Use of picture exchange communication system in special preschool education of children with autistic disorder

This Bachelor thesis follows up the communication of children with autism spectrum disorders. The first part deals with the definition of autism, etiology of this disease, description of problematic areas in daily life of people with autism spectrum disorder and the characterization of individual disorders. Another goal is to get familiar with the problem of communication and alternative communication, specifically with the picture exchange communication system, its brief history, and especially its methodology. The second part is based on observation and case studies of selected individual boy answering the research questions and analyze the situations where the selected kindergarten uses this alternative communication system. This section is supplemented with photographs of specific equipment used by the communication system. KEYWORDS: x Autism x Autism spectrum disorders x Communication x Alternative communication x The picture exchange communication syste