Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to examine the iconicity of 16 Picture Communication Symbols (PCS) presented on a themed
bed-making communication overlay for South African children with English as an additional language and mild intellectual
disability. The survey involved 30 participants. The results indicated that, overall, the 16 symbols were relatively iconic to the
participants. The authors suggest that the iconicity of picture symbols could be manipulated, enhanced, and infl uenced by
contextual effects (other PCS used simultaneously on the communication overlay). In addition, selection of non-target PCS
for target PCS were discussed in terms of postulated differences in terms of distinctiveness. Potential clinical implications and
limitations of the study, as well as recommendations for future research, are discussed.
