What Pyramid Educational Consultants does

Pyramid Educational Consultants, founded in 1992 and headquartered in New Castle, Delaware, is the exclusive worldwide licensor and provider of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) and the Pyramid Approach to Education — two evidence-based methodologies developed in 1985 by co-founders Andy Bondy, PhD and Lori Frost, MS, CCC-SLP for individuals with autism and complex communication needs. The company's core product is a six-phase picture-exchange communication protocol backed by over 240 published research articles; its supporting portfolio includes the Pyramid Approach framework (built on Applied Behavior Analysis principles), the PECSTalk AAC mobile application (iOS and Android, 14 languages), physical communication books and visual supports, the Pyramid Certified Classroom Program, and a curated line of complementary products such as the SoSAFE! Social & Sexual Safety Program.

The business operates five inter-locking revenue streams: training and workshop fees (e.g., PECS Level 1 at $429 professional / $299 parent), physical and digital product sales through the pecsusa.com storefront, certification programs, professional and family consultation services, and a freemium mobile app. Go-to-market combines enterprise field sales (Pyramid-hosted and 'Host Your Own' on-site workshops), self-serve e-learning via the Pyramid Online Learning portal, content marketing (blog, webinars, short talks), and a tightly-managed community channel anchored by the 30,000+ member 'PECS User Support' Facebook group.

Pyramid operates 16 wholly-owned regional subsidiaries covering the US, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, South Korea, Spain and the UK, delivering localized training, products, and language support. Primary customer segments are schools and school districts, parents and caregivers, speech-language pathologists, and board-certified behavior analysts, with secondary reach to occupational therapists and special education teachers. The company is privately held and founder-operated, with trademarks for PECS and the Pyramid Approach held by Pyramid Group Management, LLC; no external venture or private equity investment is documented in the source materials.

Name

Pyramid Educational Consultants

Legal name

Pyramid Educational Consultants, Inc.

Website

https://pecsusa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pyramid Educational Consultants, founded in 1992, is the exclusive worldwide provider of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) and the Pyramid Approach to Education, serving schools, clinicians, and families of individuals with autism and complex communication needs through training, certification, products, and the PECSTalk AAC app.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Support Services (611710), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

AAC (Augmentative & Alternative Communication) Devices, Apps & Training (EDAKAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Executive Functioning & Behavioral Support Tools (ADHD, SEL/Behavior Tracking, Routines) (EDAFAKAG), Essay, Resume & Portfolio Coaching Platforms (EDAFAMAD)

Keywords

• Augmentative communication systems
• Special education training
• Autism intervention services
• Applied behavior analysis
• Speech language pathology

Headquarters

HQ city

Newark

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Training and Workshop Fees: Pyramid offers various training programs including PECS Level 1 Training (Professional: $429, Parent: $299), PECS Level 2 Training, The Pyramid Approach workshop, and short talks/conferences. Training is delivered both in-person and online with varying durations from 1-hour webinars to 2-day intensive workshops. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available including ASHA, BACB, IBA, QABA, AOTA, and NASP credits.
2. Product Sales: Sale of physical and digital products including PECS Communication Books, Visual Schedules, Reinforcement Tools, PECS 151 picture sets, Book Straps, and PECS Starter Kits. Products are sold through the online Product Shop at pecsusa.com/store/.
3. Certification Programs: Pyramid offers PECS Implementer Certification and Pyramid Certification programs that provide professional credentials upon completion of training requirements.
4. Consultation Services: Expert Pyramid Consultants provide evidence-based consultation to teams, organizations and families to improve learning environments, increase functional communication and decrease challenging behaviors. Consultation sessions address elements of the Pyramid Approach.
5. PECSTalk App: The PECSTalk AAC app is available in free and paid versions. The free version provides limited functionality while the full version offers complete features including 14 language support, unlimited communication book pages, and cross-device synchronization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Pyramid Educational Consultants is the exclusive worldwide source for the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), a six-phase augmentative and alternative communication protocol, and the Pyramid Approach to Education, an Applied Behavior Analysis-based framework for learners with complex communication needs. The company sells physical communication products (Picture Exchange Communication System Communication Books, Visual Schedules, Reinforcement Tools, Starter Kits), the PECSTalk AAC mobile application, and delivers professional training workshops, certification programs, expert consultation services, and self-paced e-Learning courses to schools, clinicians, and families across 16 countries.

