Increasing Functional Communication in Non-Speaking Preschool Children: Comparison of PECS and VOCA

For individuals who have complex communication needs and for the interventionists who work with them, the collection of empirically derived data that support the use of an iliteruention approach is critical. The purposes of this study were to continue building an empirically derived base of support for, and to compare the relative effectiveness of two communication intervention strategies (i.e., PECS and the use of VOCA) with preschool children who have complex communication needs. Specific research questions were (a) Which communication strategy, PECS or VOCA, results in a more rapid rate of acquisition of requesting skills for preschool children?, and (b) To what extent do communication behaviors utilizing PECS and VOCA generalize from a pull-out setting to the classroom setting? Results are discussed and clinical implications given. According to Bedrosian (2003) only limited effective with children who were not diag research exists to establish the efficacy of in- nosed with autism but had similar complex terventions in the field of augmentative and communication needs. PECS consists of six alternative communication (AAC). For indi- training phases that begin with training a viduals who have complex communication child to exchange a picture for a tangible needs and for the interventionists who work positive reinforcer and then progressively with them, the collection of empirically de- move through requiring the child to travel rived data that support the use of an inter- some limited distance to get the picture to vention approach is critical. As Hegde exchange, to discriminate between two or (1993) indicates clinicians need procedures more pictures, to use a sentence strip begin