This is one of my favorite and most used resources I have ever made. This is a collection of over 280 large images with high contrast and minimal visual clutter that I use with my students. I put all of these pictures into a 4 inch 3 ring binder and use them as often as I need for students learning ...
We believe in and follow the social model understanding of disability and the cultural model of Deafness. Our use of the term 'Disabled people' reflects this, as does our description of Deaf and Disabled people and organisations.
The following school readiness checklist was compiled to provide an overview of your child’s visual motor skills, fine motor and pre-writing skills, gross motor skills, cognitive and problem solving skills, social, language and emotional skills, and self-care (independence) skills. There is a wide range of expectations for children beginning formal schooling and this may change from one local area to another. The starting age for school may also vary depending on your state or country of residence. Terms of use: This checklist should be used as a guide only. This school readiness checklist is not a standardised test and can not be used to gauge age-norms. This checklist may be used by parents, educators and health professionals for their own use with a child or children in their care. This checklist should not be distributed. Further free copies may be obtained from Your Kids OT. If you have concerns with your child's development, please contact your local health professional for an assessment of your child's individual needs. Updated version 2_2023.
One of the most important questions we can ask as teachers is: Does this practice empower or disempower my students?
It can be really difficult to hit all the core components of a lesson when you are trying to wrangle your small groups or hold the attention of your 1:1 students. One of the best ways to get massive results without the overwhelm is to have organized binders and materials where you can hold all of your intervention activities for your students. We have a streamlined process we use for every student so we aren’t living in a constant state of overwhelm.
Setting up Visuals I started jotting down what visuals my students needed to help with frustration and classwork until I realised what a big task! So I decided to cut down my list to a manageable…
IEP Goal Bank: A free list of IEP Goal Examples and IEP Objectives separated by goal category or area of need; includes a PDF of IEP goals.
Classroom environment is extremely important for students with significant disabilities, particularly for students with autism and sensory needs. The physical structure and lay-out of a classroom n…
Disability technology is a great complement to handicap accessible home modifications. Living with ALS has led me to use these things to make life easier.
I know we have been talking about expressive vocabulary, but I have to take a brief time out to reiterate my passion for age-appropriate tasks / vocabulary. If you work with students with developmental disabilities, you know the challenge of making materials that are appropriate for both developmental skills and chronological age. This can be tough for some students, but it is my passion. If students like things that are younger than their age, that's absolutely fine. I mean, after all, I've seen Frozen--have you? However, I believe we have a responsibility to introduce them to age-appropriate activities. Older students have the right to dignity and to not have their classrooms look like a preschool class. Conversely, thought that doesn't mean their environments and materials have to drab and boring. Even basic skills can be age-appropriate but interesting. While materials for younger children may not be appropriate for older students, many materials designed for older students would be appropriate for younger students. So, what do we need to think about in creating materials that are age-appropriate across the board and still at a basic developmental level? First, the vocabulary has to be appropriate. We only have so much time to teach--let's focus on what the students most need to learn. This is one of the focuses of a shift to a life skills or functional curriculum approach. It's also why we teach the Dolch list (or other sight word list) to young children. Young children are most likely to encounter the words from those lists when reading. For students who are not strong readers, we often make a shift to what we call environmental print. Environmental print are the words we see around us. Same goes for spoken vocabulary. If we are teaching receptive (for discrimination on a speech generating device or picture exchange system) vocabulary, we need to focus on what the person would want to ask for or what they need to understand. What are the things around them they would ask for or talk about? Second, the materials have to be appropriate. That means we need simple tasks, like matching skills, that use real-life vocabulary that doesn't look too, too cutesy. I firmly believe that older students deserve interesting and colorful materials, just like younger students. However, we would want the characters in books to be 15, 20 or 30 years old, instead of 3. Somehow the field seems to think that to make things simple and "older" the materials have to be less colorful and interesting. I don't see why that is true--I like colorful thing and I'm "older." We shouldn't have to fight for the right to have interesting materials for older students! So that brings me to my quest for interesting, colorful, and meaningful materials across the age span and my newest product of matching skills. And I've made a video (which was supposed to keep me from writing a whole blog post, but you know me!) about it, what's in it and what it's good for. Here's a brief description and then check out the video to see what is included. New Product This is a set of file folders that focuses on matching picture to picture for a variety of real-life, functional items. The pictures are a combination of photographs and clip art. The set includes matching picture to picture for community signs, fruits, vegetables, fast food items, meat, sweets/desserts, furniture and clothes. It also includes word-to-picture matching for signs, fruits and vegetables. The items can be divided up as one folder for each set of vocabulary (10 matching pages/file folders). They can also be set up to begin teaching students how to sort by having different items on each side (e.g., fruits and vegetables; clothes and furniture; fruit and vegetables picture match to words). There are labels for 14 file folders combinations. You can check them out in my store HERE. Until next time,
The Parent Concerns portion of the IEP is arguably the MOST IMPORTANT part of the IEP. Learn how to write a parent concerns letter that gets noticed, and more importantly, gets results. Includes Parent Letter templates and examples.