Product overview

Pyramid Educational Consultants offers a unified portfolio centered on two evidence-based methodologies: the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) and the Pyramid Approach to Education. PECS is a 6-phase AAC communication system for individuals with autism and complex communication needs, while the Pyramid Approach provides a framework for effective learning environments. The core digital product is PECSTalk, an AAC mobile app for Android and iOS tablets that replicates the physical PECS communication book digitally. Physical products include Communication Books, Visual Schedules, and Reinforcement Tools. The portfolio is supported by training workshops (PECS Level 1, Level 2, Pyramid Approach), the Pyramid Certification Program for classrooms, professional and family consultation services, and Pyramid Online Learning for self-paced e-Learning with CEUs. A complementary offering is the SoSAFE! Social & Sexual Safety Program for relationship education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System): Internationally recognized, evidence-based Picture Exchange Communication System for teaching functional communication skills to individuals with autism and complex communication needs.
• Pyramid Approach to Education
• PECSTalk
• Pyramid Products

Products and services

• Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) An evidence-based augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) protocol with six sequential phases (spontaneous requesting, distance and persistence, picture discrimination, sentence structure, responding to requesting questions, and commenting) that teaches individuals with autism and complex communication needs to initiate communication, request items, build vocabulary, ask questions, and comment using picture exchange. Supported by 240+ peer-reviewed research articles and offered as a registered trademark and copyrighted curriculum.
• Pyramid Approach to Education A comprehensive educational framework based on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) principles for building effective learning environments for learners with complex communication needs and severe learning challenges. Combines structural components (functional activities, reinforcement systems, functional communication, behavior identification/replacement) with instructional components (lesson formats, prompting strategies, error correction procedures), all driven by data-based decision making.
• PECSTalk AAC Mobile Application An augmentative and alternative communication mobile application for iOS and Android tablets that combines evidence-based PECS strategies with digital technology. Features include the proprietary Pics for PECS image library, customizable voice output, Sentence Strips construction, up to 30 digital PECS book pages, data backup and transfer across devices, and 14-language support with bilingual book capability. Available in free and paid versions.
• Pyramid Products (Communication Books, Visual Schedules, Reinforcement Tools, PECS 151 Picture Sets, Book Straps) Physical teaching products supporting implementation of PECS and the Pyramid Approach to Education, including durable poly-vinyl Communication Books, Visual Schedules, Reinforcement Tools, PECS 151 picture sets, and Book Straps. Sold through the online Product Shop at pecsusa.com/store for institutional and individual buyers.
• PECS Starter Kit A bundled product package containing a Large Communication Book, PECS 151 picture set, and Book Strap, designed as the starting point for implementing PECS after completion of Level 1 Training. Sold through the online Product Shop.
• Pyramid Training and Workshops (PECS Level 1, PECS Level 2, Pyramid Approach, Short Talks and Conferences) Professional development workshops delivered online and in-person by Pyramid expert consultants, including the PECS co-developers Andy Bondy, PhD and Lori Frost, MS, CCC-SLP. PECS Level 1 Training is priced at $429 per professional and $299 per parent/caregiver for a 2-day intensive workshop (13 contact hours). Short talks and webinars range from $19-$29. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available including ASHA, BACB, IBA, QABA, AOTA, and NASP credits. Organizations can also contract to host their own training events.
• Pyramid Certification Program (Pyramid Certified Classroom and PECS Implementer Certification) Formal credentialing programs that train and validate educators and practitioners in implementing the Pyramid Approach to Education and PECS. The Pyramid Certified Classroom program has certified over 100 classrooms at Sussex Consortium in Delaware, providing school-level recognition and ongoing professional development support.
• Professional and Family Consultation Services Expert Pyramid Consultant-delivered evidence-based consultation for teams, organizations, and families to improve learning environments, increase functional communication, and decrease challenging behaviors. Each session systematically addresses elements of the Pyramid Approach and guides teams in evaluating plan effectiveness, with individualized consultation plans tailored to client needs.
• Pyramid Online Learning (Self-Paced e-Learning) Self-paced online courses delivered through the Pyramid Online Learning platform, including PECS Implementer Certification, the Pyramid Journal Club, The Language of Emotions, Teaching Critical Communication Skills, and Ethical Collaboration in Augmentative Alternative Communication. Participants earn CEUs upon completion of requirements.
• SoSAFE! Social and Sexual Safety Program A visual teaching tool that enables learners with developmental disabilities to develop abilities in managing and communicating about relationships, ranging from stranger safety to intimate relationships. Delivered as a kit including manual, program materials, and toolkit on USB.

