PECS co-developer, Lori Frost, MS, CCC-SLP, was recently honored by her undergraduate alma mater, the University of Arkansas, receiving the 2026 Distinguished Career in Health Award from the College of Education and Health Professions.
At the awards banquet, Dean Kate Mamiseishvili recognized this year’s recipients as “heroes” whose work combines vision with meaningful impact. Ms. Frost was highlighted as a “dreamer” whose commitment to improving communication for individuals with autism helped shape the development of the Picture Exchange Communication System® (PECS®), now used worldwide:
"Our alumni heroes are... dreamers, like Lori Frost, who, frustrated by the lack of strategies to help nonverbal children with autism communicate, dreamed big of developing a better system that would revolutionize how therapists and children communicate."
Over the course of her career, Ms. Frost co-developed PECS with Andy Bondy, PhD and co-founded Pyramid Educational Consultants, supporting learners, families, and professionals across many cultures and settings. This recognition reflects both her longstanding contributions to the field and the global impact of functional communication approaches.
Read the full article to learn more about the award recipients and their work.