Two months ago, Davey started using the PECS system of communication at school. In brief, PECS entails a picture exchange. The “speaker” selects an image (photo or symbol) from a set of cards and hands it to the “listener” to communicate wants, needs, moods, etc. PECS can communicate a single want, like a drink or a specific toy, or users can, as they become more skilled, build whole sentences from the set of image cards.

Davey has been using sign language signs (single signs mostly, sometimes two sign sentences) since he was a wee laddie in Early Intervention. Since starting preschool three years ago, he’s used a combination of signs, gestures, devices, and picture cards - both photos and symbols. However, though he has used picture cards for a long while, he was never truly doing PECS. Instead he was pointing to images of things he desired. It works to get his basic needs communicated but is not a very sophisticated concept of communication. PECS, on the other hand, introduces a more expressive concept of communication - Davey must actually select the card that communicates the right message then hand it to another person. It’s the active selection and handing over that are key. I think of it as the difference between me asking my kid if they want Frosted Flakes for breakfast and hearing a non-committal but vaguely affirmative mumble or hearing “Why, yes, Mom, Frosted Flakes would be great.” Or even better, hearing “No thanks, I’d rather have Rice Krispies” versus a grunt and a swipe of the hand to wave me off.

Davey took to PECS instantly, as if he’d been waiting for it. Within two days he knew exactly what was expected of him. If he wanted something that wasn’t presented as a choice, he’d grab the book and flip through the pages looking for the right card. It has made a big difference in his level of frustration and his ability to move more easily through his day. I have been eager to make a PECS communication book for home use. I know, seeing how much it has helped him at school, that it would make our lives so much easier - and calmer - at home. Davey knows what he wants (and doesn’t want). He thinks and feels and has strong opinions about the world around him. And half the time we can’t decipher what he means. He’s clever. He tries to get through to his dense parents, even to the point of taking our hands and leading us to what he wants - the front door, the pantry, the toy that’s not working. But sometimes our rudimentary channels of communication break down. And when that happens, Davey does what most kids do.

He loses it.

He growls. He GRRRRRS. And worst of all, he throws. Now would be a good time to point out that since my Davey was the tiniest of tiny boys, he’s had a killer arm. He can throw with astonishing force and wicked aim. And when he’s pissed, he picks up whatever heavy plastic toy he can lay his hands on and he hucks it. It stopped being funny when he was three and he started damaging the house, breaking his toys, and threatening the integrity of our skulls. So anything we can do to prevent the meltdown and the appearance of the Arm of Pissed Offedness* is worth any price.

I have been trying to get images together for Davey’s home book for months. It’s harder than it sounds. I’ve made lists of what he needs to tell us, including favorite and common foods, a slew of toys, and a large set of everyday objects and activities. Then I’ve roamed the house taking hundreds of photos. I’ve also scoured the Web for countless hours to download images of food. [A handy tip I picked up from an autism site - check the online grocery store circulars. Some have great food images you can download.] It’s a huge, time consuming task, and one that I have been very frustrated not to have the time to finish, especially whenever we have one of our ugly inability to communicate/too dense to understand what he’s trying to say moments which leave all of us fuming and frustrated.

Today I spent about five hours capturing images (photos and downloads) then figuring out how I could get Photoshop to most easily display sets of images in 2.5″ squares each. Turns out, after fiddling with creating an Action and a few other tricks, the easiest solution was to create and print contact sheets. It works perfectly. Once I have all of the images printed, I’ll hand them over to Davey’s aide at school and she’ll laminate them and the blank binder pages that will hold and display the finished images. Then I’ll finish by applying velcro strips to everything and organizing the images by color-coded categories in the binder.

Et voila! A voice is born!

* For the record, the Arm of Pissed Offedness is a southpaw. Said arm also functions as the Arm of Sororal Hair Pulling, the Arm of Goldfish Devouring, and the Arm of Loving Bear Hugs.