TEACHH and PECs

The TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication handicapped Children) method is a comprehensive, structured teaching approach developed at the University of North Carolina in the 1970s. Its primary goal is to support individuals with autism in achieving maximum independence and quality of life. TEACCH emphasizes understanding the unique neuropsychological profile of each individual and creating tailored interventions based on their strengths and interests.

Core Principles of TEACCH:

1. Individualized Assessment and Planning: Each person's strengths, skills, and interests are carefully assessed to create personalized educational plans.
2. Structured Teaching: The environment and activities are highly structured to reduce anxiety and improve understanding. This includes:
- Physical Structure: Organizing physical spaces to clearly indicate what activities occur in each area.
- Visual Schedules: Using pictures and symbols to help individuals understand what is expected and in what sequence.
- Work Systems: Clearly defined tasks that outline what needs to be done, how much needs to be done, when it is finished, and what happens next.
3. Visual Supports: Since individuals with autism often process visual information better than auditory information, TEACCH employs various visual supports to aid communication and understanding.
4. Focus on Communication: TEACCH aims to enhance both receptive (understanding others) and expressive (expressing oneself) communication skills.
5. Promoting Independence: The ultimate goal is to help individuals become as self-sufficient as possible, whether in daily living, education, or employment.

Implementation:

- Environment: Classrooms and learning spaces are organized to minimize distractions and make expectations clear.
- Daily Schedules: Individuals use visual schedules to understand their day, which helps them transition between activities smoothly.
The PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) is a behavior-based communication approach developed by Andrew Bondy and Lori Frost in 1985. PECS focuses on teaching individuals with autism and other communication difficulties to initiate communication using pictures.
1. Phases of Learning:
- Phase 1: How to Communicate: Individuals learn to exchange single pictures for items or activities they desire.
- Phase 2: Distance and Persistence: Individuals learn to generalize this skill by using pictures in different locations and with different people.
- Phase 3: Picture Discrimination: Individuals learn to select the appropriate picture from a collection of pictures to communicate their needs.
- Phase 4: Sentence Structure: Individuals learn to construct simple sentences using pictures on a sentence strip (e.g., "I want [item]").
- Phase 5: Answering Questions: Individuals learn to use PECS to answer questions like "What do you want?"
- Phase 6: Commenting: Individuals learn to comment on their environment, such as stating what they see, hear, or feel.
2. Reinforcement: Communication is immediately rewarded with the desired object or activity, reinforcing the behavior.
3. Data Collection and Analysis: Progress is regularly monitored, and interventions are adjusted based on data.
4. Promoting Spontaneity: Individuals are encouraged to initiate communication without prompting from others.
5. Integration with Other Communication Forms: While PECS starts with pictures, it can be integrated with other communication methods, including speech and sign language.
- Initial Training: Individuals are trained to exchange pictures with a communicative partner to request desired items.
- Expanding Skills: As individuals become proficient, more pictures and complex sentence structures are introduced.
Both TEACCH and PECS can be effectively combined to support individuals with autism. TEACCH's structured environment and visual supports complement the visual nature of PECS, enhancing communication and understanding.
1. Structured Environment: Using TEACCH's physical and visual structure can provide a clear and predictable environment where PECS can be used effectively.
2. Visual Schedules and PECS: Integrating PECS cards into visual schedules helps individuals understand their day and communicate needs within the structured routine.
3. Task Organization and PECS: Using structured tasks and visual supports from TEACCH alongside PECS can enhance understanding and communication during activities.
By combining these methods, individuals with autism can benefit from a structured, visually supportive environment that enhances their ability to communicate and interact with the world around them.

The PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) is a behavior-based communication approach developed by Andrew Bondy and Lori Frost in 1985. PECS focuses on teaching individuals with autism and other communication difficulties to initiate communication using pictures.

Core Components of PECS:

1. Phases of Learning:
- Phase 1: How to Communicate: Individuals learn to exchange single pictures for items or activities they desire.
- Phase 2: Distance and Persistence: Individuals learn to generalize this skill by using pictures in different locations and with different people.
- Phase 3: Picture Discrimination: Individuals learn to select the appropriate picture from a collection of pictures to communicate their needs.
- Phase 4: Sentence Structure: Individuals learn to construct simple sentences using pictures on a sentence strip (e.g., "I want [item]").
- Phase 5: Answering Questions: Individuals learn to use PECS to answer questions like "What do you want?"
- Phase 6: Commenting: Individuals learn to comment on their environment, such as stating what they see, hear, or feel.
2. Reinforcement: Communication is immediately rewarded with the desired object or activity, reinforcing the behavior.
3. Data Collection and Analysis: Progress is regularly monitored, and interventions are adjusted based on data.
4. Promoting Spontaneity: Individuals are encouraged to initiate communication without prompting from others.
5. Integration with Other Communication Forms: While PECS starts with pictures, it can be integrated with other communication methods, including speech and sign language.

Implementation:

- Initial Training: Individuals are trained to exchange pictures with a communicative partner to request desired items.
- Expanding Skills: As individuals become proficient, more pictures and complex sentence structures are introduced.

Both TEACCH and PECS can be effectively combined to support individuals with autism. TEACCH's structured environment and visual supports complement the visual nature of PECS, enhancing communication and understanding.
1. Structured Environment: Using TEACCH's physical and visual structure can provide a clear and predictable environment where PECS can be used effectively.
2. Visual Schedules and PECS: Integrating PECS cards into visual schedules helps individuals understand their day and communicate needs within the structured routine.
3. Task Organization and PECS: Using structured tasks and visual supports from TEACCH alongside PECS can enhance understanding and communication during activities.

By combining these methods, individuals with autism can benefit from a structured, visually supportive environment that enhances their ability to communicate and interact with the world around them.