Do you use PECS cards or not?

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It seems like you're happy at your school; am I right?

Now: my viewpoint on "suburbs." Correct me if I'm wrong:

I grew up in the Bronx, and Queens, NYC. Still live in Queens.

The NYC suburbs are the same as, say, the Chicago suburbs. To call a place a "suburb," in the US, to me, usually carries a positive connotation--that of relative affluence. Dobbs Ferry is a suburb of NYC. Skokie is a suburb of Chicago. Yonkers is not usually thought of as a "suburb" of NYC, but as a separate "city." Its affluence varies. Daly City, is not, I believe, considered a "suburb" of San Francisco; it's not a poor place, but it's not an affluent place, either.

In places other than the US, however, a "suburb" carries a more neutral connotation. There are "good" suburbs and "bad" suburbs.

In the UK, if I'm not mistaken, a "suburb" is an area which is not in the Central Business District (CBD) of a city like Manchester, or London, no matter how "urban" it seems.

In South Africa, a "low-density" suburb is a good area, a "high-density suburb" is usually somewhat of a bad area.

In America, colleges could be stand-alone, or could be components of a "university." All "colleges" grant at least Associate Degrees (the 2-year degree in America). Most colleges grant Bachelor's degrees. Community colleges only grant 2-year degrees.

When a person goes to "college" in the US, they are going to "Uni." I'd never even seen the term "Uni" until I came to this site! No American uses the term "Uni."

The UK "college" is a combination of our "trade schools" and "community colleges" (even though community colleges also grant 2-year degrees in addition to certificates. 4 year colleges grant certificates, too, but they're not an important aspect of 4 year colleges--the bachelor's degree is. "Adult education" serves a similar function to the UK's "further education."

The UK's GCSE is analogous to the US's SAT and ACT--except it's much more comprehensive than the American tests. A-levels are somewhat equivalent to the American 2-year/Associates degree.

I stand corrected, then, in relation to the UK's notion of suburbs.

After high school, should Americans decide to continue their education, they usually go to either community colleges (2 year colleges) or 4 year colleges. The terminal degree at a 2 year college is the Associates Degree. A 4 year college's terminal degree could either be a bachelor's, a masters, or a doctorate. Usually, if it's a stand-alone college, the terminal degree is the bachelor's. If it's a large university, the terminal degree is frequently either a master's or a doctorate (usually a doctorate). Even if a student goes to a large university, he/she is "attending college."

Sometimes, people go to "trade schools," which are equivalent to "colleges" in the UK or Canada. It's also somewhat common for people to take "trade school"-type courses within community colleges or even 4 year schools.

To OP. No I don't or have ever used PECS cards (though I like them for some reason). I do use a visual schedule for the week, also cards for getting dressed.

I hope I didn't bombard you with a "wall of text," Coda.

I wish you Excellent Luck in your pursuit of your dreams.

I don't use PECS, but I use a lot of visuals where other people use words. My lists and schedules and things are all drawn in pictures; It makes life a lot easier -- helps me get things done faster and with fewer mistakes, and is way less exhausting.