As both my boys have significant communication difficulties the Picture Exchange Communication System® / PECS® has played an important role in our household. PECS has enabled us to have an alternative communication method. One of the big challenges when you start out using the Picture Exchange Communication System is having all the pictures you need! The PECS 151 set is designed to make this easy for you.
I wasted quite a bit of time when we started with PECS making my own PECS cards using photos. Whilst there is a place for making up personalised cards. It will save you a lot of time if you purchase an image set especially at the start.
If you are unfamiliar with the Picture Exchange Communication system click here to find out more.
PECS UK gifted me the PECS 151 set in exchange for this review. All words and opinions are my own.
What do you get in the PECS 151 set?
The PECS 151 set includes 161 PECS cards printed on polypropylene which means they don’t need laminating. The images used in the set are the most commonly used vocabulary. The vocabulary used has been compiled by the PECS team who have a wealth of experience in using PECS.
The cards are printed in colour and the ones we got are 4x4cm. You can also get a ‘small’ set which is 2.5×2.5cm for anyone using a small PECS communication books. Also included is a vocabulary list and the loop fasteners to be attached to the back of the PECS cards.
No laminating is a big plus for me. It only took about 5 minutes to cut out the cards and add the fastener to the back. So in 5 minutes I had over 150 cards ready to use! I also did a water test and the cards appear to be waterproof which is a big plus when I know my kids get ours in all sorts of sticky situations.
Whilst the cards are communication cards they can also be used as visual aids. We use them with our PECS Schedule board.
Updated PECS Cards
The set has been updated in 2022 so you will find new card’s such as ‘smart speaker’ and ‘popper toy’ which will certainly come in useful for us. I really like the images used by PECS, they are generic symbols so easy to use for a variety of communications yet they still have a lifelike feel to the images.
The PECS 151 set really does include all the top vocabulary I use. The set includes sentence starters, attributes like colours and shapes alongside a variety of things my kids ask for. I like that there is a good range of sensory items and movements – we get a lot of use out of our tickle card!
About a third of the cards are food related. I definetly find food to be one of our top communication moments throughout the day. My 9 year old has already found the ‘fast food’ card helpful to tell us what he really wants for tea.
I wish I had started off with this set when we first began using PECS. Having said that I am equally pleased to be adding them to my collection now. The set is a huge time saver and when time is something we are all struggling for it is very helpful.
The PECS 151 set is available on the PECS UK website and at the time of writing was £27.