I’m sure everyone tells you how important it is to train your paraprofessionals. If they don’t know how your classroom runs, have each students behavior plan memorized, and know their duties how can they be successful right? Well, having time to train paraprofessionals is often considered a luxury. We don’t have prep time, they don’t have […]
Veronica De Souza was laid off mere hours before the debate between Mitt Romney and President Obama, but she's certainly high-profile now
Children with Autism, emotional disability, or other social deficits struggle with impairments in many areas – relationships, communication skills, emotional regulation, and organization to name a few. This pack contains numerous activities to be used individually or combined to make a survival guide binder for a student with social difficulties. This binder is designed to ...
I’m definitely not an expert on disabilities students may have. So, I’ve been trying to find out more information. I’ve been looking for some good fact sheets about the most commo…
Look inside this tutoring binder to see what one elementary teacher brings to tutor struggling students in literacy and math. Lots of resource and freebies!
Check out these tools to help you create meaningful literacy experiences and work on reading comprehension with your students in special ed.
Functional morning work for the special education classroom.
I feel like I have mentioned in several posts about my morning binders and yet, I haven't elaborated on them or shown you examples. These binders are what my students complete when we finish our morning group work on the board (covering topics of calendar, weather, social skills, emotions, lunch options, whether or not we have recess, attendance, etc.). I originally made these to keep my students' little hands busy during my morning group (now, we try and get students to participate in the group, and when that is finished, complete their binders). They are also useful to make sure each student is covering each topic (many which fit into IEP goals) every day. Each child's binder is different, depending on level. Today- I will show you a mid-level binder, tomorrow- a high-level binder, and Saturday- a lower level binder. Here is what the binder looks like when you open it. A finished envelope on the left (to put the schedule pieces in when each activity is completed), a copy of the weekly schedule in the pocket of the binder (to help aids/students set up the schedule each day), and the daily picture schedule on the right side of the page. I also velcro in wet erase markers to the front of the binder (which the kids use on some of their laminated binder pages). Here is a close-up of the weekly schedule for one student. This makes it possible for students to set up their own schedules...and also makes it a lot easier for me and my aids to set up schedules for each kid. I have divider pages between each section of the binder to help students locate their work. I use the "stop, nice hands, sit and wait" visual to signal the child to wait before turning the page. Here is a sample of this students language arts timing pages. Timings are meant to increase speed and fluency of speech for students. Again, the difficulty of these timings vary by student. I set the time for 30 seconds and all the students complete their fluency readings at the same time. Then we count up how many words were read/items labeled, and write them in the chart at the bottom of the page. My assistant completes this one for my student since he cannot yet write. Here is an example of this student's math timing. It is conducted in the same manner as above. To find a complete set of these timings sheet, click here. Here is an example of the calendar page. For now, the student only has to take down the current month/season and put them in the blank box. Eventually, the student will work on putting the months in order as well. On this page, my student works on matching pictures of people who are happy, sad, and mad. This is to address an IEP goal about recognizing/displaying emotions. This page is about get my student to use attributes to describe the clothes he is wearing. He has to put the correct color next to each item of clothes to reflect what he is wearing each day.
