Children on the autism spectrum can find mastering the long-term goal of conversation difficult for a variety of reasons, whether it be difficulty with vocabulary, difficulty responding to questions, or difficulty understanding the topic being discussed. Being able to hold a conversation is a cornerstone of building relationships and operating in new environments. Learning aspects of conversation will help your child build relationships with those around them and understand what is happening in social and family situations. Maintaining a conversation is also important for succeeding in school and at work. 

In order to help your child master the long-term goal of conversation, you can work with your child on the short-term goals of answering cause & effect “why” questions, maintaining conversation, understanding idioms, attending to speaker’s voice, answering ‘wh’ questions “what” “who” “where”, understanding conversation rules, or increasing vocal clarity of expressive language.

Answering Cause & Effect "Why" Questions 

The following strategies may help your child make progress towards mastering the short-term goal of answering cause & effect and “why” questions:

• Match the cause and the effect. Introduce cards that present “causes” and “effects” and have your child match them. You can begin with simple situations and increase the complexity as your child becomes more comfortable with identifying the relationship between causes and effects. Depending on your child’s comfort level with speaking, you can ask them to state the cause and effect out loud. For example, present a picture of a raining cloud and a picture of a rainbow. The cause is the raining cloud and the effect is the rainbow: A rainbow occurs as a consequence of raining. Have your child present the raining cloud when you ask for the cause and present the rainbow when you ask for the effect. Remember to use positive reinforcement during this activity by rewarding your child for correct answers, and to gently correct your child if they are incorrect. Phase out the positive reinforcement when the skill has been sufficiently acquired. If the reinforcer for the behavior is a tangible item, such as a small snack or a token for a token board, ensure that it is provided with a great deal of verbal praise. Ideally, you want your child’s positive behaviors to be supported solely by social reinforcement.
• Present an activity that has a cause and effect. While presenting the imagery for cause and effect may be helpful, seeing a cause and effect relationship in action can help your child understand the concept better. For example, a toy where you press a button and a particular noise comes out is a good kinetic example of cause and effect and allows your child to visualize the relationship in real-time. When someone presses the button, the toy makes a sound. The cause is pressing the button and the effect is the making of the sound. You can also make other activities into cause and effect games. For example, bowling is a cause and effect game. When you roll the bowling ball at the pins (cause) the pins fall down (effect). You can ask your child what will happen if you do something (such as rolling the ball at the pins) after they have observed it several times. Reward your child for correct answers, and encourage them to try the activity again if they are incorrect. Phase out the positive reinforcement when the skill has been sufficiently acquired. If the reinforcer for the behavior is a tangible item, such as a small snack or a token for a token board, ensure that it is provided with a great deal of verbal praise. Ideally, you want your child’s positive behaviors to be supported solely by social reinforcement.
• Additional resources:

• For the parent:

Why Questions for Kids | Activities for Speech Therapy or Class

What goes into teaching children to answer WH questions?

Teaching WHY questions - Speech 2U

Answering Why & How Questions - The Autism Helper

HOW TO TEACH RESPONDING TO "WH" QUESTIONS: Understanding & Answering Who, What, When, Where, Why ?'s

Pirate WH Questions | FREE Language Flashcards | TPT

Freebie Fridays: Customizable Spring WH- Question Bingo & Flashcards

For the short-term goal of answering cause & effect “why” questions, you can choose a target such as understanding cause and effect, matching causes and effects, answering using “because”, etc.

