To download the PowerPoint, find the link at the top of this post.
A conversation starter photo kit to project, use on a laptop, use in your tablet in PDF, or print out
Children with autism spectrum disorders usually face enormous difficulties figuring out what to say in diverse social situations. When we are helping such children in counseling, speech sessions and in the classroom, we need to provide them with engaging activities to explore what other people are up to, what other people are thinking, and how to begin conversations based on other people’s interests and circumstances.
Over a period of years I put together a 100 diverse photos that work well for conversation practice. Children really love looking at the pictures and trying to think of something to say.
I put a lot of interesting animated features into this… anything to keep kids engaged in work that is very challenging for them.
Suggestions for using this kit:
1. It works well if you, the adult, act out the role of the person in each slide. The child then talks to you while you stay in character.
2. For children who read, print out the Question/Compliment/Comment Page (next slide) for each child to use as a reference for words and phrases.
3. It helps enormously if you give out any kind of tokens while you are going through the various scenarios. Here is some cool play money I made.
I hope that you enjoy this social skills activity for children on the autism spectrum. I enjoyed creating it.
Joel Shaul, LCSW
*Don’t miss these other free social skills games, worksheets, speech activities and teaching / therapy aids for helping kids with autism:
Green Zone Picture Card Social Skills Game – a free download
Children on the autism spectrum often struggle to discern the interests of other people and to take these interests into account in conversation. This social skills game employs a picture-based strategy works well in a variety of ages and reading levels. I would then encourage you to go on to fully explore this fun, visual method in my illustrated children’s book, The Green Zone Conversation Book, published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
To download the activity, click on the red link below.
I wish you success in your social skills work with children on the autism spectrum.
Here is part of the How Interesting Is It? kit. The child moves the chip from one category to the next based on his assessment of how interesting a topic is to another person.
A set of social skills learning materials to help teach what conversation topics tend to score “likes” with peers
Children with autism spectrum disorders can find it very difficult to know what to say to their peers. Children with ASD tend to fall back on their own preferred topics.
Here are some activities to increase awareness of various things that other people find interesting to talk about. The activities employ the thumbs-up “like” symbol, which is very familiar to most children as an indicator of what pleases another person.
This kit includes:
1. How Interesting Is It? topic list [fragment shown below].
This is a list of ninety different conversation topics. You read them out loud to children so they can rate how interesting they are.
2. How Interesting Is It? rating sheet [shown below].
Children move a chip between 0 and 4 based on how interesting they think a particular conversation topic might be for another person.
3. How Interesting Is It? picture worksheets [examples shown below]
This set of five worksheets is to help children who need more practice.
Some suggested language to use when introducing these activities:
“Who has ever seen the ‘like’ icon on Facebook or other places online? What does it mean? It means someone likes something that they see or hear online. Some things online get lots of ‘likes’. Some get few, or none.
When you are talking to other people, you might also be scoring ‘likes’ – in their minds. Or you might not be scoring ‘likes’ at all. When you are ‘interesting,’ it is something like scoring ‘likes’. When you are not interesting, or boring, you are not scoring ‘likes’.
You can get much better at scoring ‘likes’ in conversation by paying close attention to what you are saying and what the other person might find to be interesting. Your own words might seem really interesting to your own ears. Maybe the other person will like your words too. But, depending on the topic and what the other person finds interesting, your words might not score any ‘likes’ at all.
Here are some activities to help you get better at scoring ‘likes’ when you talk.
1. How Interesting Is It? rating sheet. I will read you a number of different conversation topics. For each one, you have to take a guess on how interesting, on a scale of 0 to 4, it might be to the other person. Place your chip on the number that you think shows how interesting it is to the other person, not you. [Note to teacher: alter the wording as you read through the list, to clarify and specify as you see fit.]
2. How Interesting Is It? picture worksheets. For the Zero sheet, pick out some things from the list that might be uninteresting to most kids – or things that you think of yourself. Write them down on the sheet and draw small pictures. For the 1, 2, 3 and 4 sheets, write and draw things that kids your age might find more interesting.”
Note to teacher/therapist: These activities work best when you add role play practice. Select a number of topics that would rate a 3 or 4 with most children. You play the role of the other child in the conversation. Then, assign the children to converse with you on these selected topics.
I hope you find these materials enjoyable and useful.
Free check-off worksheets for children with ASD’s to explore conversation topics with family members
Children with autism spectrum disorders often have difficulties having conversations with the people they live with. It really helps to use picture guides. Here is a set of easy-to-use worksheets for classroom, speech room and home.
How to use the worksheets:
1. Have the child put check marks next to the photos they think represent the person’s interests.
2. Go over the images one at a time with the child. Explain that the family member probably has many interests that are different from the child’s own interests.
3. The sheet “Questions, Comments, Compliments” can be used to set up role plays and actual conversation practice with family members.
4. Have family members fill them out for the child to use as a reference.
5. Project the sheets using a smart board or projector – this really helps for small group or classroom discussions about family members.
Below, there is a free download to create these “All About Me” signs. They are used to help children with ASD to consider peer thoughts and interests during conversation. Both individuals in role play practice wear signs displaying their interests.
Children with Asperger’s and other autism spectrum disorders usually have great difficulty with learning, remembering and using information about others in conversation. Elsewhere in this series of blogs, I have provided methods and downloadable visuals to help children with ASD to speak in a more reciprocal manner. Here is one more technique, which can be used from about age 6 up through teen years.
Tips on helping children to complete the All About Me signs:
1. You may have them select pictures online to paste onto the sign instead of having them draw the pictures.
2. Suggest to children completing the signs that they should include a variety of pictures. It constrains conversation to restrict the All About Me sign to, say, four different pictures representing four different video games.
Tools to use in combination with the All About Me signs:
Green Zone Two-person worksheets. These are really useful for having two peers identify common ground. There are many other conversation skills resources on this website.
Here are some words to try…or your own intro might improve on the intro I provide here:
“When you talk to another person, you always have to think about what the other person might be thinking and what the other person might like to talk about. To help you think about what other people like to talk about, we are going to make All About Me signs. Draw simple pictures that another person can understand. Use your very best writing. When you are finished, we will use string to attach it around your neck. You will then have a conversation with another person who is also wearing and All About Me sign. Each of you will do your best to pay attention to the things the other person likes.”
I hope you have fun with this activity. [by the way…the kid pictures shown here are derived from free images found online.]
