Non-Verbal Communication Skills - Classroom Freebies

For typically developing children, engaging in conversations can be quite easy and natural. They may pick up on the necessary skills over time, without explicit teaching. These children may be able to learn and understand subtleties like non-verbal communication.

But for our kiddos with special needs, we may need a more explicit approach. Conversational skills often need to be broken down into small, manageable steps. Each of those steps may need to be explicitly taught, practiced, re-taught, practiced in multiple environments, and so on.

What Are The Specific Skills Within Conversational Skills?

Conversational skills are many! Here are the Four Components of a conversation and the corresponding social skills needed to engage in each:

1. Joining a Conversation {joining a conversion all ready in progress}

>Key Skills Required: Perspective Taking {knowing when to start talking, the ability to figure out, understand and stay on topic}, Personal Space, Reading Body Language and Reading Facial Expressions

2. Starting a Conversation

>Key Skills Required: Having a Topic, Having a Starter Phrase/Question, Personal Space, Perspective Taking, Eye Contact

3. Maintaining a Conversation

Key Skills Required: Eye Contact and Body Orientation, Voice Volume and Tone, Turn Taking, Responding To Others, Handling Interruptions and Making Clarifications/Corrections, Understanding Non-Verbal Communication {facial expressions and body language}.

Kids love playing this fun game. It’s great in inclusive classrooms where you have a range of children with special education needs combined with regular education students who can also benefit from practice in this area.