Free Printable PECS Cards and Templates
14 pre-built PECS card templates designed for autistic kids and their families. Customize any set in the free PECS Card Maker, or download the print-ready PDF. No email required.
Core Request Cards
The first eight PECS cards most children need: want, more, help, break, stop, all done, yes, and no.
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Feelings PECS Cards
Five picture cards for naming big emotions: happy, sad, angry, scared, and calm.
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Food and Drink PECS Cards
Mealtime and snack cards your child can hand over to ask: eat, drink, apple, milk, and water.
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Play PECS Cards
Cards for asking to play and choosing an activity: play, ball, book, and toy.
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Daily Routine PECS Cards
Cards for everyday steps your child can follow and request: wake up, brush teeth, and wash hands.
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Potty PECS Cards
Bathroom cards for potty training steps your child can request: toilet and wash hands.
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Sentence Strip Template
A reusable I want strip base plus matching picture cards, so your child can build a full request one slot at a time.
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Communication Book Template
A printable multi-page PECS book: a cover plus a page of picture cards for each category your child needs, from food to feelings.
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I Feel Sentence Strip
An I feel strip base plus a tray of emotion cards, so your child can build a sentence like I feel angry one card at a time.
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I Want More Sentence Strip
An I want more strip base plus a tray of food and drink cards, so your child can ask for more milk, more apple, or more water.
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I See Sentence Strip
An I see strip base plus a tray of play cards, so your child can comment on what they notice, like I see a ball or I see a book.
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Mealtime Communication Book
A two-page PECS book for meals: a food and drink page plus a core requests page, so your child can ask for what they need at the table.
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Bedtime Routine Communication Book
A two-page PECS book for bedtime: a daily routine page plus a potty page, so your child can see and take part in the steps to bed.
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Big Feelings Communication Book
A two-page PECS book for emotions: a feelings page plus a core requests page, so your child can name a feeling and ask for what helps.
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How to use these PECS templates
- Pick the set closest to the words your child needs first.
- Click Customize in editor to add, remove, or relabel cards and swap in your own photos, then download your custom PDF. Click Print PDF to get the set as-is.
- Print on cardstock, cut along the lines, and laminate each card if you can.
- Add a hook-and-loop dot to the back of each card so it sticks to a board, a strip, or the front of a binder.
- Model the exchange. Hand your child what they ask for the moment they give you a card, so they learn the picture works.
Frequently asked questions
- What are PECS cards?
- PECS cards are small picture cards a child hands to an adult to make a request, instead of using words. PECS stands for Picture Exchange Communication System. A child who cannot yet talk can hand you a card for milk or help and you know exactly what they want.
- Are these PECS templates really free?
- Yes. Every template downloads as a free print-ready PDF, no email required. You can also customize any set in the free editor: swap symbols for photos, change the labels, or add the cards your child needs most, then download your version.
- Can I customize the templates?
- Yes. Click "Customize in editor" on any template and it opens in the free PECS Card Maker with the cards pre-loaded. Add, remove, or relabel any card, swap in your own photos, then download your custom PDF.
- Which PECS template should I start with?
- If your child is new to PECS, start with Core Request Cards. They cover the handful of words a child reaches for all day, like want, more, help, and stop. Once those are reliable, add a set for feelings, food, or your child's daily routine.