Chat Chains was specifically designed with neurodivergent kids in mind. The structured format — draw a card, respond, follow up — gives children with autism or anxiety a predictable turn-taking sequence that reduces the social pressure of open-ended conversation. The adjustable difficulty levels let you start simple and build up gradually. Many SLPs, OTs, and therapists use it as a core social skills tool.

All three. Chat Chains was designed to move seamlessly between settings. At home it works as a daily 15-minute practice routine. In therapy it provides structure for social skills work without requiring extra materials. In the classroom it works for small group SEL sessions, lunch bunches, and morning meetings. The same deck works across all three — you just adjust how you facilitate.

The Base Game includes 75 topic cards (150 conversation topics), 60 response cards, 10 activity cards, 5 prompt cards, and an instruction guide — everything you need to start playing. The Expansion Pack adds 150 all-new topics plus 15 sidebar cards introducing a listening-focused gameplay layer. The Expansion can be played on its own or combined with the Base Game for more variety.

Most sessions run 15 to 20 minutes, though conversations can go longer depending on the group. The structured format makes it easy to start and stop at natural points, which is why therapists and teachers use it regularly — it fits into a session without taking it over.

Chat Chains works well from age 8 through 18. The conversation topics are intentionally broad so they stay relevant and engaging across a wide age range. What changes is how deep the conversations go, not whether the questions land. Teens tend to naturally gravitate toward the higher-point cards, which prompt more reflective and personal responses. Therapists and teachers regularly use it with high schoolers and find it just as effective as with younger kids.