#296: Social Skills and Mealtimes with Dr. Katherine Bateman

Mealtimes are full of natural opportunities for communication, connection, and friendship, but we may be overlooking just how valuable those moments can be.Dr. Katherine Bateman joins me to explore Snack Talk, a simple visual communication support designed to help learners engage with peers during meals and snacks. We talk about using personalized questions and visual choices to make communication accessible across modalities, including speech, gestures, AAC, and other forms of communication.What I love about Snack Talk is how practical it is. We can build visuals around what our learners genuinely enjoy, rotate topics to keep them meaningful, and use prompting to support engagement without making implementation complicated. Katie also shares how this approach can help educators become more intentional during typically unstructured times while creating opportunities for SLPs, BCBAs, teachers, and paraprofessionals to collaborate.Ultimately, this is about more than answering social questions. It is about belonging, friendship, and giving learners meaningful ways to connect with the people around them.#autism #speechtherapyWhat’s Inside:Why mealtimes are an underused opportunity for social communicationHow Snack Talk supports different communication modalitiesWays to individualize visual supports around interests, culture, and preferencesUsing Snack Talk to foster peer relationships and interdisciplinary collaborationMentioned In This Episode:Visual Supports to Increase Conversation Engagement for Preschoolers With Autism Spectrum Disorder During MealtimesSnack TalkHaring Center for Inclusive Education, University of WashingtonSay It With Me by Rose GriffinAAC Mastery for SLPs and BCBAsEarn CEUs with a community of peers. Join the ABA Speech ConnectionABA Speech: Home