• Step 1: Decide what aspect of “why” questions you would like your child to understand. For example, you can choose the target of matching causes and effects while working on the short-term goal of answering cause & effect “why” questions. Select 4 pictures as follows: one image of snow falling and one image of a cartoon of being cold in a jacket and scarf, as well as one image of rain falling and one image of a cartoon with an umbrella. 
• Step 2: An initial/specific discriminative stimulus (SD) should be selected that will cue your child that the task will start. This SD can be a visual SD, such as the image of the words cause and effect, or a verbal SD (“Time to match!” or “Let’s match causes and effects!”).
• Step 3: Collect baseline level data by providing the SD from Step 2 and allowing your child to attempt independently to match the effect with the cause for which you prompted. The baseline level will vary according to your child and their specific abilities. As an example, you can count how many times in a row your child is able to independently match the effect with the cause you prompted for. Alternatively, you can count how many times within a given time interval (e.g., 5 min, 10 min, 15 min, etc.) your child was able to independently match the effect with the cause you prompted for. 
• Step 4: To begin the trial to monitor progress towards meeting the target (i.e., the target of matching causes and effects), provide the SD from Step 2 and allow your child to attempt independently. When your child is successful, provide reinforcement. If the reinforcer for the behavior is a tangible item, such as a small snack or a token for a token board, ensure that it is provided with a great deal of verbal praise. Ideally, you want your child’s positive behavior to be supported solely by social reinforcement. If the behavior was not displayed, end the trial and provide the appropriate level of prompting on the following trial. For example, you can show your child 2 images (images of snow falling and a cartoon of being cold in a jacket and scarf) and say “When it snows, it is cold. Because it is cold, we wear a jacket.”
• Step 5: Collect data on how your child makes progress. For example, count how many times in a row your child can meet the target of matching causes and effects independently. Alternatively, you can track progress by recording how long it takes your child to meet the target of matching causes and effects independently. Or, alternatively, you can track progress by counting the number of successful attempts at matching causes and effects during a session. 
• Step 6: Track how your child makes progress to meet the target of matching causes and effects by comparing with either a number threshold or a percentage threshold (necessary to meet the target). For example, you can record the number of successful attempts at matching causes and effects over a certain number of sessions, and compare that with the number threshold necessary to meet the target. Alternatively, you can record what percentage of times your child can match causes and effects, and compare that with the percentage threshold necessary to meet the target.

Maintaining Conversation

The following strategies may help your child make progress towards mastering the short-term goal of maintaining conversation:

• Encourage your child to communicate with you. If you notice that your child is particularly excited about something, try to initiate a conversation regarding the topic or item. Encourage and reward your child for actively participating in the conversation with you, rather than monologuing or one-sidedly answering questions.
• Reward your child for active participation in conversation. Reward your child if they are making eye contact and / or acknowledging what is being said. Reward your child for asking questions that are on topic with the conversation. Use positive reinforcement; offer an age and effort appropriate reward: a cool sticker, a piece of candy, a small toy, an extra bedtime story, extra videogame time, etc. Phase out the positive reinforcement when the skill has been sufficiently acquired. If the reinforcer for the behavior is a tangible item, such as a small snack or a token for a token board, ensure that it is provided with a great deal of verbal praise. Ideally, you want your child’s positive behaviors to be supported solely by social reinforcement.
• Practice conversations using different conversation topics. Using different conversation topics will diversify the topics and vocabulary that your child can respond to. Varying conversation topics also provides another level of complexity to holding conversations, so don’t forget to gently guide your child in conversation when approaching a new, unfamiliar topic. Start with things that your child might encounter in their daily life, and then begin to stray away from things that you know your child is comfortable speaking about. For example, if your child is comfortable talking about how their day has been, perhaps consider talking about the future instead, like what they want to do tomorrow. Be encouraging and reasonable with your expectations of how your child discusses a new or unfamiliar topic. Provide positive reinforcement, and reward them with a favorite game or snack. The more comfortable your child becomes with a particular topic, the more you can phase out the rewards for that conversation topic and move onto a new one. If the reinforcer for the behavior is a tangible item, such as a small snack or a token for a token board, ensure that it is provided with a great deal of verbal praise. Ideally, you want your child’s positive behaviors to be supported solely by social reinforcement.
• Prompt your child to respond in a particular way. When having a conversation with your child, prompt them if there is a particular way they should respond, and reinforce this response. Work on making this response automatic for your child. For example, you may like for your child to say, “Please explain,” when they don’t understand something. After giving your child a new, unfamiliar task, you can ask them, “Do you understand?” If they say no, you can prompt them to say, “Please explain,” in response to, “Do you understand?” Remember to encourage and reward your child after they say, “Please explain,” and explain the new, unfamiliar task. The more comfortable your child becomes with this response, the more you can phase out the reward. If the reinforcer for the behavior is a tangible item, such as a small snack or a token for a token board, ensure that it is provided with a great deal of verbal praise. Ideally, you want your child’s positive behaviors to be supported solely by social reinforcement.
• Additional resources:

• For the parent:

Conversation Tips for Kids Who Struggle With Social Skills (understood.org)

42 Conversation Starters for Kids (verywellfamily.com)

Teaching Conversation Skills - The Autism Helper

For the short-term goal of maintaining conversation, you can choose a target such as conversing for 1 minute, conversing for 2 minutes, conversing for 3 minutes, etc.

