The present study examined the extent to which mothers were able to train their children, 2 boys with autism, to exchange novel pictures to request items using the picture exchange communication system (PECS). Generalization probes assessing each child's ability to mand for untrained items were conducted throughout conditions. Using a multiple baseline design, results demonstrated that both children improvised by using alternative symbols when the corresponding symbol was unavailable across all symbol categories (colors, shapes, and functions) and that parents can teach their children to use novel pictorial response forms.

Keywords: autism, improvisation, parent training, picture exchange communication system

Augmentative and alternative communication systems such as the picture exchange communication system (PECS) provide an effective means of enabling children with autism or severely limited communication skills to exercise control over their environment by requesting preferred items (Bondy & Frost, 1994). PECS involves teaching individuals to use picture cards to request items or activities. To make picture communication systems more efficient, individuals can be taught to use improvisation. That is, when a specific PECS card representing a preferred item is unavailable, the individual can mand for an item with a picture card that describes the item (e.g., by color, shape, or function). When individuals learn to improvise their requests by using descriptive features of preferred items, they can potentially mand for a much greater number of preferred items with fewer picture cards. Marckel, Neef, and Ferreri (2006) investigated the effects of PECS improvisation training by teaching 2 children with autism to mand for items or activities using picture cards that showed the color, shape, or function of the desired item. Results demonstrated that both children were able to consistently request items using descriptor cards and to generalize the use of the descriptor cards to untrained preferred items. The present study is a systematic replication of Marckel et al. in which the same training procedures were implemented by parents rather than experimenters.