This core Talkabout manual is a practical resource essential for Speech and Language Therapists and other professionals who need to help people with special needs develop social skills. Over 60 activities form an extensive, structured social skills programme that can easily be adapted for use with children, adolescents and adults. Written by bestselling author and practising Speech and Language Therapist, Alex Kelly, this book sits at the centre of an internationally renowned series of resources supporting social skills.
Contents include:
a social skills assessment and intervention planning tool to help you identify the best way forward for each client or group
over 60 activities focussing on body language, conversation and assertiveness
25 group cohesion activities to help you facilitate well-run, productive group sessions
a wealth of handouts supporting the activities that can be freely downloaded and printed.
This updated second edition of Talkabout sits alongside Talkabout for Teenagers and Talkabout for Adults, as well as three titles published for children ( Developing Self Awareness and Self Esteem, Developing Social Skills and, Developing Friendship and Skills).
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You will need to print out and copy some of the activities from the accompanying CD.
Some of the activity worksheets are best enlarged to A3 size.
Some of the activity cards are best laminated so that you can use them again.
Some activities are designed to be A5 size to create a ‘fact book’ of social skills.
Timing
The topics in Level 1 will take up to 46 sessions to complete.
Contents
Topic 1
Talkabout body language
Activity 1
Watch us talk!
Activity 2
Watch that man
Activity 3
What is body language?
Activity 4
In the manner of the word
Activity 5
What happens to our bodies when …?
Activity 6
Body language … what am I like? (part 1)
Topic 2
Eye contact
Activity 7
Watch my eyes!
Activity 8
Blindfold game
Activity 9
Why is eye contact important?
Activity 10
The rules for eye contact
Activity 11
Learning to look
Activity 12
Stop and look
Topic 3
Facial expression
Activity 13
Watch my face!
Activity 14
Why is facial expression important?
Activity 15
Different feelings
Activity 16
The rules for facial expression
Activity 17
Face your emotions
Topic 4
Gesture
Activity 18
Watch my hands!
Activity 19
Why is gesture important?
Activity 20
Different gestures
Activity 21
The rules for gesture
Activity 22
Give us a hand
Topic 5
Distance
Activity 23
Watch the distance!
Activity 24
That’s a close one!
Activity 25
Closer to you?
Activity 26
The rules for distance
Activity 27
Mind the gap!
Topic 6
Touch
Activity 28
Watch my touch!
Activity 29
Touch control
Activity 30
Why is touch important?
Activity 31
The rules for touch
Activity 32
To touch or not to touch?
Topic 7
Fidgeting
Activity 33
Watch me fidget!
Activity 34
Why do people fidget?
Activity 35
The rules for fidgeting
Topic 8
Posture
Activity 36
Watch my posture!
Activity 37
Walk this way
Activity 38
Posture thermometer
Activity 39
Different postures
Activity 40
The rules for posture
Activity 41
Time to pose!
Topic 9
Personal appearance
Activity 42
Watch my appearance!
Activity 43
Looking good!
Activity 44
The rules for personal appearance
Activity 45
Dressed to impress
Topic 10
My body language … how did I do?
Activity 46
Body language … What am I like? (part 2)
Topic 1 Talkabout body language
Activity 1 Watch us talk!
Preparation
You will need a large sheet of paper and pens to write down discussion ideas.
Print out copies of the handout.
You may want to prepare short role plays (modelling) of you and a co-facilitator having a conversation or source a few video clips of people talking to each other. You could use a couple of clips from the Talkabout DVD.
Instructions
• Ask the group to think about the different ways in which we communicate.
• You could role play a model conversation or show video clips of people talking, to get the group talking to each other in different ways.
• Write up all the ideas on a large piece of paper. Support the group to begin thinking in terms of body language, the way we talk and having conversations.
• Then ask the group members to look at the cartoon on the handout. What do they notice about how the people are communicating?
• Introduce the main three ways we communicate and what they mean, including any ideas the group have thought of.
• Explain to the group that they will now be focusing on the skills of body language in this session.
Activity 1 ‘Watch us talk!’ handout
Activity 2 Watch that man
Preparation
You will need some large sheets of paper and pens to write down discussion ideas.
Find short video clips from popular television programmes that show different aspects of body language: eye contact, facial expression, gesture, distance, touch, fidgeting, posture and personal appearance. The soaps can work well or use the introduction to body language clips on the Talkabout DVD.
Instructions
• Explain to the group that they are going to watch some video clips with the sound off.
• Get the group to watch the clips and think about wha...
