Homegrown PECS

I am a teacher. And regardless of intent, our school is riddled with motivational posters. These are indeed the same posters which hung in your classrooms in middle school... they don't change. One of my favorite posters is "If you fail to plan, plan to fail." There are 19 days until my departure for Cuzco, and now that funds are locked down, it's time to plan.

The mission of the Peru Project is to use training and education of service providers to change a system of purposeful marginalization. And in this mindset, it's the little things that become big. In the past, the Peru Project (Soles for Soles) has helped to provide shoes, socks, and medication to students in Cuzco. In order to create sustainable change, however, our focus has shifted. Instead of bringing down supplies, educational or otherwise, I will be creating my supplies there. We've determined that PECS is a fine place to start training on home visits. PECS will allow parents & siblings to see that these severe behaviors are the manifestation of need. Creating the PECS cards and boards in Cuzco will allow the service providers/ care givers to see the potential in the rugged. There is no true need for Boardmaker (but don't tell that to my admin team). Here is what I am envisioning...

Vivian goes crazy for the plastic bag that bread comes in. Using an index card (or even piece of cardboard!) from the Mega and a plastic bag from any hole-in-the-wall bodega, Vivian can have a picture symbol to exchange when she'd like access to this bag. Teacher Vivi to ask, even if it's by throwing this cardboard square, will open some doors.

Ever made some creative picture symbols? Send me some homegrown communication strategies! I'd love to bring them with me.