Talkabout for Children: Developing Social Communication, 3rd edition is a bestselling professional workbook, designed to support educators and therapists who deliver social and relationship skills groups for children.
Social communication is an essential aspect of our quality of life and this resource helps to develop this in young children aged 4-11 years old. The book introduces the second level of the Talkabout hierarchy and provides three sections full of practical activities exploring the areas of Talkabout Body Language, Talkabout Conversations, and Talkabout Assertiveness. Resources include:
- Planning and evaluation forms
- A three-term intervention plan for schools
- Over 60 structured activity sessions focusing on social communication
- Ideas for group cohesion activities to use at the beginning and end of sessions
- All the supplementary handouts and images needed to deliver the session, with resources available to photocopy or download and print.
Fully updated and revised, this third edition is presented with full-colour illustrations and handouts and includes a new introduction by Alex Kelly reflecting on her own experiences of using the resources since they were first developed. This key resource will help teachers, teaching assistants, health care professionals and parents to support children’s social communication.
Preface
Introduction
Level 1 TALKABOUT Body Language
Level 2 TALKABOUT Conversations
Level 3 TALKABOUT Assertiveness
Group Cohesion Activities
Plan of Intervention
Forms
Index
Biography
Alex Kelly is a Speech and Language Therapist with over 35 years’ experience of working with both children and adults with a learning disability and specialising in working with children around social and relationship skills. She set up her own business (Alex Kelly Ltd) in 2009 providing training and consultancy work in social skills around the UK and abroad. She then set up Speaking Space Ltd in Romsey, Hampshire, a company that provides speech and language therapy and a day service for adults with a learning disability which is now being run by her friend and colleague Naomi Pearson. Alex is the author of the bestselling ‘Talkabout’ resources and ‘Working with Adults with a Learning Disability’. She still lives in Hampshire and divides her time between her Talkabout training and personal commitments.
"Talkabout is working really well in our school. Every child has different needs and Talkabout caters to all of them. It’s keeping them in the classroom. It’s fun, it’s enjoyable, and it’s what they look forward to in their week." - Lakhvinder Kaur, Year 9 TA, SEMH school, Birmingham, 2021
"Easily and quickly implemented in class and groups! Lots of fun and very enjoyable!" - Kirstie Davies, teacher, Wales, Feb 2022
“I feel very lucky to work in a school where our pupils get the opportunity to utilise Talkabout resources and to see the benefit that this has made to them and their peers. You are making a difference!” – Nicole Thomas, Teacher, 2017
“All in all, Alex, what a wonderful world for kids it would be if your social skills programme were in all schools across the continents”– Catherine Varapodio Longley, Parent, Melbourne, 2013
