1st Edition

Talkabout Theory of Mind Teaching Theory of Mind to Improve Social Skills and Relationships

By Katherine Wareham, Alex Kelly Copyright 2020
    304 Pages 302 Color Illustrations
    by Speechmark

    304 Pages 302 Color Illustrations
    by Speechmark

    Theory of mind is a key consideration in autism spectrum conditions and is frequently associated with social, emotional, behavioural and mental health difficulties. The latest practical workbook in the TALKABOUT series, this book is designed to support those for whom theory of mind does not come naturally. It teaches strategies that can be used to identify others’ thoughts and feelings based on their behaviour, as well as to adapt behaviour in order to competently manage social situations and have positive interactions. With fully illustrated activities covering topics such as thoughts, feelings and actions, knowledge and beliefs, and respect, the programme outlined in this book can be used with children and young people to develop and confidently implement an awareness of theory of mind.

    Key features include:

    • Assessments, targets, lesson plans and over ninety activities to support theory of mind
    • Structured activities which progress from simple concepts to more complex skills
    • Opportunities for skills to be practised and recapped
    • Fully photocopiable and downloadable resources

    Packed full of flexible activities to suit different levels and ages, this is a vital resource for educators and therapists looking to support children and young people with poor theory of mind as they develop the skills necessary to create positive interactions.

    Introduction  Section 1: This is Tom!  Session Plans: Chapter 1  Talkabout Targets – Thinking About Others  Feelings Board  Activity One: Name that thought  Activity Two: Do you find?  Activity Three: Group Rules  Activity Four: This is Tom!  Activity Five: Who am I?  Activity Six: This is Mary!  Activity Seven: Things in Common: Tom and Mary  Activity Eight: Things in Common  Activity Nine: Stand Up If…   Activity Ten: Things in Common  Activity Eleven: Find Someone Who  Activity Twelve: Our Group  Section 2: Thoughts  Session Plans: Chapter 2  Feelings Board  Activity One: Name that thought!  Activity Two: What is a thought?  Activity Three: Things I like to think about  Activity Four: Things I like to think about  Activity Five: What do you think about…?  Activity Six: How much I think about…   Activity Seven: How much I think about things  Activity Eight: Two Way Thinking  Activity Nine: Our thoughts about…  Activity Ten: How can we tell what people are thinking?  Activity Eleven: Are you seeing what I’m seeing?  Activity Twelve: Are you thinking what I’m thinking?  Activity Thirteen: Can you see what I’m thinking?  Activity Fourteen: Can you see what I’m thinking?  Activity Fifteen: Spot the thought!  Activity Sixteen: Good thought or bad thought?  Activity Seventeen: Snapshot!  Activity Eighteen: Same or Different Thought?  Section 3: Feelings  Session Plans: Chapter 3  Feelings Board  Activity One: Name that feeling  Activity Two: Feelings  Activity Three: Feelings Alphabet  Activity Four: In the manner of the word  Activity Five: How can we tell how someone is feeling?  Activity Six: Freeze Frame Game  Activity Seven: How Tom and Mary feel  Activity Eight: How we feel   Activity Nine: How I Feel  Section 4: Actions  Session Plans: Chapter 4  Feelings board  Activity One: Name That Action!  Activity Two: What is an Action?   Activity Three: My actions  Activity Four: How actions make me feel  Activity Five: How feelings make me act  Activity Six: Tom’s actions and feelings   Activity Seven: How would we feel?  Activity Eight: Tell Me Why  Activity Nine: Captain Action!  Section 5: Thoughts, Feelings and Actions  Session Plans: Chapter 5  Feelings Board  Activity One: Tom’s Thoughts, Feelings and Actions  Activity Two: Thoughts, Feelings and Actions   Activity Three: My thoughts, feelings and actions  Activity Four: Tom’s Bad Day  Activity Five: I only speak the truth  Activity Six: To say or not to say?  Activity Seven: Thinking thoughts and saying all sorts   Activity Eight: Think before you speak  Activity Nine: What would I say to you?  Activity Ten: If I tell you that…  Section 6: Knowledge and Beliefs  Session Plans: Chapter 6  Feelings board  Activity One: Knowledge Quiz  Activity Two: Knowledge  Activity Three: What do I know?  Activity Four: What do we know?  Activity Five: I know you don’t know  Activity Six: I know you don’t know  Activity Seven: Types of Knowledge  Activity Eight: Types of knowledge in our group  Activity Nine: "They don’t know they know we know…"  Activity Ten: What I know   Activity Eleven: Guessing   Activity Twelve: What can you guess about me?  Activity Thirteen: Clues I could Use to make a Good Guess  Activity Fourteen: Thinking About Tom’s perfect day   Activity Fifteen: Consequences   Activity Sixteen: How do we improve our knowledge about people?  Activity Seventeen: Fact or Opinion? / Fact or no fact?   Activity Eighteen: Differing Opinions  Activity Nineteen: Giving Opinions  Activity Twenty: Beliefs  Activity Twenty-one: My box of beliefs  Activity Twenty-two: Impact of beliefs  Activity Twenty-three: Using our knowledge  Activity Twenty-four: Time to talk  Activity Twenty-five: What are intentions?  Activity Twenty-six: Good or bad intentions  Activity Twenty-seven: Spotting intentions  Activity Twenty-eight: My intentions  Section 7: Respect  Session Plans: Chapter 7  Feelings board  Activity One: What is empathy and sympathy?  Activity Two: Putting yourself in their shoes.  Activity Three: Showing Empathy and Sympathy  Activity Four: What is respect?  Activity Five: Who do you respect? Activity Six: Find out what it means to me.  Activity Seven: Showing respect by age.  Activity Eight: Showing respect by place.  Activity Nine: Showing respect by person.  Activity Ten: Showing respect to myself  Activity Eleven: This is Me!

    Biography

    Katherine Wareham is a Speech and Language Therapist with eight years’ experience of working with children and young adults with social communication difficulties, specialising in working with individuals on the autism spectrum and teenagers with social, emotional and mental health needs. She graduated from the University of Reading in 2011 with an MSc in Speech and Language Therapy and joined Speaking Space Ltd in 2016.

    Alex Kelly is a Speech and Language Therapist with over thirty years’ experience of working with both children and adults with an intellectual disability (learning disability) and specialising in working with people who have difficulties with social skills. She runs her own businesses (Alex Kelly Ltd and Speaking Space Ltd) with her husband Brian Sains and is the author of a number of books and resources, including the best-selling TALKABOUT series.

    Alex is based in Hampshire, in the south of England. Alex Kelly Ltd provides training and consultancy work to schools and organisations in social skills, self-esteem and relationship skills around the UK and abroad. Speaking Space Ltd also provides speech and language therapy in schools in and around Hampshire, training in all aspects of autism and communication, and a Total Communication day service for adults with an intellectual disability or autism. In 2019 Speaking Space Ltd was Autism Accredited by the National Autistic Society with advanced status.