• Step 1: Decide how long you would like your child to maintain a conversation. For example, you can choose the target of conversing for 1 minute while working on the short-term goal of maintaining conversation. The task analysis for conversing for 1 minute could be as follows:

1. Sit across from another person. (The parent can role-play in this situation.)
2. Set a timer for 1 minute and place it somewhere that you and the other person can see.
3. Make eye contact with the other person.
4. Start the timer and begin a conversation by saying, “Hi, how are you today?”
5. Wait for them to respond and then ask you how you are doing today.
6. Respond to their question.
7. Continue the exchange by asking another question, such as “What are you doing today?”
8. Wait for their response and actively listen as they speak.
9. Continue until the timer goes off.
10. When the timer goes off, take a break by walking around or switching to a different activity.

• Step 2: An initial/specific discriminative stimulus (SD) should be selected that will cue your child that the task will start. This SD can be a visual SD, such as a picture of two people talking, or a verbal SD (“Time to talk for 1 minute!” or “Let’s talk for 1 minute!”).
• Step 3: Collect baseline level data by providing the SD from Step 2 and allowing your child to attempt their part independently. The baseline level will vary according to your child and their specific abilities. Take data on which steps were accurately done independently (i.e., their part). For example, you can count how many steps in a row (from the task analysis in Step 1) your child can complete independently (i.e., their part). Alternatively, if your child is able to complete their entire part of the task analysis independently, record how long it takes your child to complete it independently (e.g., 1 min.).
• Step 4: To begin the trial to monitor progress towards meeting the target (i.e., the target of conversing for 1 minute, provide the SD from Step 2 and allow your child to attempt their part independently. When your child is successful, provide reinforcement. If the reinforcer for the behavior is a tangible item, such as a small snack or a token for a token board, ensure that it is provided with a great deal of verbal praise. Ideally, you want your child’s positive behavior to be supported solely by social reinforcement. If the behavior was not displayed, end the trial and provide the appropriate level of prompting on the following trial. For example, employ a model prompt to show your child what to do at the beginning of the following trial (e.g., model for your child how to sit down and set the timer, then ask a question, followed by waiting for a response and another question, and finally switching tasks when the timer finishes).
• Step 5: Collect data on how your child makes progress. For example, count how many steps in a row (from the task analysis in Step 1) your child can complete independently (i.e., their part). Alternatively, you can track progress by recording how long it takes your child to complete their part in all the steps from the task analysis in Step 1. Or, alternatively, you can track progress by counting the number of successful attempts at conversing for 1 minute during a session. 
• Step 6: Track how your child makes progress to meet the target of conversing for 1 minute by comparing with either a number threshold or a percentage threshold (necessary to meet the target). For example, you can record the number of successful attempts at conversing for 1 minute over a certain number of sessions, and compare that with the number threshold necessary to meet the target. Alternatively, you can record what percentage of times your child can complete their part in all the steps from the task analysis in Step 1, and compare that with the percentage threshold necessary to meet the target.

Understanding Idioms

The following strategies may help your child make progress towards mastering the short-term goal of understanding idioms.

You’re probably familiar with the phrase, “It’s raining cats and dogs!” That phrase, “raining cats and dogs,” is an “idiom,” or a collection of words or phrases that are used in a way that cannot be immediately understood from their direct meaning. Understanding idioms can be complex and frustrating for children on the autism spectrum due to the fact that the literal understanding of the phrase is different from the figurative meaning. Many individuals on the autism spectrum take things literally, and teaching kids from a young age that meaning is a flexible concept can help them later on in life to develop flexible thinking patterns. Idioms are an important part of conversations and social situations, so teaching your child on the autism spectrum how to understand idioms can also help them engage with communication situations more effectively. Be supportive and patient when teaching idioms. Some strategies include:

