Estimulación de la comunicación verbal de un niño con autismo de cuarto año de la unidad especial Agustín Cueva Tamariz a través del sistema de intercambio de imágenes PECS.

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to develop a stimulation proposal to improve the verbal communication of a fourth-grade autistic child in the Agustín Cueva Tamariz special unit, using the PECS image exchange system. A single case study was conducted with a qualitative approach, starting with the identification of the subject under study, named S.I., a child diagnosed with autism and developmental delay. To collect relevant information, several techniques and instruments were used, such as a field diary, an interview guide, an observation guide and a document analysis guide. These methods made it possible to identify the main problems that S.I. faces in her verbal communication. The results obtained revealed that S.I. experiences significant difficulties in her articulate language, comprehension and verbal expression. In addition, his limited vocabulary of only 10 words restricts his ability to form complete sentences, and he also presents obstacles in the reception and processing of spoken language. Based on these findings, a set of activities based on the PECS system was designed, structured in six phases, following the equine therapy technique. These activities were detailed with respect to their objectives, execution times, resources, responsible parties and implementation process. The validity of this proposal was confirmed by a panel of specialists, who considered that the activities were relevant and offered an effective, innovative and valuable alternative to improve S.I.'s verbal communication in their educational environment.