Talkabout

A Social Communication Skills Package

Alex Kelly

Alex Kelly’s internationally renowned Talkabout books are a series of practical workbooks designed to develop the self-awareness, self-esteem and social skills of people with special needs. This core manual in the Talkabout series provides fully adaptable session plans, activities and games to focus on four key areas of social skills: Body Language, The Way We Talk, Conversations and Assertiveness. Now in its second edition, this revised version of the Talkabout manual has been edited for US professionals, with a foreword by Nancy Tarshis and Debbie Meringolo (Altogether Social LLC, New York).

Contents includes:

• A social skills assessment and intervention planning tool to help identify the individual needs of each client or group

• Over 60 structured activities, with a focus on body language, paralinguistic features, conversation and assertiveness

• 25 group cohesion activities to help facilitate productive group sessions

Suitable for Speech and Language Pathologists, Teachers, Social Workers, Child Psychologists and School Counsellors, the photocopiable resources within this volume are suitable for use with children, adolescents and adults in small groups or individually.

Review

“Talkabout 2nd Editions presents with clear aims and defined hierarchy of its social skills programme, following a systematic structure to address social skills encapsulating wider features such as gestures, thoughts and feelings. Sometimes many other social skill programmes can focus on just the simplest elements of communication and conversation by addressing appropriate things to say and how close is appropriate to stand near someone. However, Alex Kelly doesn’t just address what we say in appropriate social situations, but also how we say it – addressing the finer eloquence of communication. The real life practical examples also support students in a more realistic manner can be applied to daily life instantly, and with summary activities at the end of each chapter to reinforce learning along with visual aids to support and stimulate this is a resource adolescents will thrive on.

Talkabout 2nd Edition combines all the elements necessary for supporting adolescents with social communication difficulties and isn’t just appropriate for those with a diagnosis of autism, but also for the wider peer group to work towards. However, it is noted by the reviewer that assessment forms may need adapting to suit non-writing users, and language may need adapting to be simpler for those with language or cognition needs. But what Talkabout 2nd Edition offers is a solid basis for the administrator to implement all of the strategies presented with any adaptions necessary as there is a clear session aim and objective with clearly structured activities and necessary handouts present with plausible step up/step down activities. It is a highly useful resource for all practitioners working with adolescents with social communication needs including therapists, support workers and even family members.” ― Gemma Biles, Speech and Language Therapist

“A well assembled step by step guide for speech therapy group work. Addresses all aspects of communication especially social skills of expressing thoughts and feelings, and gaining insight into what is appropriate in different situations. Although this is designed for work with autism, I can see benefits for utilising with the TBI population and other brain injury such as right hemisphere language disorders in adults.

Excellent resource for any therapist working in groups with a focus on interaction and communication skill building. You can pick it up and run with it.” ― Annette Rotherham, NZSTA

–This text refers to an alternate kindle edition

About the Author

Alex Kelly is a Speech Language Pathologist who specializes in working with people with social skills and relationship skills difficulties. She currently runs her own business providing social skills training and consultancy to schools and organizations across the UK and overseas.

Debbie Meringolo, MA, MS

Debbie Meringolo, a special educator, clinician and developmental specialist, is the Director of Early Childhood Programming at Quad Preparatory School, a school for twice exceptional children, Grades K-12. She assumed this role in July 2018, after a 27-year history as the Associate Director of the Infant/Toddler Team and RELATE program at the Rose F. Kennedy Center Children’s Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center of Montefiore. Prior to her current role at Quad Prep, Debbie served as a consultant, bringing social cognitive programming to the school, developing the social emotional learning program and training staff members. Debbie has a long history working in schools as a reading specialist, supervisor and program developer in the New York City Department of Education for many years. She also runs a part-time private practice, Altogether Social, along with Nancy Tarshis, for children ages 14 months through adulthood. They provide individual and group sessions, consult to public and private schools and training for parents and professionals. Debbie is an enthusiastic speaker who enjoys sharing her own clinical experiences with audience. She has been speaking about social cognitive development, preschool and school age play skill development, assessment and intervention, diagnosis and treatment of individuals with social learning challenges, and developing social programming across the age range across the country.

Nancy Tarshis

MA, MS, CCC-SLP

Product details

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07WDDWFN5
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Routledge; 2nd edition (August 13, 2019)
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 13, 2019
• Language ‏ : ‎ English