# What Progress Can I Expect From PECS?

Canonical: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-progress-can-i-expect-from-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs
Publisher: Pinnacle Blooms Network / Bharath Healthcare Laboratories Private Limited

PECS helps a non-verbal or minimally verbal child learn that communication gets results, progressing through clear phases — from a single picture exchange to seeking you out, choosing between pictures, building sentences and commenting. Many children develop spoken words alongside picture use, as PECS does not hinder speech. Pace varies with practice and consistency. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.

*PECS turns a simple picture handed to you into your child's first clear, powerful words: "I want that."*

## In short
The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) helps a child who is not yet talking — or who has very few words — learn that **communication gets results**. Progress is usually steady and staged: most children begin by exchanging a single picture for something they want, then learn to seek you out, build short picture sentences, and many go on to use words alongside or instead of pictures. There is no fixed timeline — progress depends on your child's starting point, practice and consistency — but for many children PECS is a confidence-building bridge to richer communication, not a dead end.

## What progress typically looks like
PECS is taught in clear phases, and "progress" means moving through them at your child's own pace:

- **First exchanges** — your child learns to pick up a picture of a desired item and place it in your hand to ask for it. This first "aha" — *my action changes what happens* — is often the biggest leap.
- **Travelling to communicate** — your child learns to move towards their picture book and towards you, even across a room, to make a request. This builds genuine, intentional communication.
- **Choosing between pictures** — distinguishing one picture from another to ask for the *specific* thing they want.
- **Building sentences** — combining an "I want" card with a picture to form a short structured message.
- **Commenting and answering** — moving beyond requests to responding to questions and commenting on the world ("I see…").

A reassuring point many parents worry about: research and clinical experience show PECS does **not** stop a child from talking. For many children, spoken words *emerge* as picture use grows, because the pressure to speak is removed and successful communication is rewarded.

## What shapes the pace
Progress varies, and that is completely normal. It depends on how often PECS is practised across the day (not just in therapy), how consistently everyone at home and school uses the same approach, your child's motivation, and their individual profile. Steady daily practice with highly motivating items usually brings the fastest, most joyful gains.

## The Pinnacle way
AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional — never from an app or online form. Our therapists assess where your child sits on their communication journey through a [clinician-administered structured assessment](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated), then build a PECS or wider communication plan delivered through [speech therapy](/speech-therapy) and coaching so you can practise the same steps confidently at home. Learn how we support [communication and language development](/) across our network.

## Trusted sources
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) guidance on augmentative and alternative communication; American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org) guidance on supporting communication in young children.

**Next step —** Want to know which communication stage your child is at, and the right next step? [Book a communication assessment with a Pinnacle clinician](/speech-therapy).

This is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.

## Sources
- ASHA — augmentative and alternative communication guidance: https://www.asha.org
- AAP HealthyChildren.org — supporting early communication: https://www.healthychildren.org

## Connected topics and perspectives
- Therapies: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/therapies
- Parent: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/stakeholder/parent
- Communication: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/domain/communication
- Support: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/intent/support
- Plan: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/lifecycle/plan
- Speech Therapy: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/route/speech-therapy
- Family Empowerment: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/empowerment/family_empowerment

## Related question paths

### Understand the subject
- At What Age Can a Child Start PECS?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/at-what-age-can-a-child-start-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs
- How Does PECS Help a Child Develop?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-does-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-help-a-child-develop
- Is PECS Backed by Research Evidence?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/is-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-backed-by-research-evidence
- What is the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-is-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs
- Which children benefit most from PECS?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/which-children-benefit-most-from-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs

### Explore therapy & support
- What goals does PECS work on?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-goals-does-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-work-on
- How PECS Helps a Non-Verbal or Minimally Verbal Child: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-can-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-help-a-child-with-non-verbal-minimally-verbal-presentation
- Are there any risks or side effects of PECS?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/are-there-any-risks-or-side-effects-of-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs
- Can PECS Be Combined With Other Therapies?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/can-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-be-combined-with-other-therapies
- Can the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) be done online?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/can-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-be-done-online
- How does PECS help preschoolers?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-does-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-help-preschoolers
- How does PECS help toddlers?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-does-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-help-toddlers
- How Many PECS Sessions Does a Child Usually Need?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-many-sessions-of-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-does-a-child-usually-need
- Is the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) Suitable for Preschoolers?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/is-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-suitable-for-preschoolers
- Is PECS suitable for toddlers?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/is-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-suitable-for-toddlers
- Is PECS Usually One-on-One or in a Group?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/is-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-usually-one-on-one-or-in-a-group
- What happens during PECS sessions?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-happens-during-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-sessions

### At home & in everyday life
- How can I support PECS goals at home?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-can-i-support-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-goals-at-home

### Follow progress
- Progress with PECS for Non-Verbal & Minimally Verbal Children: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-progress-can-a-child-with-non-verbal-minimally-verbal-presentation-make-with-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs
- What progress can a child make with PECS?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-progress-can-a-child-with-speech-and-language-delay-make-with-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs
- How Long Does PECS Take to Show Results?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-long-does-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-take-to-show-results
- What progress can a child with Autism make with PECS?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-progress-can-a-child-with-autism-spectrum-make-with-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs
- How a Child's Progress Is Measured in PECS: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-is-a-child-s-progress-measured-in-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs
- What progress can a child with CAS make with PECS?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-progress-can-a-child-with-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-make-with-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs
- What progress can a child with GDD make with PECS?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-progress-can-a-child-with-global-developmental-delay-make-with-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs

### Choose and access care
- How do I find a good provider of PECS for my child?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-do-i-find-a-good-provider-of-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-for-my-child
- What PECS typically costs and what affects the price: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-does-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-typically-cost-and-what-affects-the-price
- What qualifications should a PECS therapist have?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-qualifications-should-a-therapist-providing-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-have