Tag: speech pragmatics

Posted on

Paper fortune teller for practicing “How are you?” questions

How-Are-You-Paper-Fortune-Teller-DownloadDownload

This same resource, translated into German

[This is page 10 of the English and French versions of my book, The Conversation Train.]

Young people with autism and “How are you?” questions

When people with ASD are asked open-ended questions like “How are you doing?”, “What’s up?” or “How’s it going?”, they often can’t figure out just what it is the other person wants to know.  Also, individuals with autism might be inexperienced at employing various quick, formulaic replies like “Fine, thanks” or “I’m doing okay. You?”

When people with autism are expected to ask other people “How are you?” or “How’s it going?”, many just avoid saying it altogether. There are several reasons for this. First, the unfolding of a conversation containing “How are you?” can be very unpredictable in length and in content.  Asking a person how they are doing often elicits a lot of information that someone with ASD may feel unprepared to take in. Second, a person on the autism spectrum might not grasp the imperative of reciprocity in conversation, so when someone asks them “How are you?” they don’t end up asking the same thing in reply.

In my own work, I have seen how many young people on the autism spectrum can get much better at this set of skills with instruction and practice.

Children with autism often don't know how to answer the question, "How are you?" They also don't know why they should ask others "How are you?"

Paper fortune tellers work well for two children, or an adult and the child, to practice specific conversation skills. I have used my own, custom-designed ones for many years in my work. There are many other conversation-based paper fortune tellers on the website to practice other elements of social communication. I also show how to fold them.

This picture shows what it looks like when you open up this how are you paper fortune teller.
Inside the paper fortune teller are examples of different ways to ask "How are you" to someone.
There are lots more social skills paper fortune tellers on this website.

Don’t miss these other free worksheets, games, and teaching / therapy resources for children on the autism spectrum:

Free social skills games & activities, emotional regulation skills for kids with ASD

Free social skills games & activities, communication / conversation skills for kids with ASD

Free social skills games & activities, social interaction skills for kids with ASD

Your comments on these resources are most welcome, and often helpful. Click HERE to send an email.

Posted on

“Fix The Problem” Social Skills Game – Free Download

Fix the Problem
The Fix the Problem Game for young people with autism. A complete downloadable social skills game with cards, questions, play money.
Fix-the-Problem-Game-Face-Cards-to-PrintDownload
Fix-The-Problem-Game-40-Face-Cards-to-show-one-per-page-2Download
Fix-the-Problem-Game-Narratives-to-Read-AloudDownload
Fix-The-Problem-Game-Play-MoneyDownload

In German: Problemlösungs-Spiel

In my work as a psychotherapist and social skills trainer in individual and group settings, I spent years developing game-like activities to engage autistic youth in learning challenging social and emotional skills. The Fix the Problem Game evolved over about ten years of experimentation and refinement. Children and teens usually like it a lot. It is frequently downloaded by users of this website, who have provided positive feedback regarding its usefulness.

These are the 40 character scenarios to read aloud, representing a range of social and emotional problems.

The first download includes 40 first-person character scenarios to read aloud, representing a wide range of social and emotional problems.

Also included are 40 game character cards (shown above), to cut out or display on a screen.

Special game money (shown above) is provided. You give it out to players who provide the most useful suggestions on “fixing the problem” presented by the game character.

This 5-dollar game money is harder to earn – the player must describe a time when they themselves experience the problem described by the game character.

More about the Fix The Problem Game

Children with autism spectrum disorders often get tired of scrutiny and criticism. They may be quite aware of their need to work on things like conversation, social skills and difficult emotions. But it can feel confrontational and discouraging to have parents, teachers and therapists pointing out their problems all the time.

The Fix the Problem Game takes a different approach which many children find more relaxed, engaging and even fun. Rather than zeroing in immediately on the child’s own difficulties, we back off and look at other people’s problems instead. Often, when children learn about somebody else’s problem, they are able to examine the situation objectively and come up with useful solutions. This indirect problem solving seems less personal – more like a game or puzzle. Then, once children experience the success of solving a hypothetical problem, they are more open to an examination of their own issues.

The Fix the Problem Game is designed to help children with ASD to examine their own social and emotional challenges by engaging them in the process of analyzing somebody else’s problems first. The game features 40 child characters and 40 first-person scenarios, each describing problems experienced by many young people on the spectrum. For each scenario, the reader is asked by the game character to “fix my problem.” Afterwards, the game questions ask, “What about you? Have you ever had a problem like this?”

After experiencing success helping game characters, children are often more insightful and confident with their work on their own similar problems.

This is Joel Shaul's very best social skills game for young people with autism.

Don’t miss these other free social & emotional skills games, worksheets and teaching / therapy resources for children & teens with ASD:

Free social skills games & activities, emotional regulation skills for kids with ASD

Free social skills games & activities, communication / conversation skills for kids with ASD

Free social skills games & activities, social interaction skills for kids with ASD

 

The Conversation Train Book

Green Zone Book Cover Click to Learn More

 

 

Posted on

The How Interesting Is It? kit – conversation social skills activities for children with ASD

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.
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.

Download: How Interesting Is It kit

In German: Wie Interessant Ist Es? aktivität

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].

 
How Interesting Is It topic list, fragment

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].

 
IMG_2468

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]

How Interesting Is It worksheet examples

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.

Joel Shaul, LCSW

Your comments on these resources are most welcome, and often helpful. Click HERE to send an email.

Your Interests Promo image for website

The Conversation Train Book

Green Zone Book Cover Click to Learn More