One of my students, a 5th grade male who is able to correct my grammar, has characteristics similar to Asperger Syndrome (part of the Autism Spectrum Disorder). Yesterday, we discussed strategies for when he is bullied. I also told him that I'd go on the playground with him and help him talk with some students to find nice peers.
On the playground, he was weary of talking to other students. I felt a bout of introvertedness and suddenly I felt similar feelings as my student. Then God showed up. A student who I met in January or December approached us and says to me, "I played Uno with you." Her grace was beyond her years. She patiently waited for my student to talk to her while I instructed him to make eye contact and told him what to say. They acknowledged how each other had hurt their feelings and apologized to each other. The harmony of the situation was clearly orchestrated by God. Furthermore, she encouraged him to talk to her, "Don't be scared; you can ask me anything." I was also firm with my student as he said, "I can't" or expressed a desire to quit. "You can do this," I insisted. I felt like a coach. Debriefing with him revealed his fragile, scared heart. "What if it's a trick?" he asked me, "I have to test her." I explained that he could trust her.
It was one of my most rewarding moments as a speech language pathologist, and God did all of the work. :)
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