Dots and 1cm wide Velcro® strips can now be ordered by the roll.
- Velcro® Dots are available in rolls of 23 metres (1200 dots per roll)
- Velcro® strips are availabe in rolls of 45 metres, and rolls of 90 metres
For further information, please visit www.pecs.com and click on the Products tab.
When ordering more than two rolls, please allow up to three weeks for delivery.
If you would like to enquire about buying Velcro in bulk, or you would like an estimated delivery date, please contact ncullen@pecs.com
PECS Overseas: A Special Thank You to Pyramid Educational Consultants
20/01/2011
Pyramid Educational Consultants is always thrilled to hear feedback from our clients.
We are happy to share this wonderful letter of appreciation from a professional working with individuals with special needs in Central Asia.
PECS Overseas: A Special Thank You to
Pyramid Educational Consultants:
"My husband was presenting a medical seminar on Down Syndrome in a remote village in Central Asia, and luckily I too was able to attend. Thank you (Pyramid Educational Consultants) for sending me the materials. I felt like a traveler with camel on the old Silk Road bringing rare treasures like PECS, switches, a computer interface, and splinting materials out of my suitcase in a distant land. While there, I had the pleasure of meeting a therapist who had knowledge on the implementation of PECS. We were able to visit and spend time at special needs centers with mothers and their children of whom had Down Syndrome. During our visit, we met a 16 year old girl who was non-verbal. She was intrigued with the PECS pictures and we worked together to introduce her mother to the system. I was amazed at how quickly the girl caught on to the basic idea. We also had the privilege of visiting another center in a much larger city. This center has been using the PECS system for quite some time and has had great success within their classrooms. I am grateful the PECS system is helping children around the world".
Joyce H.
Picture Your Students Communicating with PECS - Autism Classroom Article
13/10/2010
Picture your students communicating with PECS
By, Dr. Andy Bondy
Want to help your student’s acquire the power of functional communication? Then you should consider using the Picture Exchange Communication System™ (PECS), an evidence-based alternative/augmentative communication system that is used around the world. It can be used with children under the age of 2 and has been effectively used with adults as well. PECS is very helpful in getting functional communication going with very young children who may have no means of communication and has also served to improve the complexity of language skills in those who have some speech. The protocol of PECS is based upon the work of BF Skinner in his account of language called Verbal Behavior. This approach looks at particular units of language and how they are functionally related to events in the student's life. This analysis can help everyone in the classroom - the SLP, the teacher, the paraprofessionals and other professionals as well- do what they’d like most to do- create more effective language lessons. The PECS protocol has been demonstrated to be readily learned and accurately implemented by all staff.
How to initiate communication is a major difficulty for young children with autism, and thus PECS begins by first addressing this challenge. This is done in part by taking advantage of teaching them to request things or events they like. Two trainers are used for a short time to assure that the child does not become prompt dependent. After this initial phase the child is taught to use the system with different people- including peers!, in different locations, about different items and to persist through common issues such as the teacher being far away or paying attention to someone else. They become persistent communicators over varying distances and various situations. Then the child is taught to discriminate between pictures- often at first between an item that is highly rewarding versus something that is non-preferred. (To be honest, discrimination may be difficult for some children so we have developed a number of distinct but highly effective teaching strategies.) Next, children are taught to create simple sentences, (i.e., “I want pencil!”) and expand vocabulary by adding various attributes- “I want blue pencil.” In this way, many children learn to request by color, size, or shape before even learning to respond to “Give me the big pencil.” Learning to request to get something desired is usually more motivating than learning to respond to an instruction. Children then learn to respond to simple questions before learning how to comment on things and events around them. Research also has shown that children can use their current set of pictures to improvise in order to ask for things even when they don’t have the specific picture for that item.
Children who learn to communicate via PECS demonstrate many additional benefits. Many children almost immediately display fewer behavior management problems. Many show improvements of social approach and interaction, including with peers. There is mounting evidence that PECS helps in the acquisition and use of speech and has never been shown to interfere with speech development or use. Of course, no person or system can guarantee that a child who has no speech will acquire functional speech but PECS has been shown to help in this area for most children.
The effectiveness of PECS is attested to by over 85 publications from over 15 countries- most of these within the past 5 years. Pyramid Educational Consultants, with offices in nine different countries, is currently the only providers of certified training and provides the only means by which staff can become Certified PECS Implementers or PECS Supervisors. Pyramid also provides a variety of workshops about PECS and effective educational strategies, including behavior management, how to set up a functionally oriented classroom, as well as providing direct consultation to classrooms and programs. Pyramid also has created a wide array of materials that make life within the classroom easier for everyone- from durable PECS communication books, the CDs filled with pictures, to schedules that can be put up anywhere, to materials to help commenting and language expansion lessons. The consultants within Pyramid represent various areas including behavior analysis, psychology, special education, speech/language pathology and other areas that directly relate to classroom involvement.
Pyramid Educational Consultants is a company with heart, on a global mission to improve the lives of those with autism, other related developmental disabilities, and the families and professionals who work with these individuals. In a very short time, Pyramid Educational Consultants has helped thousands of families, professionals and learners of all ages. It is looking forward to continued growth in the coming years and the opportunity to help even more people worldwide.
You can read Dr. Bondy's article at the Autism Classroom Magazine website by visiting our links page at www.pecs.com
or by clicking here
Pyramid-PECS Message Board
13/10/2010
Join thousands of other members on the Pyramid-PECS Message Board!
Our online message board is a great way to connect with the worldwide PECS community. Share success stories, post PECS implementaton questions, learn about the newest PECS strategies and offer assistance to other PECS users.
Join today at http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/pyramid-pecs
Purchasing Products Using FaHCSIA Funding
25/08/2010
Purchasing Products Using Your FaHCSIA Funding
Products which are required for a child's intervention program may be purchased using FaHCSIA funding. These products must be used directly by the child as part of an intervention program currently being accessed under the
Helping Children with Autism package.
Up to 35% of FaHCSIA funding can be used on appropriate resources to a maximum of $4200.00 in total
For information on how to order products using your funding,
please click on the below link and scroll down to the Products section