Training paraprofessionals to use the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) with high school students with moderate to severe disabilities

The purpose of this project was to create a training manual for paraprofessionals on how to use the picture exchange communication system (PECS) with high school students with moderate to severe disabilities who are non-verbal, or have limited speech. PECS has been shown to be an effective alternative augmentative communication (AAC) system allowing non-verbal students to better communicate. Feedback from an expert panel and a field-testing of the manual indicated that the manual was effective in enhancing paraprofessionals\u27 knowledge of how to implement PECS for high school students with moderate to severe disabilities. Implications for training paraprofessionals in AAC systems like PECS are discussed