Quantifiable outcome

• 13,450 PECS exchanges made in one school year with 18.3% being Phase VI comments (spontaneous commenting), demonstrating advanced communication skills development
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Temple University College of Education and Human DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2024Andy Bondy and Lori Frost, co-developers of PECS and founders of Pyramid Educational Consultants, pledged $100,000 to Temple University to establish the Andy Bondy and Lori Frost Endowed Scholarship and the Andy Bondy and Lori Frost Experiential Learning Fund. The Experiential Learning Fund will launch the Pyramid Functional Communication Skills Program to provide communication support to autistic children and families in underserved Philadelphia communities. Professor Matt Tincani stated this program will serve as the cornerstone of the college's autism-focused education initiative.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tobii Dynavox: Tobii Dynavox is the global leader in dedicated AAC speech-generating devices and apps, serving individuals with autism, ALS, and other complex communication needs. It is the most direct competitor to PECSTalk in the AAC device and software market.
• PRC-Saltillo: PRC-Saltillo manufactures AAC devices (e.g., ChatPlus, TouchChat) and language systems widely adopted by SLPs working with autism and complex communication needs, directly competing with Pyramid's PECSTalk app and training.
• AssistiveWare: AssistiveWare makes Proloquo and Proloquo2Go, leading symbol-based AAC apps for iOS used by SLPs, schools, and families. It competes directly with PECSTalk in the consumer and school AAC app market.
• CoughDrop: CoughDrop is a cloud-based AAC app offering symbol-based communication with team collaboration features for SLPs, teachers, and parents. It is a peer in the AAC app space alongside PECSTalk.
• Attainment Company: Attainment Company develops curricula, picture-based communication tools, and special-education materials for students with moderate-to-severe disabilities, including autism. It is comparable to Pyramid's communication books, visual schedules, and training-supported curriculum offerings.
• Smartbox Assistive Technology: Smartbox creates AAC software (e.g., Grid) and grid-based communication apps for individuals with complex needs. It is a direct competitor to PECSTalk in symbol-based AAC, particularly in the UK and European markets where Pyramid also operates.

Emerging players

• Avaz by Infiniteach: Avaz is an AAC app designed primarily for children with autism, offering picture- and text-to-speech communication on iOS. It targets a similar end-user as PECSTalk but focuses on the Indian and broader international consumer AAC market.
• Pro-Ed: Pro-Ed publishes assessment tools, curricula, and intervention materials for special education and speech-language pathology. It overlaps with Pyramid's training and intervention content offerings for SLPs and special educators.

Broad incumbents

• AbleNet: AbleNet provides assistive technology products — including switches, communication aids, and classroom learning tools — for special education and AAC markets. It overlaps with Pyramid's assistive/communication product portfolio and serves similar SLP and school customers.

Regional players

• Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) ecosystem providers: While the BACB itself certifies practitioners, affiliated continuing-education providers offer ABA-based training with CEUs. Pyramid's BACB-accredited PECS/Pyramid Approach workshops compete in this continuing-education ecosystem for BCBAs and SLPs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PECS_USA
• Facebookfacebook.com/85640329444
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pec-consultants-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pyramid Educational Consultants