Conversation starters

[Emma is sitting with the school counsellor. The counsellor shows Emma a sheet of text.]
Counsellor: "Try using these conversation starters!"
Emma, angrily: "I'm more into conversation stoppers."
[A long, awkward silence follows.]

People on the autism spectrum often have a hard time engaging in small talk. For some it could be useful to learn how to engage in more conversations, for example to battle loneliness. Others do not see the point of all this chit-chat, as most of it is just a social ritual without much necessary information exchanged.