Chat Chart: A Conversation Tool

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Does your person find phone calls and video chats challenging? Same. We created this Chat Chart as a tool to help keep the conversation flowing.

In our latest aVERY BRIGHT LIFE podcast episode, we talked about communication skills—specifically phone conversations and video calls. Holding a conversation is a skill (comprised of many sub skills) which requires experience, practise, and repetition. Throw in developmental disabilities and speech delays, and this is tough. 

We shared some of the strategies that have really helped Avery. It’s a work in progress. Practise may never make perfect (perfect is overrated anyway) but she’s getting more confident and skilled every day!

You can listen to this podcast episode HERE: 91. This Trick Isn’t Cheating-It’s A Tool

5 Chatty Strategies aka “Chat Strats” (Okay, not a thing, but it could be…)

❶ PRACTISE. Give your person plenty of opportunities to talk on the phone or do video calls. Start by sitting in with them, to help facilitate the conversation. Then, slowly start stepping back until they are doing it on their own. Keep these conversations short and practise when your person is fresh. At the end of a long day probably won’t be as successful.

❷ CREATE AND USE A CHAT CHART. This tool is intended as a guide to help move the conversation forward.

We place the chart where she can see it during her chats…

….and then challenge her to:

ASK at least three questions—with a focus on really listening to the answers and trying to add on to what they said (extend).

TELL at least three things about her life or what she likes to do.

Example Chat Chart

Get the free template HERE to edit yourself.

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⓷ Encourage OPEN ended questions which leave the conversation OPEN and ready to fill with details; aka questions that aren’t likely to elicit a yes or no or one word answer. This would be a CLOSED ended question.

For example:

CLOSED – Did you have a good day at school? YES.

OPEN – What is one thing at school today that made you smile? I did a presentation about Toronto in my period 5 class and everybody clapped after and said it was good and I felt really happy.

⓸ Parents/Caregivers... step back and just let them figure it out. YES, the long silences are awkward. YES we want to (and I often do!) try to step in to fill them. “Avery, ask them what they for lunch today?” Seriously? How boring. But I fully admit that the empty air and long pauses make me uncomfortable. But that’s a Lisa issue. Silence is not the enemy. Unless your child is struggling and asking for help, let them figure it out (I’m telling YOU to do this, even though I find it very difficult myself not to insert myself into every awkward conversation. Which can make it even more awkward. LOL!)

⓹ Combine the chat with an activity… like a game or a craft or whatever both chatters like to do. We call these “Actionist Chats” (Yes, everything has to have a name. Have you met me?)

This child may be the chattiest Cathy Avery you ever did meet. However, five minutes of a Google Meet, a Zoom hangout, or phone call can leave her mentally exhausted.

So, an Actionist Chat is sometimes just the ticket… actively doing something like playing BINGO or playing pretend camping under blankets with ipads and flashlights, or singing along with a Disney princess from Frozen in a group Zoom call—sometimes communicating is easier when there’s something to do. 

Happy chatting everyone!