Defense Date

11-6-2025

Graduation Date

Fall 12-19-2025

Availability

Immediate Access

Submission Type

dissertation

Degree Name

PhD

Department

Counseling, Psychology, & Special Education

School

School of Education

Committee Chair

Ann X. Huang

Committee Member

Ara Schmitt

Committee Member

Elizabeth McCallum

Keywords

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), Functional Communication (FC), Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by restricted interests, repetitive or inflexible behaviors, and challenges with communication and socialization (Flannery & Wisner-Carlson, 2020). Children with expressive communication disorders, including those with ASD, can benefit from using Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) as a tool to improve their communication skills (Chazin et al., 2016). The AAC approach helps them learn and communicate more effectively by addressing various needs, such as making requests, commenting, or responding to questions (Mirenda, 2001). Many families, special education classrooms, and inclusive settings have adopted the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), an evidence-based AAC system, to give children with limited or no speech—including those with ASD—a means to communicate and to support their speech development and functional communication (FC) skills over short periods (Flippin et al., 2010; Ganz et al., 2013). Using a non-concurrent multiple baseline design (NCMBD) across participants, this study aims to examine the effectiveness of PECS on FC, specifically requesting skills, in three Saudi children with ASD aged three to eight years (Cooper et al., 2020; Watson & Workman, 1981). PECS training was implemented as an intervention over approximately 8 to 10 weeks (3-5 days per week) across phases I through IIIB. The training was conducted sequentially until the participants mastered the targeted requesting behaviors and achieved data stability. The dependent variable measured during the sessions was the percentage of independent and prompted responses or picture exchanges made by participants, and data analysis was conducted through a visual analysis method. Furthermore, this research aims to address a notable gap by examining the use of PECS in Saudi Arabia, reinforcing earlier findings that indicate PECS is a valuable intervention for enhancing FC, speech, and overall language abilities in Saudi children with ASD. After implementing PECS with all participants, there was an immediate and notable increase in independent requesting behaviors, along with a decrease in prompted responses. This highlights the effectiveness of PECS in fostering independent communication. Overall, the findings indicate that PECS is an effective tool for improving FC in children with ASD, leading to lasting benefits that also improve their interactions with parents.

Language

English

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