Social Skills & Interactions for Children with Special Needs

Social Interaction with Age Appropriate Items
Situation: 

I work with students who are teenagers in a public school. Some of them have severe disabilities. These students enjoy games designed for younger children such as a See and Say. I’m trying to get my students paired with teens in regular education – if these toys make them happy can’t I use them for social interaction? What other age appropriate items could I use?

Conversation Starters
Situation: 

My child doesn’t seem to know how to make friends. He doesn’t know how to talk to other kids and only talks to them about the things he is interested in. How can I help him talk to others and make friends more easily?