• Explain the idiom. Explain the literal and figurative meanings behind the idiom. Don’t be afraid to use examples or pictures to illustrate the meanings. For example, the phrase “it’s raining cats and dogs” may sound bizarre to your child, but make complete sense to you. Your child may understand the visual of dogs and cats falling from the sky, but they may not understand that this idiom means that it’s raining really hard! Hence, big animals like cats and dogs are seemingly falling from the sky! Take the time to explain the meaning of different idioms to your child, teaching only a few at a time. Encourage your child to ask questions if they are confused and practice patience, as they may find difficulty in understanding the figurative meaning.
• Focus on frequently used idioms. Start with a frequently used idiom and work on slowly growing the collection of idioms that your child understands. For example, a phrase used often in conversation is “all ears,” as in, “I’m all ears!” The image of something being made of only ears may be silly or even scary, but the meaning definitely isn’t, and it is a frequently used phrase. This idiom is a good place to start since it is used so often, meaning your child is likely to hear it being used in daily life. An idiom like, “the rose that grew from concrete,” isn’t used as frequently in daily life, so it and other less frequently used idioms can be taught later. 
• Compile a spreadsheet of idioms with their literal and figurative meanings. To facilitate understanding, provide your child with a spreadsheet where they  can reference the idioms and their meanings alongside examples. This can be particularly helpful when referencing less frequently used idioms.
• Practice use in conversation. Using the idiom in conversation can facilitate discussion about the meaning / interpretation of the words that are used. If you’re conversing with your child, find ways to use idioms that they’re comfortable with, such as saying “I’m all ears!” if they have a question. If they respond positively, reward them. If they display clear confusion or ask what you mean, take a moment to remind them of the meaning before continuing the conversation. Phase out the positive reinforcement when the skill has been sufficiently acquired. If the reinforcer for the behavior is a tangible item, such as a small snack or a token for a token board, ensure that it is provided with a great deal of verbal praise. Ideally, you want your child’s positive behaviors to be supported solely by social reinforcement.
• Additional resources:

• For the parent:

How to Teach Idioms - Mama Teaches

79 Idioms To Teach Kids and Use in “Idiom of the Day” Lessons - Teaching Expertise

7 Creative Activities to Teach Idioms - Presto Plans

• For the child:

Idioms | Award Winning Teaching Video | What Is An Idiom? | Figurative Language - YouTube

That's An Idiom - YouTube

Idioms for Kids - YouTube

For the short-term goal of understanding idioms, you can choose a target such as understanding 1 idiom, successfully using 1 idiom in conversation, understanding 1 idiom in conversation, explaining 1 idiom to someone else, etc.

• Step 1: Decide what idiom you would like your child to learn to understand. For example, you can choose the target of understanding 1 idiom while working on the short-term goal of understanding idioms. Select 3 pictures, 2 that show a literal and a figurative meaning for an idiom and one that shows an unrelated image. For example, for the idiom “it’s raining cats and dogs,” you could choose three pictures as follows: one image of cats and dogs falling from the sky, one image of rain falling, and one image of people eating.
• Step 2: An initial/specific discriminative stimulus (SD) should be selected that will cue your child that the task will start. This SD can be a visual SD, such as the image of the literal meaning of the idiom, in this example, cats and dogs falling from the sky, or a verbal SD (“Time to match the idiom with what it means!” or “Let’s learn what this idiom means!”).
• Step 3: Collect baseline level data by providing the SD from Step 2 and allowing your child to attempt independently to match the literal and figurative meanings of the idiom for which you prompted. The baseline level will vary according to your child and their specific abilities. As an example, you can count how many times in a row your child is able to independently match the literal and figurative meanings of the idiom you prompted for. Alternatively, you can count how many times within a given time interval (e.g., 1 min, 2 min, 5 min, etc.) your child was able to independently match the literal and figurative meanings of the idiom you prompted for. 
• Step 4: To begin the trial to monitor progress towards meeting the target (i.e., the target of understanding 1 idiom), provide the SD from Step 2 and allow your child to attempt independently. When your child is successful, provide reinforcement. If the reinforcer for the behavior is a tangible item, such as a small snack or a token for a token board, ensure that it is provided with a great deal of verbal praise. Ideally, you want your child’s positive behavior to be supported solely by social reinforcement. If the behavior was not displayed, end the trial and provide the appropriate level of prompting on the following trial. For example, you can show your child the rain falling and say “It is raining cats and dogs outside! That means it is raining a lot outside.”
• Step 5: Collect data on how your child makes progress. For example, count how many times in a row your child can meet the target of understanding 1 idiom independently. Alternatively, you can track progress by recording how long it takes your child to meet the target of understanding 1 idiom independently. Or, alternatively, you can track progress by counting the number of successful attempts at understanding 1 idiom during a session. 
• Step 6: Track how your child makes progress to meet the target of understanding 1 idiom by comparing with either a number threshold or a percentage threshold (necessary to meet the target). For example, you can record the number of successful attempts at understanding 1 idiom over a certain number of sessions, and compare that with the number threshold necessary to meet the target. Alternatively, you can record what percentage of times your child can understand 1 idiom, and compare that with the percentage threshold necessary to meet the target.

