Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) or Sign Language: An Evidence-Based Decision-Making Example

I chose this article because it uses a 7-step decision-making process with three hypothetical students in order to determine whether each student should use PECS or Sign Language as a communication intervention. The decision-making process outlined for the three hypothetical students with ASD is evidence-based. 

Here are the 7-steps in the decision-making process: 

1.) Develop the Parameters to Guide the Search for Evidence: 
- This step is used to answer a specific question or solve a problem. A child's characteristics, intervention or practice and the outcome you want through intervention to occur should all be listed under this step. 

2.) Search for Evidence: 
- This step is used to search for evidenced-based research that covers the intervention you are thinking of using. Ultimately, you want to find research studies that involve students that are similar to the one that you are determining the intervention for and covers the desired outcome that you are wanting. 

3.) Evaluate Each Study for Quality and Summarize Findings: 
- Teachers must determine whether the research studies they find are "high-quality" based on similar standards that we are currently using for our own research studies. However, this process needs to be short and simple for teachers as they do not have extensive time for this step. Spencer, Peterson, and Gillam (2008) give three questions for teachers to follow in order to determine if the research study is "high-quality". 
     1.) How strong is the relationship between the intervention or practice and the outcome? 
     2.) Is the effect replicated across multiple individuals? 
     3.) Can alternative explanations for the outcome be ruled out? 

4.) Consider Student and Family Factors: 

- Teachers need to consider several factors with the child in order to help guide them to which intervention would be more effective. Some factors include, the child's fine motor abilities, independent vocalizations, and matching and discriminating between graphics, symbols, and pictures. Teachers also need to consider a few family factors such as willingness to utilize the chosen intervention as well as how involved they are in the decision making process for their child's education and interventions. 

5.) Consider Teacher and School Factors: 

- Teachers need to determine how likely they are to utilize the chosen intervention, school policy with communication interventions, and can all members of the child's team support and utilize the communication intervention. 

6.) Integrate the Evidence: 

- Based on the research evidence and the child's ability levels, teachers can then determine which communication intervention is the best "fit" for the child. 

7.) Monitor the Outcomes: 

- Teachers need to maintain an accurate data log of the child's progress throughout the intervention cycle in order to determine if the chosen intervention is working for the child. 

I found this article to be extremely helpful for my own decision-making process with students that I work with. Although I will be using a randomized selection process for my research participants, I will utilize these methods for students that I work with in the future. 

References:

Spencer, T. D., Peterson, D. B., & Gillam, S. L. (2008). Picture exchange communication 
        system (PECS) or sign language: an evidence-based decision-making example. 
       Teaching Exceptional Children, 41(2), 40-47. Retrieved from 
        http://search.proquest.com/docview/201172195?accountid=166077

Link Link to the Article: 

           Unfortunately I cannot provide a link to this particular article as I got it from the BACB database through my supervisors login and it does not allow me to Permalink the article. If anyone is interested in reading this article let me know and I can send you the PDF format. 

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