Many students with special needs struggle to engage in conversations and lack effective communication skills. Why? Well, there could be many reasons related to each child’s specific set of challenges and abilities. But the biggest reason, in my mind, is the number of skills needed, to successfully engage in a conversation.

There are literally dozens of skills needed. On top of that, these skills change based on the type of conversation, the number of different people involved, etc.

Oy! 

Is it any wonder that our kiddos lack good communication skills!

An important skill I spend a lot of time on with my students is, Responding To Others which is one of the essential conversational skills I teach.. After all, responding, is what makes a conversation a conversation. Without the back and forth exchange, you have a lecture or a dialogue, not a productive conversation.

But how many times have you watched a group...

HOW TO TEACH STUDENTS TO ASK QUESTIONS

Have you ever watched a group of your special education students having a “conversation?” It can be very awkward social interaction, to say the least. 

To be fair, I see similar behaviors and lack of social awareness when watching regular education students too. The students are talking…but are they having a true conversation?

A conversation is defined as a back and forth verbal exchange between two or more individuals. Of course there is sooooooo much more to pragmatic language skills. 

Based on my personal experiences, when I watch my students{who haven’t used my strategies for social pragmatics) engaging in a conversation… what I typically see when taking a closer look is one child talking, then another child talking, then another…usually overlapping each other, rarely on the same topic, and sometimes with little to no regard for each other.

One of the...

Engaging in successful conversations is an important social skill that can be very challenging for our kiddos with special needs. 

Probably the biggest reason that basic and friendly conversations are challenging for children's development of communication skills, is because, like so many things, there are actually many language skills involved Conversation may be one word, but the skills involved in executing it, are numerous and complex. 

Conversations involve complex social skills such as, Perspective Taking and Self-Regulation, which are often difficult for students with special needs. 

Here are my Top 10 picks for the most important skills needed to be taught to special education students, to help them implement effective ways to engage in better conversations with their peers:

1. Physical Proximity

How many times have you seen your students talking to someone as they are walking away...

WHAT ARE THE EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SKILLS?

The most commonly noted executive function skills are:

• Planning
• Organization
• Task Initiation
• Time Management
• Working Memory
• Metacognition
• Self Control
• Attention
• Flexibility
• Perseverance

Love visuals? Try this handy Executive Functioning Skills poster. 

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Engaging in social interactions successfully in Perspective Taking requires a lot of “splinter skills.”

While there is a scope of development of social skills and sequence for Perspective Taking, for our young children, development is usually uneven, and good social skills are often scattered; leaving us trying to figure out what to teach, much like a puzzle.

Spending some time figuring out, as best you can, where the student is at {in their perspective taking development} and which strong social skills are lacking is a great way to get started with Perspective Taking. Then, start your teaching with the developmentally earliest skill on that list, and move along up the scale as you see positive feedback and success in communication skills.

WHAT IS THE TYPICAL DEVELOPMENT OF PERSPECTIVE TAKING?

Here is a very basic overview:

Preschoolers: This this very early age, kiddos are just starting to figure out that...

WHY IS PERSPECTIVE TAKING SO IMPORTANT?

Perspective Taking is so important for children to learn because they need this important social skill to relate to others, to make others feel comfortable around us, and to know how to influence others in a positive way. Understanding the perspective of another person is an essential skill that promotes emotional intelligence.

To help children develop and improve their social perspective-taking skills, we need to first explain what perspective-taking is, then provide many examples of particular situations which would require good use of perspective-taking, in order to have a successful social experience.

In other words, define it and practice it. This is the best way for students to learn and experience the benefits of perspective taking.

Define it:

Perspective Taking is understanding something from someone else’s point of view.

*Note: You do not have to agree with someone, to understand their...