{"h1":"How a Child's Progress Is Measured in PECS","faq":[{"a":"The six phases are: how to communicate (first exchange), distance and persistence, picture discrimination, sentence structure, answering questions, and commenting. Moving through these phases is the main marker of progress.","q":"What are the six phases of PECS?"},{"a":"Not at all. PECS supports communication first, and for many children it actually helps spoken words emerge over time. The aim is to give your child a reliable way to communicate while encouraging speech where it develops.","q":"Does PECS progress mean my child won't talk?"},{"a":"Therapists record data every session, tracking independence, spontaneity and frequency, so progress is reviewed continuously and discussed with you regularly rather than only at long intervals.","q":"How often is progress reviewed?"}],"lang":"en","slug":"how-is-a-child-s-progress-measured-in-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs","title":"How a Child's Progress Is Measured in PECS","entity":{"key":"pecs","kind":"therapy_modality","name":"the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)","slug":null},"parent":{"key":"therapies","label":"Therapies"},"related":[{"lang":"en","slug":"what-progress-can-i-expect-from-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs","title":"What Progress Can I Expect From PECS?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-progress-can-a-child-with-autism-spectrum-make-with-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs","title":"What progress can a child with Autism make with PECS?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-progress-can-a-child-with-global-developmental-delay-make-with-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs","title":"What progress can a child with GDD make with PECS?"},{"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":"how-long-does-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-take-to-show-results","title":"How Long Does PECS Take to Show Results?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-progress-can-a-child-with-non-verbal-minimally-verbal-presentation-make-with-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs","title":"Progress with PECS for Non-Verbal & Minimally Verbal Children"}],"summary":"Progress in PECS is measured by a child's movement through its six structured phases — from a first picture exchange to forming sentences and commenting — while therapists track independence, spontaneity, frequency and generalisation across people and vocabulary. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","answer_md":"*When your child first hands you a picture to ask for what they want, that small exchange is a giant leap in communication — and yes, it can be measured beautifully.*\n\n## In short\nProgress in the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is measured by moving through its **six structured phases** — from a child's very first picture exchange to building full sentences and commenting on the world around them. Therapists track how **independently, how often, and how spontaneously** your child communicates, alongside the growing range of pictures, vocabulary and people they communicate with. It is steady, observable and celebrated step by step — not a pass-or-fail test.\n\n## How progress is tracked\nPECS follows a clear ladder, and your child's movement up it *is* the measure of progress:\n\n- **Phase I — How to communicate:** the child learns to pick up a single picture and hand it to a partner to get a desired item. Success is the first independent exchange.\n- **Phase II — Distance and persistence:** the child travels further to their book and to a person to communicate, showing motivation and initiative.\n- **Phase III — Picture discrimination:** the child chooses the *right* picture from several — a key cognitive step.\n- **Phase IV — Sentence structure:** building \"I want ___\" strips, the start of real grammar.\n- **Phase V — Answering questions:** responding to \"What do you want?\"\n- **Phase VI — Commenting:** \"I see ___\", \"I hear ___\" — communicating beyond just requesting.\n\nWithin each phase, therapists watch four things: **independence** (fewer prompts over time), **spontaneity** (initiating without being asked), **frequency** (more exchanges across the day), and **generalisation** (using PECS with different people, places and an expanding vocabulary). Data is recorded session by session, so you can see real, charted movement — and many children later bridge from pictures towards spoken words.\n\n## The Pinnacle way\nThis 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 administer a structured, clinician-led assessment to find your child's communication starting point, then map PECS progress phase by phase. Explore [Pinnacle Blooms Network](/), our [speech therapy](/speech-therapy) programme, and how your child's profile is built through the [AbilityScore®](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated).\n\n## Trusted sources\nAmerican Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) guidance on augmentative and alternative communication; WHO ICD-11 and developmental communication frameworks; American Academy of Pediatrics resources on supporting communication development.\n\n**Next step —** Want to see exactly where your child is and chart their next milestone? [Book a communication assessment with a Pinnacle clinician](/speech-therapy).","canonical":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-is-a-child-s-progress-measured-in-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs","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-is-a-child-s-progress-measured-in-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs","lang":"en","indexable":true}],"meta_title":"Measuring Progress in PECS | Pinnacle Blooms","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Keep the picture book always within reach and create lots of small, natural reasons to ask — a favourite snack just out of view invites your child to initiate an exchange.","published_at":"2026-06-10T13:42:00.152482+00:00","what_to_watch":"Watch for growing independence (fewer prompts), more spontaneous exchanges across the day, choosing the correct picture, and using PECS with different people and a wider vocabulary.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://www.asha.org","label":"ASHA — augmentative and alternative communication guidance"},{"url":"https://icd.who.int","label":"WHO ICD-11 developmental communication framework"},{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org","label":"AAP HealthyChildren.org — supporting communication development"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T13:42:00.152482+00:00","meta_description":"How is a child's PECS progress measured? Through six structured phases plus independence, spontaneity, frequency and generalisation — explained warmly for ","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}