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New Parents of Children with Autism, Teaching Children with Autism Conversation Comments (0)
Developing natural social conversation skills in children with Autism can be a complex task. Successful conversation skills build relationships and are critical to successful social skills. Once a learner is able to ask questions and make statements in conversation more advanced skills such as the ability to initiate a conversation based of the interest of others, maintaining the conversation, transitioning to new topics of conversation, as well as repairing a conversation once you have lost the interest of your conversational partner may need to be further developed.
Teach your child the ability to “volley” back in forth in conversations by asking questions and making statements about comments from their conversation partners. Develop their understanding of the value of maintaining conversations related to the increased liklihood of developing relationships, etc.
Teach skills to transition to new topics of conversation by matching statement, and concepts, or asking new questions.
And most importantly teach your child to attend to the attention of his or her conversation partner. To observe and respond to nonverbal cues of non-interest or lack of attending. Once your child is able to accurately track these behaviors in others assist in developing “repair” strategies such as asking a new question, complimenting, changing topics, etc.
It is not enough to just teach rules of conversations and other social skills. Children with autism need plenty of positive practice opportunities to practice and reflect on these new skills. Provide opportunities to role play new skills. Facilitate “safe” opportunities to practice these new skills to succcessfully practice and execute new skills.
AmyShymansky @ December 5, 2009
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