Talk to Me - 9781849054287

Jones, who has a son with Asperger's syndrome and severe speech and language impairments, shares the strategies she used with him to teach conversation, social skills, behavior, and life skills. She explains how to demand a conversation with the child; talk about the diagnosis of autism; find a reward system that the child can verbalize; use a diary as a conversation catalyst; teach the child how to ask questions, take turns, listen actively, and stay on topic; encourage the use of names; help friends and family have conversations with the child; talk about body language and emotions; show the importance of pauses and silence; use storytelling and mind maps; deal with idioms and incorrect English; teach the child to verbalize distress; and teach conversation starters for various settings. She also discusses making friends, dealing with authority figures, birthday parties and youth groups, practical and abstract life skills, organizing daily life and routines, giving the child responsibility for daily tasks, caring for a pet, and preparing the child for cooking, money management, resilience, job interviews, driving, and the first day at work, among other ideas. Annotation ©2014 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)