SOCIAL for LIFE
About the Social Communication Training curriculum:
COLOR MY CONVERSATION (CMC) is an evidence-based social communication program for motivated teens (Ages 12-18) who are interested in improving their ability to strengthen their communication skills and social connections with others.
About the Social for Life program:
YOUTH: During each small group session, students are taught important social skills and are provided with opportunities to practice these skills through fun and engaging activities (i.e. interactive games). Weekly homework assignments are given to provide learners with the opportunity to practice their social skills in real-life situations.
PARENTS: You play a vital role in supporting your child during the Social for Life training. In our weekly parent groups, valuable coaching techniques will be provided so that you can support your child in strengthening their communication skills and social connections with others (i.e. friends, family, teachers, etc.). Our meetings, which run at the same time as the youth sessions, will equip you to help your child with the weekly homework assignments.
LESSON GOALS:
Part One (October 2025 – January 2026)
- Increasing consistent and appropriate use of greetings and farewells.
- Improving joint attention and social referencing.
- Increasing competence and confidence in the use of small talk (i.e. conversation starters,
conversation stoppers). - Improving reciprocity and conversational turn-taking.
- Increasing competence and confidence in having phone conversations.
- Improving the ability to identify and discuss topics of conversation (i.e. common topics,
new information, unique topics of interest). - Improving the ability to give positive praise and constructive criticism.
- Improving the ability to ask questions and make comments that are relevant to the topic
of conversation. - Improving the ability to ask follow-up questions.
- Improving the ability to be an active listener.
- Improving competence and confidence in making topic transitions.
12. Improving competence and confidence in reading nonverbal communication.
Part Two – February 2026 – May 2026
- Continuing development of skills taught in Part One
- Improving competence and confidence in reading nonverbal communication
- Improving the ability to manage one’s social filter through self-regulation in the use of facts, opinions and/or stories during structured and/or unstructured conversational activities.
- Improving the ability to take another person’s perspective niceties) to determine what is appropriate to the situation based on a variety of factors (i.e. age, position, culture).
Social-emotional literacy skills are vital for our children to achieve academic, social and vocational success. The way to our children’s minds may be through technology but the way to their hearts will be through relationship, which can be enhanced through strengthening their social communication skills. It is for this reason that the third edition of the Color My Conversation program is being implemented within the Social in the Valley’s social communication classes. Embedded within the CMC lessons are multiple opportunities to improve and enhance social-emotional connections through the act of conversation.
“Relationship is built through the process of communication.
Communication is enhanced through face-to-face experiences.
Face-to-face experiences present themselves in the form of social communication.
Social Communication requires both skill and intuition.
Intuition comes from being connected with one’s own heart.
One’s own heart becomes connected through experience.
Experience unfolds within the act of conversation.
And that is why our conversations matter!”
RJD, 2023
SOCIAL for LIFE Certified Colour My Conversation Instructors
Rosslyn Delmonico, MA, RSLP, CCC-SLP, has been a Speech-Language Pathologist for over 43
years both within the private and public school systems. Author of the curriculum-friendly social
language-based program, Color My Conversation, Rosslyn seeks to inspire and equip parents and
educators with the necessary knowledge and tools to help children develop social-emotional skills;
which will allow them to successfully navigate through their world!
Shelley Lazarus, BA, Certified Teacher, PEERS and Colour My Conversation Instructor,
completed her Special Education Specialization at the University of Victoria, and has been teaching for
27 years and is passionate about supporting youth flourish in their relationships and helping them develop a greater understanding of the world they live in.
CONTACT US AT: [email protected]
FOR MORE INFORMATION about Color My Conversation: www.northernspeechservices.com
