PECS is specifically designed for children with ASD and/or significant communication difficulties.  The aim is for the child to communicate requests and intent through picture cards.  The child may have little or no spoken language.

The intervention is a specific, manualised intervention covering 6 phases.

Children are taught the approach with the aim of them giving a picture of a desired item to a communicative partner in exchange for that item as a mode of expressive communication or ‘speaking’. The child then goes on to use PECS as a way of commenting.