{"h1":"Finding a good PECS provider for your child","faq":[{"a":"Look for a speech-language therapist or trained communication professional with formal training in PECS and its phased approach. Ask directly about their training and how many children with a profile like your child's they have supported.","q":"What qualification should a PECS provider have?"},{"a":"No. PECS is one effective tool among several, and a good provider assesses your child first and may recommend PECS alone or alongside speech therapy and other communication strategies. The right blend depends on your child's strengths and needs.","q":"Is PECS the only option for a non-verbal child?"},{"a":"No. For many children PECS supports communication now and can act as a stepping stone toward speech, by reducing frustration and building the back-and-forth of communication. A skilled provider keeps speech development in view throughout.","q":"Will using PECS stop my child from learning to speak?"},{"a":"A good provider tracks clear, small goals — from a first independent picture exchange to building short sentences and commenting — and shares progress with you. You should also see your child communicating more easily in daily life.","q":"How will I know if PECS is working for my child?"}],"lang":"en","slug":"how-do-i-find-a-good-provider-of-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-for-my-child","title":"How do I find a good provider of PECS for my child?","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-qualifications-should-a-therapist-providing-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-have","title":"What qualifications should a PECS therapist have?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-the-right-therapy-for-a-child-with-speech-and-language-delay","title":"Is PECS the Right Therapy for Speech and Language Delay?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-happens-during-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-sessions","title":"What happens during PECS sessions?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-progress-can-a-child-with-speech-and-language-delay-make-with-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs","title":"What progress can a child make with PECS?"},{"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)?"}],"summary":"A good PECS provider is a qualified speech-language therapist with genuine PECS training, experience with children like yours, a clear phased plan, and a parent-coaching style that helps picture exchange work at home. The best providers treat PECS as one tool within a broader communication plan. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","answer_md":"*Choosing the right person to guide your child's first words-through-pictures is one of the most loving, practical decisions you can make.*\n\n## In short\nA good PECS provider is a qualified speech-language therapist (or trained communication professional) with genuine PECS training, experience with children like yours, and a warm, parent-partnering style. Look for proper credentials, a clear plan that moves through the PECS phases at your child's pace, and someone who coaches *you* so the picture exchange works at home too. The best fit is a provider who treats PECS as one tool within a broader communication plan — not a one-size-fits-all script.\n\n## What to look for in a provider\n- **Recognised qualification** — a speech-language therapist or communication professional with formal training in PECS and its phased approach (from a single picture exchange through to building sentences and commenting).\n- **Real experience with your child's profile** — ask how many non-verbal or minimally-verbal children they have supported, and how they decide whether PECS, speech therapy, or a mix suits a particular child.\n- **A structured but flexible plan** — PECS works through clear phases; a good provider explains where your child is starting, what the next step looks like, and how progress is tracked.\n- **Parent coaching built in** — picture exchange only flourishes when it happens across the day. The provider should teach you and other carers to use it at mealtimes, play and outings.\n- **Honest goal-setting** — PECS is a bridge to functional communication, and for many children a stepping stone toward speech; the right provider keeps that bigger picture in view.\n- **Warmth and respect** — your child should feel safe and motivated, and you should feel heard. Trust your instinct about rapport.\n\nA few practical questions to ask: *How is my child assessed before we begin? How will we know it's working? How do you involve me? What happens if PECS isn't the right fit?*\n\n## When to seek a check first\nIf your child is not yet using words, gestures or pictures to communicate by the age peers do, a developmental and communication check helps clarify what will help most. PECS is often one part of a wider plan, so a thorough assessment ensures your child gets the right blend of support from the start.\n\n## The Pinnacle way\nAt Pinnacle Blooms Network, PECS sits within a complete [speech therapy](/speech-therapy) and communication programme, delivered by trained therapists who coach families every step of the way. Your child's starting point is mapped through a clinician-administered [AbilityScore®](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated) so the plan fits them precisely. Explore how [communication support](/) is shaped to each child across our 70+ centres. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional — never from an app or online form.\n\n## Trusted sources\nAmerican Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) guidance on augmentative and alternative communication; WHO and CDC resources on early communication development; American Academy of Pediatrics family guidance via HealthyChildren.org.\n\n**Next step —** Want to know if PECS is right for your child? [Book a communication 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-do-i-find-a-good-provider-of-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-for-my-child","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-do-i-find-a-good-provider-of-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-for-my-child","lang":"en","indexable":true},{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-do-i-find-a-good-provider-of-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-for-my-child-te","lang":"te","indexable":false}],"meta_title":"How to Find a Good PECS Provider for Your Child","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Once you start, keep picture cards within easy reach during favourite moments — snack time, a loved toy, going outside — so your child has natural, motivating reasons to exchange a picture many times a day.","published_at":"2026-06-10T13:42:00.152482+00:00","what_to_watch":"Watch for a provider's actual PECS training and experience, whether they assess your child first, how they track progress, and whether they coach you to use picture exchange at home — and trust your sense of your child's rapport with them.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://www.asha.org","label":"ASHA — augmentative and alternative communication guidance"},{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org","label":"AAP HealthyChildren.org — early communication"},{"url":"https://www.cdc.gov","label":"CDC — Learn the Signs. Act Early."}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T13:42:00.152482+00:00","meta_description":"How to choose a good PECS provider: qualifications, experience, a phased plan and parent coaching — plus the questions to ask before you begin.","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}