Teaching conversation skills

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

Teach conversation skills by starting with who the student wants to talk to and about what. Take a short baseline sample, pick one or two targets such as connected turns or partner questions, use activities that match those targets, coach the partner too, then practice in real settings like lunch or clubs and measure there.

Conversation goals fail most often in the hallway, not the therapy room. A student can ask three questions in a role-play on Tuesday and none at lunch on Wednesday. The fix is to pick activities that look like the conversations the student actually wants to have, and to move into real settings early.

What this page adds: a step-by-step plan, a table of conversation skills activities matched to each target skill, a worked example of one middle schooler over 8 weeks with real numbers, and the mistakes that most often stall these goals. For goal wording, see topic maintenance IEP goals. The speech therapy IEP goals pillar covers every other area.

Start from what the student wants

Conversation is a social skill, and social goals work best when they serve the student's own aims.^[1] Ask the student: Who do you want to talk with? What do you like to talk about? What feels hard? A student who wants to join the robotics club gives you a setting, partners and a topic list in one answer.

Keep the goals affirming. Do not target eye contact, "whole body listening" or hiding interests. Many autistic students communicate best when they can look away, move, and talk about what they love.^[2] Teach skills that help both partners understand each other, and teach the partner as well.

What you need before you start

A student interview about preferred partners, topics and settings.
Two or three 5-minute conversation samples with a peer the student likes, recorded on a turn-by-turn sheet.
A teacher or club sponsor who can host practice in a real setting.
One or two peers willing to be conversation partners for 8 to 10 weeks.

Step-by-step: teaching conversation skills

Step 1: Take a baseline sample

Record three short conversations: one on the student's topic, one on the peer's, and one open. Mark each student turn as connected to the partner's last turn or not. Count questions the student asks about the partner. A typical sheet has turn number, speaker, connected yes or no, and notes.

Step 2: Pick one or two targets

Choose the skill that would make the biggest difference to the student's conversations. Common targets: connected turns, asking partner questions, joining a group, signaling a topic change, and repairing a misunderstanding. Two targets at once is plenty.

Step 3: Match activities to the target

Use the table below. Pick activities that look like real conversation, not worksheets.

Target skill	Activity	Set-up	What to count
Connected turns	Topic bridges	Partner names a topic; student links it to their own interest with one bridge sentence	Connected turns in a row
Asking partner questions	Interview swap	Each partner writes 3 questions about the other, then they talk	Questions asked per 5 minutes
Asking follow-up questions	Question dice	Roll a die labeled who, what, where, when, why, how after a peer shares	Follow-up questions out of shares
Joining a group	Pause practice	Small group talks; student listens for a pause and adds a related comment	Entries at a pause out of tries
Signaling topic changes	Bridge phrases	Practice "That reminds me..." and "Can I change the subject?"	Signaled shifts out of shifts
Repairing misunderstandings	Mixed-up messages	Partner pretends not to understand; student rephrases	Repairs out of breakdowns
Sharing the floor	Talk timer	A sand timer or visual cue shows a turn length the student chooses	Pauses for partner turns
Starting a conversation	Opener cards	Student picks an opener tied to the setting (club, lunch, class)	Starts per observation

With student and family consent, record a short conversation and watch it together. Ask the student what went well and what they would change. Self-review builds awareness without an adult listing errors. Skip this if the student finds watching themselves distressing.

Step 5: Coach the partner too

Teach peers to wait, ask about the student's interests and stay with the student's topic for a few turns. Conversation breaks down from both sides. A coached partner makes practice more natural and more fair.

Step 6: Move into real settings early

By week 3 or 4, practice where the conversations happen: lunch bunch, the club, group work. Keep a short visual cue card if the student wants it.

Step 7: Fade supports and measure generalization

Fade cue cards and adult prompts one at a time. Sample in at least one setting outside therapy every 2 weeks. Generalization data are what tell you the skill is real.

Worked example: Mira, seventh grade

Mira is a fictional autistic seventh grader. She loves robotics and wants to join the robotics club. She says lunch conversations "go wrong" and she does not know why.

Baseline. Three 5-minute conversations with a peer from her science class gave connected turns of 5 of 12, 4 of 11 and 6 of 13 (median 42%). She asked 0 questions about the partner in all three. On her own topic she reached 6 connected turns in a row; on the peer's topic, 1.

Targets. Mira chose two: "keep the conversation going when it's not about robots" and "ask people stuff."

Goals.

During a 5-minute conversation on a topic either partner picks, Mira will make connected turns in 75% of her turns across 3 of 4 conversations. Baseline: 42%. Template.
During a 5-minute conversation with a peer, Mira will ask 2 questions about the partner's interests in 3 of 4 conversations. Baseline: 0. Template.

Weeks 1 to 4. Topic bridges and interview swaps in a pair session, 30 minutes weekly. The SLP coached her partner, Jonah, to ask about robotics and to wait for answers. Week 4 sample: 60% connected turns, 1 partner question.

Weeks 5 to 8. Practice moved to lunch twice a week and to the robotics club once a week, with an opener card in her pocket. Week 8 samples: 78% connected turns and 2 partner questions in the therapy room; 70% and 2 questions at the club.

Next steps. Both goals stay, with the setting changed to club meetings only. The team adds a group-entry goal (template) because club conversations involve 4 to 6 people.

These numbers are illustrations. Your student's targets come from their own baseline.

Common mistakes

Weak: "Mira will make eye contact during conversations." Better: Count connected turns or questions. Eye contact is not a conversation skill and can be painful.
Weak: A whole-body-listening chart on the wall. Better: Let the student listen in the way that works for them. Measure what they say back.
Weak: A script for every situation. Better: Flexible bridge phrases the student chooses and adapts.
Weak: Role-play only in the speech room. Better: Real settings by week 3 or 4, with real peers.
Weak: The SLP chooses every topic. Better: The student picks the topic at least half the time.
Weak: Telling the peer to "be nice." Better: Train the peer to wait, ask questions and stay on the student's topic.

Templates and tools

Topic maintenance IEP goals for 20 goals and a conversation data sheet layout.
Pragmatic language goals for high school students and for kindergarten.
IEP goals for telephone skills for phone conversations.
Social skills IEP goals for autism for peer interaction goals beyond conversation.
The conversation skills topic and pragmatic language goals templates.
The frequency data sheet for tallying turns and questions, and the goal checker for draft wording.

Short repeated samples make progress visible; graph each one.^[3]

Frequently asked questions

What are good conversation skills activities for middle school?

Interview swaps, topic bridges, question dice and pause practice in a small group all work well. Move them into lunch, clubs or group work within a few weeks, since that is where the conversations matter.

Should conversation goals include eye contact?

No. Eye contact is not needed for a good conversation and can be uncomfortable or painful for many autistic students. Measure what the student says and how the exchange flows instead.

How long should a conversation sample be?

About 5 minutes is enough to count connected turns and questions, and short enough to repeat every week or two. Use the same peer or a small group of peers so samples can be compared.

Do peers need training for conversation practice?

It helps a great deal. A peer who waits, asks about the student's interests and stays on topic makes practice natural. Conversation is a two-way skill, so both partners can learn.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

Social Communication Disorder, ASHA
Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASHA
Progress Monitoring: Data & Goal Setting, National Center on Intensive Intervention

Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.