YOUR QUESTION. A CLEARER NEXT STEP.
Can PECS be done online?
Yes — PECS can be supported online, most effectively through video-based parent coaching where the therapist trains you to run the physical picture exchanges at home, often blended with occasional in-person sessions. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
When sessions move to a screen, many parents wonder whether handing over a picture card can still work — and the reassuring answer is that the heart of PECS can travel online beautifully.
In short
Yes — the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) can be supported online, especially through parent coaching by video, where a speech therapist guides you to run the exchanges live with your own child at home. The early, hands-on phases of PECS rely on a physical exchange — your child handing a picture to a communication partner — so the most effective online model trains you to be that partner, rather than the therapist working through a screen. Many families make excellent progress this way, particularly when in-person and online sessions are blended.
How online PECS actually works
- Parent-coached delivery — PECS Phase 1 needs a real, physical hand-over of a picture. Online, the therapist watches via video and coaches you (and often a second helper) to prompt, fade prompts and reward the exchange in the moment.
- Set-up and resource support — the therapist helps you build the picture cards, the communication book and the Velcro strips, and shows you how to arrange the home environment so opportunities to communicate happen all day.
- Progress reviews and troubleshooting — later phases (distance, discrimination between pictures, building sentences) are easy to review by video, and the therapist adjusts your plan as your child grows.
- Blended model — many children do best with occasional in-person sessions to set up tricky phases, plus regular online coaching to keep daily practice consistent.
The magic of PECS is repetition woven into real life — meals, play, snacks — and no one is better placed to deliver that than the people who are with your child every day.
When in-person helps more
If your child is very young, finds video attention hard, or is just beginning the first exchange, a few in-person sessions to establish the technique can make online coaching far smoother afterwards. A therapist can advise on the right mix once they understand how your child communicates.
The Pinnacle way
This is general information, not a diagnosis — a clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre, under qualified clinician care. Our therapists shape PECS around your child's communication profile through speech therapy, with online parent-coaching available so practice continues at home. Explore more about how we support communication at every stage.
Trusted sources
ASHA guidance on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and picture-based systems; WHO ICD-11 framing of communication needs; American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org) on supporting early communication.
Next step — Wondering whether online PECS coaching suits your child? Book a developmental assessment with a Pinnacle clinician.
What to notice
Watch whether your child can attend to a short video session, manages a physical picture hand-over with your help, and stays motivated by the rewards — these signs guide how much online coaching versus in-person set-up suits them.
In everyday life
Keep PECS cards within easy reach at snack and play times, and pause just long enough for your child to hand you a picture before giving them what they want — those tiny, repeated exchanges are where progress is built.
Questions families ask
Can PECS really work over video?
Yes. Because PECS Phase 1 needs a real physical hand-over of a picture, the most effective online model has the therapist coach you by video to run the exchanges with your child at home. Many families make strong progress this way, especially when blended with occasional in-person sessions.
Do I need special materials for online PECS?
You'll need printed picture cards, a communication book and Velcro strips, which the therapist helps you create and arrange. Many resources can be made at home or printed easily, and the therapist guides the set-up during your sessions.
Is online PECS as good as in-person?
For many children, well-coached online PECS works very well because the daily exchanges happen with you, their everyday communication partner. A few in-person sessions to establish tricky early phases often makes the online coaching even more effective.
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Sources & further reading
- ASHA — Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
- AAP HealthyChildren.org — supporting early communication
- WHO ICD-11
References are those supplied with this answer. A general organisation website is a route to further reading, rather than evidence of an independent review of this page.
Content attribution in the source record: SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network.
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How to Work on PECS With Your Child at Home
Read the answer AnswerWhat goals does PECS work on?
Read the answer AnswerWhat happens during PECS sessions?
Read the answer AnswerHow can I support PECS goals at home?
Read the answer AnswerWhat techniques are used in the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)?
Read the answer AnswerIs PECS Usually One-on-One or in a Group?
Read the answerGeneral information supports a conversation with an appropriately qualified professional. Advice, goals and support depend on the individual child.