The Paper

I. Introduction

a. Background

Children diagnose with autism spectrum disorder often have communication deficits. Being able to communicate with others in the environment is crucial to express the daily wants and needs. Parents of children diagnosed with autism can become overwhelmed by not knowing what their child wants or needs. It is important for parents to teach their children a functional way to communicate using a method and approach that can be utilized across settings and people. Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) has been widely used as a method of communication. For this paper, we will discuss how teaching non-verbal children diagnosed with autism to use PECS order to learn how to communicate with parents and decreased parents stress levels.

b. Thesis statement

What does the literature in psychology tells us about the benefits of parents learning to communicate with their non-verbal children ages 4-12 to use PECS to decrease the emotional stress caused by the miscommunication.

II. ASD in Non-verbal children

Baird, G., & Norbury, C. F. (2016). Social (pragmatic) communication disorders and autism spectrum disorder. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 101(8), 745. //dx.doi.org.library.capella.edu/10.1136/archdischild-2014-306944

Kostyuk, N., Isokpehi, R. D., Rajnarayanan, R. V., Oyeleye, T. O., Bell, T. P., & Cohly, H. H. (2010). Areas of language impairment in autism. Autism Insights, 2, 31.

Luyster, R. J., Kadlec, M. B., Carter, A., & Tager-flusberg, H. (2008). Language assessment and development in toddlers with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38(8), 1426-38. //dx.doi.org.library.capella.edu/10.1007/s10803-007-0510-1

Manolitsi, M., & Botting, N. (2011). Language abilities in children with autism and language impairment: Using narrative as a additional source of clinical information. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 27(1), 39-55. //dx.doi.org.library.capella.edu/10.1177/0265659010369991

Sally J. RogersDeborah HaydenSusan HepburnRenee Charlifue-SmithTerry HallAthena Hayes. (2006). Teaching young nonverbal children with autism useful speech: A pilot study of the denver model and PROMPT interventions. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36(8), 1007-24. //dx.doi.org.library.capella.edu/10.1007/s10803-006-0142-x

Sigman, M., & McGovern, C. W. (2005). Improvement in cognitive and language skills from preschool to adolescence in autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 35(1), 15-23. //dx.doi.org.library.capella.edu/10.1007/s10803-004-1027-5

III. Parental stress experienced

Baird, G., & Norbury, C. F. (2016). Social (pragmatic) communication disorders and autism spectrum disorder. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 101(8), 745. //dx.doi.org.library.capella.edu/10.1136/archdischild-2014-306944

Brown, A. B., & Elder, J. H. (2014). Communication in autism spectrum disorder: A guide for pediatric nurses. Pediatric Nursing, 40(5), 219-225.

Davis, N. O., & Carter, A. S. (2008). Parenting stress in mothers and fathers of toddlers with autism spectrum disorders: Associations with child characteristics. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38(7), 1278-91. //dx.doi.org.library.capella.edu/10.1007/s10803-007-0512-z

Hutchison, L., Feder, M., Abar, B., & Winsler, A. (2016). Relations between parenting stress, parenting style, and child executive functioning for children with ADHD or autism. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 25(12), 3644-3656. //dx.doi.org.library.capella.edu/10.1007/s10826-016-0518-2

Kakkar, J., & Srivastava, P. (2017). Challenges and coping among parents having children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Psychosocial Research, 12(2), 363-371.

Karst, J. S., & Van Hecke, A. V. (2012). Parent and family impact of autism spectrum disorders: A review and proposed model for intervention evaluation. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 15(3), 247-77. //dx.doi.org.library.capella.edu/10.1007/s10567-012-0119-6

Kim, J., & Utley, C. A. (2009). A review of communication intervention research for young children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal on Developmental Disabilities, 15(3), 23-47.

Kostyuk, N., Isokpehi, R. D., Rajnarayanan, R. V., Oyeleye, T. O., Bell, T. P., & Cohly, H. H. (2010). Areas of language impairment in autism. Autism Insights, 2, 31.

