Talk with Me: A Step-By-Step Conversation Framework for Teaching Conversational Balance and Fluency For High-Functioning Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Conversation is everywhere – at the lunch table, at after-school activities, in the line for the water fountain, at overnight camp during downtime, at work with a coworker, and at a Thanksgiving gathering. Regardless of the setting, this critical skill – human conversation – is challenging for many individuals with – children and adults alike. For these reasons, it is essential to equip individuals with autism with effective conversational skills. The Conversation Framework is a unique strategy that provides an approach to assessing and teaching conversation skills in a group setting that is effective for most students who have difficulty engaging in conversations, including students with autism. The Conversation Framework presented in Talk With Me& breaks down the elements of a conversation which must be mastered in order to be proficient at carrying out conversations. The framework was developed and refined across many years based on a review of the relevant research along with close observation of how people talk to each other – what conversations really sound like. Many find it difficult to teach conversation skills, but the Conversation Framework provides a simple and easy-to-implement process for teaching effective conversational habits. If you’re looking for a comprehensive model with assessments, data collection, visual supports, drills, and prompt examples – this is your book!

Kerry Mataya, MEd, is the Executive Director of Bridgeway Services providing individual and group intervention-based services in the areas of social development, problem-solving, perspective taking, academics, self-awareness, behavior regulation, and executive function. She received a Master’s in Education with emphasis in Autism and Asperger Syndrome from the University of Kansas. In addition to offering after-school social groups and summer camps, Mataya holds many contracts with school systems for individual, group, and training services. Most recently, Mataya co-authored Successful Problem-Solving for High Functioning Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and is currently working on additional projects that systematize learning for students with ASD. Mataya has presented at numerous conferences and workshops in the U.S. and internationally. She is also involved with Asperger Connection, a small non-profit organization that provides funding to improve the quality of life for high-functioning individuals with ASD.

Ruth Aspy, PhD is a licensed psychologist who specializes in transdisciplinary assessment and intervention for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. She is co-author of a comprehensive model of intervention, The Ziggurat Model, which earned the 2008 Literary Achievement Award from the Autism Society of America. Dr. Aspy speaks nationally and internationally. She has provided training and consultation throughout the United States and internationally in countries including Greece, Australia, Canada, Trinidad, Spain, Turkey, and Japan. Her focus is on understanding underlying strengths and characteristics of those with ASD and designing supports and strategies with their neurological/brain differences in mind.

Hollis Shaffer is a student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). As a college student, Shaffer is pursuing a major in psychology and a career assisting students with HFASD. Shaffer was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome when he was fourteen years old after being misdiagnosed with ADHD for many years. He currently works with Bridgeway Services as an assistant and small group leader during afterschool social groups assisting students with HF-ASD in areas such as conversation, team-building activities, group behavior, and sports.