Progress of communication initiation in two nonverbal autistic children: Picture exchange communication system versus Incidental teaching

Purpose – This paper aims to document the progression of initiating communications through three distinct stages, as inspired by the goals of the picture exchange communication system (PECS). Specifically, Phase 1 centers around the exchange of pictures or objects, Phase 2 focuses on the elements of distance and perseverance and Phase 3 is dedicated to the discernment between symbols or objects by two nonverbal autistic children. Design/methodology/approach – By using repeated measures of baseline and intervention assessments, this study evaluates the impact of PECS and incidental teaching (IT) on the subtle nuances of initiating communication across and within each identified phase for two children. Findings – The results show an improvement in communication initiation, marking a transition from nonverbal to verbal behaviors in two children. This research also delves into the nuanced progression of communication initiation behaviors throughout the phases, and the individual communicative behavior within each phase. Originality/value – While existing literature predominantly focuses on the effectiveness of the two interventions (PECS and IT) in enhancing broader social communication behaviors, this study takes a novel approach by examining how these interventions influence the more detailed aspects of communication initiation.