{"h1":"Supporting PECS Goals at Home","faq":[{"a":"Honour every picture exchange immediately — when your child hands you a card, give them exactly what it shows, straight away, and name it warmly. That instant, motivating result is what teaches your child their pictures truly work.","q":"What is the most important thing to do at home for PECS?"},{"a":"Pause and wait. Resist guessing or prompting too soon so your child gets the chance to initiate the exchange themselves. Early on, a gentle two-person prompt can help, but fade that help as soon as your child catches on.","q":"Should I talk for my child or wait?"},{"a":"Keep the communication book or board within easy reach wherever activities happen — the kitchen, play area and bathroom — so your child can always reach their words in real moments.","q":"Where should I keep the picture cards?"},{"a":"Your speech-language therapist will guide the timing based on your child's current phase. Share what's working at home, and they'll show you how to progress — from single exchanges to sentence strips, commenting and answering questions.","q":"How do I know when to move to the next PECS phase?"}],"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-goals-at-home","title":"How can I support PECS goals at home?","entity":{"key":"pecs","kind":"therapy_modality","name":"The Picture Exchange Communication System (Pecs)","slug":null},"parent":{"key":"therapies","label":"Therapies"},"related":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-work-on-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-with-my-child-at-home","title":"How to Work on PECS With Your Child at Home"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-happens-during-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-sessions","title":"What happens during PECS sessions?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-techniques-are-used-in-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs","title":"What techniques are used in the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-work-on-pecs-card-with-my-child-at-home","title":"How can I work on PECS Cards with my child at home?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-work-on-picture-exchange-communication-with-my-child-at-home","title":"How can I work on Picture Exchange Communication with my child at home?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-work-on-pecs-card-communication-with-my-child-at-home","title":"How to Work on PECS Card Communication at Home"}],"summary":"PECS goals are supported at home by keeping picture cards available everywhere, creating motivating reasons to communicate, and honouring every exchange instantly by giving the child exactly what the picture shows. Following the child's lead and staying in step with the therapist's phase keeps progress steady. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","answer_md":"*When you and your child share the same picture cards at home, every snack, toy and bedtime becomes a chance to say something — and to be truly heard.*\n\n## In short\nThe most powerful thing you can do at home is **make the picture cards available everywhere your child wants something, and honour every exchange instantly** — when your child hands you a picture, give them exactly what the picture shows, straight away. PECS works because communication brings a real, motivating result, so keep favourite items just out of reach, stay patient, and let your child lead. Steady daily practice in real moments — meals, play, bathtime — is what turns the system from a therapy-room skill into your child's everyday voice.\n\n## How to support PECS goals at home\n- **Create reasons to communicate.** Place much-loved snacks, toys or activities in sight but out of reach, so your child has something genuinely worth asking for.\n- **Honour every exchange immediately.** When your child gives you a picture, hand over that exact item at once and name it warmly (\"Bubbles!\"). The instant result is what teaches the lesson.\n- **Keep the cards within reach.** A communication book or board near where activities happen — kitchen, play area, bathroom — means your child can always reach their words.\n- **Resist talking *for* them.** Pause and wait. Give your child the chance to initiate the exchange rather than guessing or prompting too soon.\n- **Use a gentle two-person prompt when needed.** Early on, one adult tempts with the item while a second quietly helps your child pick up and hand over the card — then fades that help as your child gets it.\n- **Keep your therapist in the loop.** Ask which PECS phase your child is in and which pictures to focus on, so home and centre move together.\n- **Celebrate, never test.** Follow your child's interest; PECS should feel like getting wonderful things, not like an exam.\n\nAs your child grows confident, your therapist will guide you through the later phases — building sentences with an \"I want\" strip, commenting, and answering questions — so the home strategy grows with them.\n\n## When to check in with your team\nIf exchanges have stalled, if your child seems frustrated reaching for words, or if you're unsure how to move to the next phase, a quick review with your speech-language therapist keeps progress on track. Bring along notes on what's working at home — your real-world observations shape the next steps.\n\n## The Pinnacle way\nAbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional — never from an app or a card book at home. Our therapists tailor each child's [speech therapy](/speech-therapy) plan and coach you on the exact PECS phase and pictures to practise. Explore [how we work](/) and understand your child's communication profile through the [AbilityScore®](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated).\n\n## Trusted sources\nASHA guidance on augmentative and alternative communication for children; American Academy of Pediatrics family resources (HealthyChildren.org); WHO developmental and communication guidance.\n\n**Next step —** Want a PECS home plan made for your child? [Book a developmental assessment with a Pinnacle clinician](/speech-therapy).\n\nThis is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","canonical":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-can-i-support-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-goals-at-home","editorial":{"reviewed_at":"2026-06-11T20:12:18.613642+00:00","reviewed_by":null,"developed_by":"SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network"},"alternates":[{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-can-i-support-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-goals-at-home","lang":"en","indexable":true}],"meta_title":"Supporting PECS Goals at Home","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Keep one favourite snack or toy just out of reach with its picture card nearby — and the moment your child hands you the card, give the item instantly and name it warmly.","published_at":"2026-06-10T12:38:00.116011+00:00","what_to_watch":"Watch for exchanges stalling, growing frustration when reaching for words, your child not initiating on their own, or uncertainty about moving to the next PECS phase.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://www.asha.org","label":"ASHA — augmentative and alternative communication guidance"},{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org","label":"AAP HealthyChildren.org — family communication resources"},{"url":"https://www.who.int","label":"WHO — child development and communication guidance"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T12:38:00.116011+00:00","meta_description":"Practical, warm ways to support your child's PECS goals at home — keep cards reachable, create reasons to communicate, and honour every exchange instantly.","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}