This was used for a student who was struggling to understand how to stay on topic in class, and help him understand what his teacher and/or peers may be thinking when he says something off-topic during classroom discussion. This conversation should be navigated using a neuro-affirming approach, making sure to emphasize that there is nothing wrong with wanting to talk about what someone else is talking about, but there are different times when certain topics are discussed in the neurotypical world that others are expecting to talk about, including during classroom discussions. The goal is to support the child in navigating a world that is not set up in a way that matches the way their brains are wired/work. (And also make sure to build in times they can talk about anything they desire, as well!!!)

This drawing was used to discuss ways to think about the specific topic at hand in class. For example, if the teacher is discussing the topic of frogs, what are some different aspects of frogs that we could be thinking about, wondering about, or commenting on? A chart of some type can be used to help write out all the different related ideas to the topic. 

Make the concept explicit as possible by writing out examples and non-examples. This helps the student understand exactly what you are expecting. So for each you could ask, "Is this comment/question related? So would we share it in the class discussion about frogs or bring it up during a different time?" You could also talk about/write out different times and with which people these other ideas might be shared.