Do you have a starfish?

There are some moments at work when I realize the limitations of teaching social skills without a colleague. Today, I had such a moment. I heard myself and thought, seriously? Stop talking, Erin. Stop talking.

I had a group of two first grade students (the third student was unavailable). They listened to a story and answered questions plus they practiced describing pictures with past tense verbs. There was 5 minutes left, so I decided to reward them with a game of Go Fish.

One of the students (a girl) meets the educational criteria for Autism. I saw that she had a starfish in her hand. I asked the other student if he had a starfish. I try to teach strategy when I play games with students. He said no. The girl said that she had a starfish. Great. I told her to ask me. She then asks while looking at the other student. I told her it was not her turn and asked her to wait. She asked again but then listened the second time.

When it was her turn, she asked the male student.

Teaching moment! (or so I thought)

me: Who asked for a starfish?

girl: student A.

me: No. Who asked for a starfish?

girl: student A.

me: No. If student A did not ask for the starfish, then who did?

girl: No one.

me: I asked for the starfish. Ask me for the starfish.

girl: I have a starfish.

me: Say "Do you have a starfish?"

girl: yes.

me: No, I want you to say "Do you have a starfish?"

girl: yes.

me: Say "do you have"

girl: I have

me: Do

girl: Do

me: you

girl: you

me: have

girl: have

me: a

girl: a

me: starfish

girl: starfish

me: Miss Desautels?

girl: Yes.

I finally gave her the starfish.