Communication Systems, Scripts, and Scenarios:

What communication scripts might you use to support practice of this skill? Are these complete scripts or just key words to support initiation?

In general, when you are working on non-verbal skills, it is ideal that you take advantage of the student’s existing verbal skills. In other words, our goal is to build non-verbal communication on top of the existing verbal skills. Trying to work on improving verbal skills at the same time as improving non-verbal skills is potentially frustrating, confusing and ineffective.

Because of this, you are encouraged to initially pick topics of conversation for practice that are of high interest to the student. We learn to use new skills on top of well-learned previous skills.

Scripts may be employed to reduce the student’s stress in producing verbal language. It is important to provide scripts that have a strong likelihood of being relevant and useful in future interactions. Cards can provide visual prompts focused on individual skills, such as “eye contact,” and be further developed to hold more visuals to target multiple skills simultaneously as the student progresses.

"Showing and Deciphering Interest - Scripts 1"

On the script card, does the student need additional picture or word cues to define his body position, facial expression, gestures, etc. during the use of the script?

The script may include visual cues for the student regarding specific nonverbal signs. Separate cards could initially target individual skills before combining visuals on single cards for multiple-nonverbal cue targeting and practice.

"Showing and Deciphering Interest - Scripts 2"

What additional visual clarity cues (e.g. color-coding, highlighting) might you add to the visual script to promote attention and comprehension for the student?

You may want to highlight the phrase or word at which the student will look up and make eye contact. Or you can highlight the icon to help the student focus on the expected behavior.

What scenarios might you present (using scenario Act it Out cards) to help students produce their own dialogue and interactions to practice or role-play in a scene?

"Showing and Deciphering Interest - Scenarios"

What video scenarios might you present to help students make accurate discriminations between signs of interest versus disinterest? Can you also use video scenarios to help the student identify when someone demonstrated appropriate signs of interest within an exchange?

Below are several examples of video scenarios that depict nonverbal signs of interest, versus disinterest. While these videos also target the verbal signs of interest or disinterest, you could play these videos without sound to focus only on non-verbal signs if necessary:

This is the right way to show interest in a conversation:

As his co–worker talks, he is looking at his co–worker.
He asks a question ("Who won the game?").
He makes comments.
He uses an upbeat tone of voice.

This is the wrong way to respond in a conversation. He is not showing interest in this conversation.

As his co–worker talks, he does not look in his direction.
He uses a monotone voice.
He does not ask any questions about the game.
He makes very short comments such as "Oh." This will make his co–worker feel that he is not interested in what he has to say. This also might make his co–worker think that he is rude.

There are many signs showing that he is interested in what his friend has to say:

He is looking at his friend.
He nods his head.
He smiles.
He makes comments ("Wow"), and asks questions ("Did you get to level 5?").

There are many signs showing that he is NOT interested in what his friend has to say:

He is looking at his straw and his fingernails.
He nods his head and looks at his friend only a few times.
He does not ask him any questions.
He only makes one comment.

Here is a video set which illustrates the gradual change in nonverbal cues during a customer interaction:

In this video, there are BIG, clear signs telling you how the customer is feeling. You can see these signs by listening to what she says and how she says it, and by watching her facial expressions and her body language. She is shaking her head "no" and she puts her hand up in front of her as if to say "stop." She says to the employee, "No, I don’t need that right now." She is not interested in the product he is selling.

In this video, there are some clues telling you how the customer is feeling. She is slightly shaking her head "no" and she says, "I already have the original." She is not interested in the product he is selling.

In this video, the signs are harder to notice. You really have to pay attention to figure out how the customer is feeling. She does not say anything, so you have to watch her facial expressions and body language. She slightly shakes her head "no," she scrunches her face, and she makes a sound to indicate "no." She is not interested in the product he is selling.

Are you arranging frequent practice opportunities with visual scripts and scenarios to build independence and fluency through repetition?

Since this topic really focuses on the nonverbal cues as opposed to the content of a conversation, be creative in your approach for practice opportunities! One activity adapted from theatre is called “Blah, Blah” and focuses on nonverbal language without worrying about the actual words being spoken. In the activity, the actors (two or more) begin with no prompt or only a simple prompt such as, “Actor 1, you are upset at Actor 2.” The actors then engage speaking only the phrase “blah, blah” while focusing only on nonverbal language. This activity can be repeatedly used to integrate skills in voice volume and tone as well. Additionally, “Blah, Blah” is fantastic for practicing mirroring techniques since the actors will need to adjust and respond according to the co-actor’s cues.

Note that for certain students, this activity may be highly engaging and, for others, will make no sense at all. Use it only if the student is engaged by the exercise.

In order to align this intervention topic area with the unique needs of the student, do you need to create scripts or scenarios in the View2do program?