5 Tips for Improving Conversation Skills in Teens with Autism
As a parent or caregiver of a teen with autism, you want your teen to engage in meaningful conversations with others, but you may have noticed that their conversational skills aren’t as developed or confident as those of their peers. It’s natural to worry about how this will affect your teen and their future. After all, how well one communicates can have a significant impact when it comes to things like socializing, academics, and preparing for life after high school. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach, with patience, perseverance, and adequate support, you can help your teen with autism build a solid foundation for effective communication. Here are 5 strategies that can encourage them to improve these fundamental conversational skills.
Use Visual Support
One way to help your teen develop their communication skills is by incorporating the use of visual aids. For example, you can create a visual storyboard that includes simple, precise language combined with pictures or illustrations that guide the sequence and flow of a conversation. This will help your teen learn to stay on topic, take turns, learn to reciprocate questions, and predict social cues. You can also try picture cards that prompt specific conversation topics or emotions to encourage your teen to communicate effectively.
2. Appeal to Their Interests
Empower your teen to initiate and engage in conversations by asking them open-ended questions about their unique interests. Whether it’s talking about a hobby they have, their school day, or their favorite food, by building conversations around topics that interest them, your teen can practice their social skills and expand their vocabulary in a way that is approachable for them. As they become more comfortable with conversing, don’t be afraid to gently nudge them out of their comfort zone and discuss different topics. This will help them be more flexible when it comes to real-world social interactions.
3. Practice Role-Playing
Effective communication takes practice and many teens with autism can find it difficult to engage in back-and-forth conversation. Role-playing can help your teen learn how to take turns and navigate conversations with more confidence. If your teen is struggling with a specific interaction, like asking for help with their homework or engaging with other teens during lunch, try practicing the conversation with your teen from both roles. Explain each phase of the conversation step-by-step—this can help them better understand how others might react or respond.
While it’s important to address your teen’s specific social concerns, you should still practice conversing in various settings, including at home, school, and around your community as this can provide your teen with the tools they need to adapt to new social environments with ease.
4. Use Positive Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement is an excellent way to encourage desired behaviors. When your teen engages in a successful conversation, listens intently, or integrates a new social skill, acknowledge their efforts with praise and rewards. This will help motivate your teen to continue practicing their conversational skills by providing positive associations with how they communicate.
5. Stay Consistent
Like all skills, effective communication requires time and persistence so try to practice these skills and strategies regularly, even if it's just for a few minutes each day. A structured approach will also make it easier for your teen to incorporate these foundational skills so consider adding time to your daily schedule to practice together. With a little consistency and a strong support system, your teen can learn to initiate and sustain social interactions with others, seek out meaningful connections, and shine while doing it!
PS Academy Arizona is one of the leading K-12 autism schools in Gilbert, AZ. Our sensory-friendly campus offers a personalized curriculum, a comprehensive range of clubs and electives, and a welcoming learning environment for students with autism and other exceptionalities. To learn more about our programs, get in touch with one of our enrollment specialists today.
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