Changing Topics During Conversations

by The Speech Ladder

Price: 300 points or $3 USD

Subjects: specialed

Grades: 4,5,6,7,8

Description: This is a set of 15 Boom Cards targeting the goal of changing topics appropriately. This is another concept that involves perspective-taking as well as social interaction skills and is therefore, challenging for our students on the autism spectrum. I have seen that simple visual aids facilitate my students' understanding tremendously, therefore, I have made the first two cards with images to help analogize changing topics with changing lanes on the road. Presenting it to them in a concrete manner, heightens their awareness of this concept since everyone wants to be a safe driver on the road. This deck promotes social awareness and social inferencing by providing scenarios that tap into the pragmatics aspect of communication. Each scenario has two different options to choose the correct answer from. The goal is to spark a conversation which lends itself to multiple teaching opportunities. Discussing 'why' an option is incorrect will allow you to talk about other people's perspectives and expectations. (Another important underpinning of social interaction). Prerequisite skills required to derive benefit from this deck include reading comprehension, receptive-language skills, and some cognitive flexibility. Questions/Comments: thespeechladder2019@gmail.com