Answering 'Wh' Questions/"What" "Who" "Where"

The following strategies may help your child make progress towards mastering the short-term goal of answering ‘wh’ questions, such as “what,” “who,” and “where”:

• Utilize pictures to communicate answers. For example, if you ask, “Where do you wash your hands?”, your child can use a picture of a sink to communicate the answer. If your child responds correctly, use positive reinforcement; offer an age and effort appropriate reward: a cool sticker, a piece of candy, a small toy, an extra bedtime story, extra videogame time, etc. Phase out the positive reinforcement when the skill has been sufficiently acquired. If the reinforcer for the behavior is a tangible item, such as a small snack or a token for a token board, ensure that it is provided with a great deal of verbal praise. Ideally, you want your child’s positive behaviors to be supported solely by social reinforcement.
• Answering “what” questions - random bag draw. It can be difficult to teach your child to answer “what” questions, as there may be a point where you run out of things that your child will be able to confidently identify. In order to motivate your child to make progress with this short-term goal, you can place a few (three to four) favorite items in a bag where your child cannot see them and ask your child, “What is it?” You can then pull out an item and have them say what it is, whether it is their favorite ball or their favorite snack. Let them play or snack on the item for a short while as a reward and ensure to give them a great deal of verbal praise as well. Continue to ask, “What is it?” and pull things out of the bag for your child to identify until everything has been taken out. As your child expands their vocabulary and the number of things they can identify, phase out their favorite things and replace them with new items. You can also eventually phase out handing the item to the child, and instead support their success with only verbal praise (social reinforcement).
• Answering “who” questions - identifying who has an item. Prompting your child to answer “who” questions can be difficult if they don’t know the person or you don’t have extra people available. If that is the case, you can use toys as extra people, such as a stuffed animal toy or a figurine they can name or photos of people they can identify (for example, family members). If you are using a toy, you can place their preferred item by a stuffed animal they have named “Beary” and ask, “Who has [preferred item]?” Your child may point at the stuffed animal, in which case you should prompt them to say “Beary.” Reward them for correct answers! If you do have extra people in the room, you can do the same process with that person by having them hold the preferred item. Phase out the positive reinforcement when the skill has been sufficiently acquired. If the reinforcer for the behavior is a tangible item, such as a small snack or a token for a token board, ensure that it is provided with a great deal of verbal praise. Ideally, you want your child’s positive behaviors to be supported solely by social reinforcement.
• Answering “where” questions - pointing out where your child’s favorite item is. Your child may find answering “where” questions to be  difficult at first if the answer is too complex (for example, if the item you are inquiring about is not within their direct line of sight). When first asking “where” questions, you should inquire “where” something is when the child can see it. In order to test their ability to answer a “where” question, you can take a preferred item and move it to another spot that your child can easily see. Once the item has been moved, you can ask, “Where is the [preferred item]?” Your child may point to the item or use a non-descript locator of “over there.” If you would like them to be more specific, prompt them to say the exact location of the preferred item, such as, “on the chair.” Be sure to reward them for correct answers! Phase out the positive reinforcement when the skill has been sufficiently acquired. If the reinforcer for the behavior is a tangible item, such as a small snack or a token for a token board, ensure that it is provided with a great deal of verbal praise. Ideally, you want your child’s positive behaviors to be supported solely by social reinforcement.
• Additional resources:

• For the parent:

What goes into teaching children to answer WH questions? (asatonline.org)

HOW TO TEACH RESPONDING TO "WH" QUESTIONS: Understanding & Answering Who, What, When, Where, Why ?'s - YouTube

Pirate WH Questions | FREE Language Flashcards | TPT (teacherspayteachers.com)

Freebie Fridays: Customizable Spring WH- Question Bingo & Flashcards (teacherspayteachers.com)

• For the child:

"Who, What, When, Where, Why" by The Bazillions - YouTube

Language: Answering Where Questions - YouTube

Answering 'When' Questions - YouTube

For the short-term goal of answering ‘wh’ questions (for example, “what” “who” “where”), you can choose a target such as answering “what” questions, answering “who” questions, answering “where” questions, etc.

