Picture Exchange Communication System

As Salaam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu,

Dhuha is a visual learner. If you want her to understand something, you have to show her the object and say the word. For example, if you show her coat and tell her bye-bye she will happily put her coat on. Try it without showing her, she will get upset and fight you simply because she doesn’t understand what is happening.

From what I understand of most people with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) this is normal. They are good with objects but fall short on spoken word, facial expressions and gestures. After having understood this fact about Dhuha, I can communicate with her much more effectively.

The main focus with Dhuha’s education is to get her to communicate. Towards that goal we have started PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System). All that is, if Dhuha wants to do something she gets a picture of that thing and gives it to someone who can help. For example: if she wants to brush her teeth, she would find a picture of a toothbrush and show it to her mother, who would take her to brush her teeth immediately. To reinforce spoken language she would say ‘toothbrush’ at the exchange.

Dhuha is not at that sort of level. Right now we sit across from her with a cookie or drink and we hold out our empty hand with a picture of the item we have and then someone else helps her to put the picture in our empty hand. Its a bit of a mission because at first she didn’t even put her hand on the picture. She moved past that and now picks up the picture but puts it in her mouth.

I have confidence that she will get it but I have an equal amount of confidence that it will be difficult.