Sincere or Sarcastic? Do the Words Fit the Situation?
Seven things people say, each with what just happened. The student uses the situation to decide whether the speaker means it.
It is pouring rain on the picnic. Jay says great weather for a picnic. Does he mean it?
Session summary (SOAP)
Stays on this screen. Nothing is saved or sent.
Mark a card Correct, Correct with cue or Incorrect and the summary writes itself here.
How to run it
Read each item aloud, first in a flat voice so the student relies on the situation, then in a sarcastic tone to show how voice adds a clue. Ask what in the situation gave it away. Finish with the last item, the general rule: do the words match what is happening? Students can use that check in real time, even when tone is hard to read.
Cueing ladder
Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.
- IndependentSet up the situation and wait for the student to respond on their own.Log as correct
- Nonverbal cueUse a look, a gesture or a point to the visual cue card.Log as cued
- Indirect promptAsk 'What could you say now?' or 'What might they be thinking?'Log as cued
- ModelShow what to say or do, then run the moment again so the student can try it.Log as cued
Adjust it
Read each item with clear tone of voice and point to the clue in the situation.
Read in a flat voice so only the situation helps, then ask the student to make up an example.
Matching IEP goal
Given a statement and its situation, Student will explain what the speaker means, including when it differs from the literal words, in 8 of 10 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than an indirect prompt.
Send it home through the parent portal →About this activity
Seven things people say, each with what just happened: great weather for a picnic in pouring rain, what a great game after a 10 to 0 loss, the best day ever on getting a puppy. The student decides whether the speaker means it. Sincere and sarcastic items are mixed, because the skill is checking the words against the situation, not assuming every comment is sarcastic.
What to listen for
Notice whether the student overcorrects and calls everything sarcastic once they learn the idea. The sincere items catch that. Listen for reasons that mention the mismatch, such as it is raining so it is not great weather. Notice whether tone helps or confuses the student; some students find tone of voice an unreliable clue and do better with the situation check.
Carrying it home
At home, point out sarcasm when it happens in shows or family talk and explain it: he said lovely weather but it is snowing, so he meant the opposite. Let the child ask whether you are joking whenever they are unsure; asking directly is a great strategy and nobody should feel embarrassed using it.
What's in this activity
- It is pouring rain on the picnic. Jay says great weather for a picnic. Does he mean it?
- Yes. He loves the weather
- No. He is being sarcastic
- Lena gets the puppy she wanted for years. She says this is the best day ever. Does she mean it?
- Yes. She is sincere
- No. She is being sarcastic
- Sam's team loses 10 to 0 and he says what a great game. Does he mean it?
- Yes. It went well
- No. He is being sarcastic
- After a ten-page homework packet Ana says oh I just love homework. What does she mean?
- She does not love it
- She loves homework
- She wants more homework
- Your friend finishes the race first and says I am so fast! Does she mean it?
- The bus is forty minutes late. Someone says right on time as usual. What do they mean?
- The bus is always on time
- The bus is often late and they are annoyed
- They like waiting
- Which clue helps most when you are not sure if someone is sarcastic?
- Whether the words match what is happening
- How long the sentence is
- Whether they use big words
Questions
- Who is this for?
- Students in grades 5 through 8 working on understanding sarcasm and speaker intent, including students who take comments literally.
- Should students use sarcasm themselves?
- That is their choice. The goal is understanding what others mean. Many people, autistic people among them, prefer to say what they mean directly, and asking are you joking? is a perfectly good strategy.
- Can I change the items?
- Yes. Open it in the Activity Studio, edit or add items and keep the same board, or switch it to another template that fits the content.
- Is it free?
- Yes. It plays free in the browser with no login. An account adds session data, goal scoring and assignment to a student.
Use this board with your caseload
With a free account, every correct, cued and incorrect mark is saved to the student and scored against their IEP goal, with the data written up for you. Assign it as home practice through the parent portal.
Track progress freeFree for SLPs. No card, no trial clock.