• Step 1: Decide what ‘wh’ question you would like your child to learn to answer. For example, you can choose the target of answering “what” questions while working on the short-term goal of answering ‘wh’ questions. The task analysis for answering “what” questions could be as follows:

1. Sit across from the other person. (The parent can role-play in this situation.)
2. Wait for them to show you a picture of someone doing an action and ask you, “What is the person in this picture doing?”
3. Think about the question and examine the image.
4. Respond to the question and tell them what the person in the picture is doing.

• Step 2: An initial/specific discriminative stimulus (SD) should be selected that will cue your child that the task will start. This SD can be a visual SD, such as a speech bubble with the word “what” and a question mark, or a verbal SD (“Time to answer my question!” or “Let’s answer a question!”).
• Step 3: Collect baseline level data by providing the SD from Step 2 and allowing your child to attempt their part independently. The baseline level will vary according to your child and their specific abilities. Take data on which steps were accurately done independently (i.e., their part). For example, you can count how many steps in a row (from the task analysis in Step 1) your child can complete independently (i.e., their part). Alternatively, if your child is able to complete their entire part of the task analysis independently, record how long it takes your child to complete it independently (e.g., 30 seconds, 1 min, 2 min, etc.).
• Step 4: To begin the trial to monitor progress towards meeting the target (i.e., the target of answering “what” questions), provide the SD from Step 2 and allow your child to attempt their part independently. When your child is successful, provide reinforcement. If the reinforcer for the behavior is a tangible item, such as a small snack or a token for a token board, ensure that it is provided with a great deal of verbal praise. Ideally, you want your child’s positive behavior to be supported solely by social reinforcement. If the behavior was not displayed, end the trial and provide the appropriate level of prompting on the following trial. For example, employ a model prompt to show your child what to do at the beginning of the following trial (e.g., model for your child how to listen to the question, then examine the image, such as this image of a cartoon reading, followed by answering the “what” question by saying, “They are reading.”).
• Step 5: Collect data on how your child makes progress. For example, count how many steps in a row (from the task analysis in Step 1) your child can complete independently (i.e., their part). Alternatively, you can track progress by recording how long it takes your child to complete their part in all the steps from the task analysis in Step 1. Or, alternatively, you can track progress by counting the number of successful attempts at answering “what” questions during a session. 
• Step 6: Track how your child makes progress to meet the target of answering “what” questions by comparing with either a number threshold or a percentage threshold (necessary to meet the target). For example, you can record the number of successful attempts at answering “what” questions over a certain number of sessions, and compare that with the number threshold necessary to meet the target. Alternatively, you can record what percentage of times your child can complete their part in all the steps from the task analysis in Step 1, and compare that with the percentage threshold necessary to meet the target.

Understanding Conversation Rules

The following strategies may help your child make progress towards mastering the short-term goal of understanding conversation rules:

• Explain conversation rules. When explaining conversation rules, it is best to be explicit and straightforward about conversation rules. After that, provide your child with opportunities to practice implementing these rules. If needed, gentle reminders are welcome. For example, one conversation rule is not to interrupt someone else while they are speaking. Tell your child, “When someone else is speaking, you need to wait until they are finished.” If they ask why, explain to them that it is not polite and can also make the other person think that you are not listening. After explaining the rule, practice it. When conversing with your child, if they interrupt you, remind them of the rule.

• Note: Once your child becomes comfortable with conversation rules, if you think that they are ready, you can introduce them to the concept of interrupting or not taking turns when there is an emergency (for example, a medical emergency, such as a cut or bad fall, or an environmental emergency, such as a fire).

• Prompt your child to respond in a particular way. Some rules of conversation include being concise when someone asks you a question like, “How are you?” or “What’s going on?” When your child is asked these questions, by you or someone else, you can prompt them to answer in a particular way. For example, if you ask your child, “What’s going on?” when they are playing with a toy, you can prompt your child to reply with, “I am playing with my toys.” You are not asking for an in-depth explanation about what they are doing, just checking in. Remember to encourage and reward your child after they say, “I am playing with my toys.” The more comfortable your child becomes with this response, the more you can phase out the reward. If the reinforcer for the behavior is a tangible item, such as a small snack or a token for a token board, ensure that it is provided with a great deal of verbal praise. Ideally, you want your child’s positive behaviors to be supported solely by social reinforcement.
• Additional resources:

• For the parent:

Social Communication (asha.org)

Social Communication- The Unspoken Rules of Conversation and Communication (empowercommunication.org)

12 Golden Rules of Conversation (rd.com)

For the short-term goal of understanding conversation rules, you can choose a target such as not interrupting when someone else is speaking, not changing the subject suddenly, not moving on without answering a question, etc.

