Sunday, February 7, 2016

Conversations Book DIY Take Home Booklet





So you will first need some paper. I used about 5 sheets of different colored construction paper. All you have to do is fold it in half and staple the pages. You can add more sheets of paper for more pages if you want. 
Then choose some colored markers. I recommend a adult writing in the book so it is easier to read but most of the ideas will be from the child. Now it is time to brain storm...
First I asked the child different ways we might say "hi" to someone.
We made a list and then added it to our book. 






Next we thought up things he liked to talk about. This was exciting for him and he was able to think of a list. You can give cues like, What movies do you like?, How about video games?, Do like books?, whats your favorite tv show?.... This made the book more about him and personalized what he likes.




Page 3 was all about getting to know others. We brainstormed questions we might others to get to know their name, likes, and etc. 





Page 4 was all about polite words because I felt it was important to add those in as a reference. We don't have them all down but remember you can always add more.




The next page focused on the partner in speech. Again we had to think outside the box and think of general ideas and subjects others might like to talk about. Since I know this child very well it was easier for me to distinguish when he chose a subject he preferred talking about and guide him on ideas about others. 




Page 6  We thought of a situation that might occur in his life. What might a teacher ask him at school? This was a bit tough for him and I had to provide extra guidance to help him think of ideas. You can think of multiple situations that might help a child in a social situation. This page is different from the other but it prepares him to think of response for the questions. He gets nervous when he doesn't know what to expect in different settings. 




Next is all about compliments. What are nice things we can say to others. I taught the child the importance of compliments and how they make others feel. I always remind my patients if you like hearing nice things so do the others around you. Always be kind. 




Page 8. This page is also different... It's all about things he doesn't like to talk about. Things that make him  feel uncomfortable or might be boring. I informed him that its ok to change to subject when these things come up as long as we do it politely and with good reason. 




Finally we ended the book with some friendly farewells. Its the perfect way to end the book of course. 




Remember you can add anything to the book. This is to help with social situations and the child should use this as a guide to help the child feel better prepared.  Thanks for reading! Please post your ideas for new pages.