Krakovich, T. M., Mcgrew, J. H., Yu, Y., & Ruble, L. A. (2016). Stress in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder: An exploration of demands and resources. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(6), 2042-2053. //dx.doi.org.library.capella.edu/10.1007/s10803-016-2728-2

Luyster, R. J., Kadlec, M. B., Carter, A., & Tager-flusberg, H. (2008). Language assessment and development in toddlers with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38(8), 1426-38. //dx.doi.org.library.capella.edu/10.1007/s10803-007-0510-1

Manolitsi, M., & Botting, N. (2011). Language abilities in children with autism and language impairment: Using narrative as a additional source of clinical information. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 27(1), 39-55. //dx.doi.org.library.capella.edu/10.1177/0265659010369991

Nolcheva, M., & Trajkovski, V. (2015). Exploratory study: Stress, coping and support among parents of children with autism spectrum disorders. The Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation, 16(3/4), 84-100.

Premanand, V., Kumari, K. K., & Mathew, T. P. (2014). Trait emotional intelligence among the parents of children with autism and typically developing children. Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing, 5(9), 1009-1012.

Rivard, M., Terroux, A., Parent-boursier, C., & Mercier, C. (2014). Determinants of stress in parents of children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44(7), 1609-20. //dx.doi.org.library.capella.edu/10.1007/s10803-013-2028-z

Solomon, M., Ono, M., Timmer, S., & Goodlin-jones, B. (2008). The effectiveness of parent-child interaction therapy for families of children on the autism spectrum. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38(9), 1767-76. //dx.doi.org.library.capella.edu/10.1007/s10803-008-0567-5

IV. History and benefits of using PECS as a method of communication

Flippin, M., Reszka, S., & Watson, L. R. (2010). Effectiveness of the picture exchange

communication system (PECS) on communication and speech for children with

autism spectrum disorders: A meta-analysis. American Journal of Speech - Language Pathology (Online), 19(2), 178-195.

Greenberg, A. L., Tomaino, M. E., & Charlop, M. H. (2014). Adapting the picture

exchange communication system to elicit vocalizations in children with autism.

Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 26(1), 35-51.

doi:10.1007/s10882-013-9344-2

Schwartz, I. S., Garfinkle, A. N., & Bauer, J. (1998). The picture exchange

communication system: Communicative outcomes for young children with disabilities.

Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 18(3), 144

V. Importance of teaching parents to use PECS

autism spectrum disorders in minimally verbal children (Protocol). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2016, Issue 8. Art. No.: CD012324. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD012324.

Carr, D., & Felce, J. (2007). "Brief report: Increase in production of spoken words in

some children with autism after PECS teaching to phase III". Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37(4), 780-7. doi: 10.1007/s10803-006-0204-0

Chaabane, D. B. B., Alber-Morgan, S. R., & DeBar, R. M. (2009). THE EFFECTS OF

PARENT-IMPLEMENTED PECS TRAINING ON IMPROVISATION OF MANDS BY CHILDREN WITH AUTISM. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 42(3), 671–677. doi.org/10.1901/jaba.2009.42-671

Paden, A. R., Kodak, T., Fisher, W. W., Gawley-Bullington, E. M., & Bouxsein, K. J.

(2012). Teaching children with autism to engage in peer-directed mands using a picture exchange communication system. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 45(2), 425. doi:10.1901/jaba.2012.45-425

M.(2016). Parental stress and ASD: Relationship with autism symptom severity,

IQ, and resilience. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 31(4), 300-311.doi:10.1177/1088357615583471

Parenting stress and psychological functioning among mothers of preschool children with

autism and developmental delay. (2009). Autism : The International Journal of Research and Practice, 13(4), 375–387. doi.org/10.1177/1362361309105658

Rivard, M., Terroux, A., Parent-Boursier, C., & Mercier, C. (2014). Determinants of stress

in parents of children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal Of Autism And Developmental Disorders, 44(7), 1609-1620. doi:10.1007/s10803-013-2028z

VI. Conclusion

a. Parents who have non-verbal children experience higher stress levels by not being able to communicate with their children. Not understanding what their child wants or needs can be stressful for parents and it is crucial that they help to teach their children a functional way to communicate. PECS is a method that helps non-verbal children how to mand for items (e.g., milk, cookies, water etc.) in addition to helping them form sentences (e.g., I want milk). Parents who help to teach their children to use PECS are not just teaching them a functional way to communicate, but they are also teaching them a life changing skill. This skills can be generalized across settings and people.