Welcome to Speak With Pictures
A Visual Communication Tool
for People with Special Needs

Welcome to Speak With Pictures!

A simple and intuitive picture communication app for children with autism.

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I am a first-year Media Arts + Practice student at the University of Southern California

and the sister of a brother with severe autism.

Growing up with him, I often felt the challenge of not being able to understand his needs or feelings,

and he struggled to express himself in return.

When he was younger, he went through ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) therapy,

and I often saw him using PECS cards during his sessions.

Watching how these picture cards helped him communicate — yet also realizing their limitations

— made me think deeply about how communication tools could be simpler and more intuitive.

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This experience inspired me to search for a better way to connect.

Using my passion for art and my skills in computer graphic tools, I began designing a simpler and more intuitive version of PECS in high school, and have continued improving it at USC with real user feedback.

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Many existing PECS applications can feel overwhelming — with too many icons, complicated instructions, high costs, and even unnecessary login requirements that force users to enter personal information.

My project, however, focuses on what truly matters: accessibility and clarity.

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On this website, you can also download the same picture cards from the app and print them to make your own PECS boards and cards — so communication can continue beyond the screen, at home and at school.

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Going forward, my goal is to expand Speak with Pictures to Android phones, and to create versions

for many different countries, each with foods and cultural details adapted to that country.