| Small talk is one of the most difficult social skills that a | | | | simple as saying yes or nodding in agreement. |
| child with Autism can learn. It is one of the most difficult | | | | These are just a small example of ways to help |
| skills for many children can learn. The ability to make | | | | children with Autism feel included in what is going on |
| interesting, non-confrontation conversation with anyone | | | | with their peers. This helps their self esteem and helps |
| is really a skill to be admired. | | | | peers see them as contributing to the discussion. |
| The small talk must also be appropriate to the time | | | | The stock question and the stock answer can be |
| and place. It is also helpful if it fits in with what the other | | | | used with a non-verbal child with a disability as well. |
| children are talking about. Although some small talk can | | | | When trying to get a child to use an assistive |
| be used to start a new topic if the child with Autism | | | | technology device whether a single button or several |
| can find the right time. | | | | buttons stock phrases can encourage children to use |
| There are some strategies that are fairly easy to start | | | | it. |
| with in the beginning. A parent will want to encourage | | | | Parents and professionals want to program something |
| their child in any appropriate efforts to make small talk | | | | useful into a voice output device. Unfortunately that |
| so they will experience success. That will need to lead | | | | means something useful to us. Like needing to eat or |
| to a discussion about using small talk with friends and | | | | go to the bathroom. How boring that could be to a |
| acquaintances. | | | | child with Autism. |
| One of the strategies to teach children with Autism | | | | If we program a stock phrase into the device it opens |
| small talk is to help them come up with some stock | | | | up the possibility of going to anyone and pressing the |
| phrases or questions to use. A stock question can be | | | | button. There are not many people who I might want |
| something as simple as asking someone with a watch | | | | to say something about the bathroom to but a lot of |
| what time it is. A stock phrase can be something as | | | | people I could ask the time. |