• Step 1: Decide what conversation rule you would like your child to learn. For example, you can choose the target of not interrupting when someone else is speaking while working on the short-term goal of understanding conversation rules. The task analysis for not interrupting when someone else is speaking could be as follows:

1. Sit across from another person. (The parent can role-play in this situation.)
2. Make eye contact with that person.
3. Begin a conversation with that person by asking “what is your favorite game to play?”.
4. Wait for the person to respond.
5. When that person is speaking, listen to them without speaking.
6. Wait until the other person has finished speaking, which may be indicated by the person asking you a question, or if they have been quiet for several seconds.
7. When they are finished speaking, tell the person what your favorite game is by saying: “My favorite game to play is [_______].”
8. When you are done speaking, pause to give the person time to respond.
9. Repeat until the conversation ends.

• Step 2: An initial/specific discriminative stimulus (SD) should be selected that will cue your child that the task will start. This SD can be a visual SD, such as an image of speech bubbles with a conversation that is clearly ordered, or a verbal SD (“Time to talk and not interrupt!” or “Let’s practice not interrupting someone!”).
• Step 3: Collect baseline level data by providing the SD from Step 2 and allowing your child to attempt their part independently. The baseline level will vary according to your child and their specific abilities. Take data on which steps were accurately done independently (i.e., their part). For example, you can count how many steps in a row (from the task analysis in Step 1) your child can complete independently (i.e., their part). Alternatively, if your child is able to complete their entire part of the task analysis independently, record how long it takes your child to complete it independently (e.g., 1 min, 2 min, 5 min, etc.).
• Step 4: To begin the trial to monitor progress towards meeting the target (i.e., the target of not interrupting when someone else is speaking), provide the SD from Step 2 and allow your child to attempt their part independently. When your child is successful, provide reinforcement. If the reinforcer for the behavior is a tangible item, such as a small snack or a token for a token board, ensure that it is provided with a great deal of verbal praise. Ideally, you want your child’s positive behavior to be supported solely by social reinforcement. If the behavior was not displayed, end the trial and provide the appropriate level of prompting on the following trial. For example, employ a model prompt to show your child what to do at the beginning of the following trial (e.g., model for your child how to wait for their turn to speak, then how to tell that the other person is finished talking, followed by speaking).
• Step 5: Collect data on how your child makes progress. For example, count how many steps in a row (from the task analysis in Step 1) your child can complete independently (i.e., their part). Alternatively, you can track progress by recording how long it takes your child to complete their part in all the steps from the task analysis in Step 1. Or, alternatively, you can track progress by counting the number of successful attempts at not interrupting when someone else is speaking during a session. 
• Step 6: Track how your child makes progress to meet the target of not interrupting when someone else is speaking by comparing with either a number threshold or a percentage threshold (necessary to meet the target). For example, you can record the number of successful attempts at not interrupting when someone else is speaking over a certain number of sessions, and compare that with the number threshold necessary to meet the target. Alternatively, you can record what percentage of times your child can complete their part in all the steps from the task analysis in Step 1, and compare that with the percentage threshold necessary to meet the target.

Increasing Vocal Clarity of Expressive Language

The following strategies may help your child make progress towards mastering the short-term goal of increasing vocal clarity of expressive language:

• Set an example for good posture. Part of vocal clarity is sitting with good posture. When sitting or standing, straighten your back and have your shoulders back and relaxed. Encourage your child to mirror your posture when you are together and speaking with one another. If they show discomfort or pain when adjusting their posture, do not force them.
• Slow down the speed of speaking. Speaking slower can help encourage clearer speaking. Set an example for your child by slowing down your speech and clearly enunciating your words. If your child speaks quickly, repeat what they say slower and clearer, and prompt them to repeat after you. Reward your child when they successfully repeat what you said slower and clearer. Phase out the positive reinforcement when the skill has been sufficiently acquired. If the reinforcer for the behavior is a tangible item, such as a small snack or a token for a token board, ensure that it is provided with a great deal of verbal praise. Ideally, you want your child’s positive behaviors to be supported solely by social reinforcement.
• Practice! Vocal clarity is something that comes with practice. Whenever you speak with your child, encourage them to fix their posture and speak slower, emphasizing each word. You can practice vocal clarity through conversations, or by reading age-appropriate books out loud or silly tongue twisters. Reward your child when they successfully read out loud or say a tongue twister with the vocal clarity that you want from them. Phase out the positive reinforcement when the skill has been sufficiently acquired. If the reinforcer for the behavior is a tangible item, such as a small snack or a token for a token board, ensure that it is provided with a great deal of verbal praise. Ideally, you want your child’s positive behaviors to be supported solely by social reinforcement.
• Expand your child’s vocabulary. If your child is finding it difficult to pronounce certain words, try to find age-appropriate alternatives to the word. For example, if they struggle with the word “bigger,” try the word “larger” instead. If they are struggling with the word “hot,” try “warm” instead. Introduce alternatives as you continue to work on the words your child struggles with. This both expands their vocabulary and potentially reduces your child’s frustration with expressing their wants, needs, concerns, or current state.
• Additional resources:

• For the parent:

Expressive Language (Using Words and Language) - Kid Sense Child Development

Strategies to Improve Receptive and Expressive Language Skills - YouTube

Just Play! Expanding Expressive Language - YouTube

For the short-term goal of increasing vocal clarity of expressive language, you can choose a target such as expressing a choice clearly, expressing a want clearly, expressing a need clearly, expressing a feeling clearly, etc.

• Step 1: Decide what expressive language you would like your child to use in order to improve in vocal clarity. For example, you can choose the target of expressing a choice clearly while working on the short-term goal of increasing vocal clarity of expressive language. The task analysis for expressing a choice clearly could be as follows:

1. Sit with another person.
2. Listen to the person ask you what snack choice you want: pretzels, chips, a banana.
3. Carefully think about the options presented to you by the other person as a snack: pretzels, chips, a banana.
4. Decide which option you want.
5. Sit with your back straight and head up.
6. Make eye contact with the other person. 
7. Slowly say which option you have selected, taking care to make your voice loud enough that the other person can hear you. For example, ” You can say, “I want chips, please.” slowly and loudly enough that they can hear you.

• Step 2: An initial/specific discriminative stimulus (SD) should be selected that will cue your child that the task will start. This SD can be a visual SD, such as an image of a cartoon with speech bubbles, or a verbal SD (“Time to say what you want!” or “Let’s make a choice!”).
• Step 3: Collect baseline level data by providing the SD from Step 2 and allowing your child to attempt their part independently. The baseline level will vary according to your child and their specific abilities. Take data on which steps were accurately done independently (i.e., their part). For example, you can count how many steps in a row (from the task analysis in Step 1) your child can complete independently (i.e., their part). Alternatively, if your child is able to complete their entire part of the task analysis independently, record how long it takes your child to complete it independently (e.g., 1 min, 2 min, 5 min, etc.).
• Step 4: To begin the trial to monitor progress towards meeting the target (i.e., the target of expressing a choice clearly), provide the SD from Step 2 and allow your child to attempt their part independently. When your child is successful, provide reinforcement. If the reinforcer for the behavior is a tangible item, such as a small snack or a token for a token board, ensure that it is provided with a great deal of verbal praise. Ideally, you want your child’s positive behavior to be supported solely by social reinforcement. If the behavior was not displayed, end the trial and provide the appropriate level of prompting on the following trial. For example, employ a model prompt to show your child what to do at the beginning of the following trial (e.g., model for your child how to examine the choices provided, then clearly and slowly state your choice).
• Step 5: Collect data on how your child makes progress. For example, count how many steps in a row (from the task analysis in Step 1) your child can complete independently (i.e., their part). Alternatively, you can track progress by recording how long it takes your child to complete their part in all the steps from the task analysis in Step 1. Or, alternatively, you can track progress by counting the number of successful attempts at expressing a choice clearly during a session. 
• Step 6: Track how your child makes progress to meet the target of expressing a choice clearly by comparing with either a number threshold or a percentage threshold (necessary to meet the target). For example, you can record the number of successful attempts at expressing a choice clearly over a certain number of sessions, and compare that with the number threshold necessary to meet the target. Alternatively, you can record what percentage of times your child can complete their part in all the steps from the task analysis in Step 1, and compare that with the percentage threshold necessary to meet the target.