Picture Exchange Communication

When we first started Aiden was completly nonverbal and he couldn't point to tell us what he wanted. Our wonderful Speech Therapist (that has been with us since he was 2) started us off using the PECS (picture exchange communication here) The brand name system was to much for us to buy, so I decided to make my own. I bought the following items:
big binder
plastic binder page dividers (not the thin ones)
velcro
laminator
laminating pages
ink for my computer
cardstock
I went to Mayer-Johnson the company that makes boardmaker and I signed up for a free one week trail offer. I ran my poor printer and laminator to death! I had enough for the main book and so much more!! Mayer-Johnson is running the free 1 week trail right now! Go here and sign up. I do own Boardmaker now(thanks to my aunt and uncle, best gift ever!) It is a great resource!! I also made him a schedule using the pictures I printed out. We cut out the squares then laminated them and cut them out of the laminating paper after we ran it in the machine. We found that if you run the whole page with out cutting them out first sometimes the lamiantor paper would peel off after you cut them out. Also make sure you don't cut to close to the paper, leave a little of the lamintaing paper so it won't peel off.Then we attached small pieces of velcro on the back and a strip on the page dividers to attach them to. **very important!! Make sure you use the same side of velcro on all the backs and the opposite piece of velcro on the dividers, you want to make sure they are all the same, trust me it makes you really upset when you realize that you put the pointy side on the backs and the pointy side down on the dividers and they won't stick to each other!!*** I also made travel versions that I'll add pictures of later.

Sorting

You can use this concept and sort all kinds of things! Living, no living, animals, tons of things! Just put the pictures for the catergories you want them to sort and either hand them a picture at a time or you can lay out all the pictures and have them sort them. (the second is harder)We started with one at a time.

matching colors

I made this using boardmaker. You start them out matching the color to color. Then you move on to matcing color with the color name printed in the that colors ink. Last you can have them match the color with it's name printed in black ink.*** As with all games and lessons I post every child is different don't get discouraged if it takes some time for your child to move on to the next step.***

matching parts

I made my own flash cards for matching parts. I printed the simple picture out and cut it in half, (you can always make some and cut them into more pieces)then I laminated them. Have your child match. *** As with all games and lessons I post every child is different don't get discouraged if it takes some time for your child to move on to the next step.***

Get the most out of your children's work books

I know how expensive the children workbooks can be! That's way I hate to just use the page once, when most of the time we need to practice that page multiple times. I tear the pages out and laminate them. We can then use them multiple times just by wiping it off. You can use the dry earse markers, washable markers and even crayons (sometimes crayons are harder to wipe off) If you don't have a laminator yet you can use the page protectors that go in binders.

Ways I save on Therapy supplies and leraning materials

My favorite tool is my laminator! I got it at Wal-Mart a couple years ago for about $20. It has saved us so much money!! I laminate everything from pages I make, pages I tear out of learning books, flash cards, you name it I laminate it! Please look at my other posts to see activities to make with your laminator!