Dyslexia FAQs
Resources, tips, and materials to help you, help children with autism
Well, today is our first day of home visits! We are going to over 10 houses today and splitting the rest over the next two afternoons (after school). One thing I really wanted to get done in time for the home visits were homework binders. For most of my kids' homework, I send home a packet of worksheets at their appropriate level in a home work folder each day. But, for my kids who can't write, this system doesn't work. So, what I have done in the past, is make a binder of work (similar to their morning group binder) for these kids to keep at home. This is a great way for students to get extra practice and for parents to see what their child is capable of doing independently. Here are some pictures of the binder I put together last night and I will be delivering to my student's house today! This is from our morning binder. All student's have to do is move the correct month/season down into the bold box. This is the same thing, but for the weather. Just move down the correct picture for weather/temperature into the bold box. These pages make for easy clean-up...just move the picture back to it's original location! These pages are great for extra practice matching the months/days or putting them in order (I have two versions- one with pictures to match and one with blank boxes for practicing the order). These two pages are to practice identifying appropriate clothes for different seasons (and practice dressing a person). This page is also from our morning binder. It is practice in identifying colors to describe clothes the child is wearing. This is a matching page for money...coin names and value. For some pages, I use zip-loc bags as storage for the pieces. I put velcro on the bag (and on the back of the previous page) so the bag can be attached as shown in the picture below. This helps with quick clean-up/storage and prevents losing pieces! ***Update: After many requests to sell my hw binders on TPT, I have finally added this product to my store. You can check it out by clicking here. Thanks for your interest in my products and if you ever see something featured on my blog, that you would like for me to sell, please let me know!
Home speciallearning
Here are some examples of modifications. Remember, that a modified lesson in an inclusive classroom is a lesson where the objective and/or learning materials have been changed to meet the needs of a special learner. However, the overall concept or activity remains the same so that the learner can experience the curriculum alongside his or her classmates. This math sheet has been easily modified by providing alternate questions. Photo from www.teachingtoinspirein5th.blogspot.com. This math sheet can be modified by having the student complete alternate math operations with the numbers on the page. This Grade 8 science vocabulary activity has become a YES/NO activity. An alternate activity is provided for the student using the same handout as the rest of the class. Photo from www.whalenmom.blogspot.com. Alternate text can be placed over the original text in a class novel. In addition, you can modify a lesson by using the following strategies: Tracing Matching Fill in the Blank Word Banks Multiple Choice Illustrating Highlighting Reduced work Hope this is helpful! Let me know if you have any questions. Also, feel free to share any modified activities you may have!
Resources, tips, and materials to help you, help children with autism
FREE behavior management clip wheel for kids to develop social skills and learn how to cope with big emotions. Great for the classroom or at home!
Next week is Dr. Seuss' birthday, so I thought I would share this oldie found {HERE}. Anyone else have a ton of IEPs to write over the next few weeks as we approach the end of the school year?
"Sometimes it’s hard to explain using words what I am going through."
A blog about autism resources and support from a special ed teacher with first-hand experience.
50 free health checklist!. Improve your physical & mental health with actionable tips and expert guidance. Start your wellness journey today
Do you find yourself getting frustrated with your paraprofessionals during large group activities? Sometimes you feel like you are swimming in a rocky ocean all alone... and other times you can't hear yourself give directions over the level of verbal prompts happening. 🫣😬 Typically this boils down to a couple things... lack of training and communication. Remedy this common struggle with these tips: Set Clear Expectations: Define roles and responsibilities for paraprofessionals during large group activities. Clarify their support tasks, behavioral strategies, and communication protocols. Bright Rainbow Editable Paraprofessional Role Sheets Team Communication: Foster open communication between teachers and paraprofessionals. Regular meetings ensure everyone is on the same page and can discuss any concerns or improvements. I liked to meet with my team weekly to discuss current questions or concerns and discuss lessons for the week ahead. This helps paraprofessionals feel heard, confident, and prepared. Provide Training: Offer ongoing training sessions to enhance paraprofessionals' skills and knowledge. Some areas to prioritize may include: behavior management techniques understanding disabilities differentiation reinforcement strategies data collection fostering an inclusive environment. Boho Watercolor Editable Paraprofessional Role Sheets Flexibility: Be adaptable to changing situations during large group activities, and encourage paraprofessionals to be flexible with their support methods accordingly. If you feel the need to pivot in the moment, communicate that! Sometimes paraprofessionals can get frustrated if you discussed facilitating a lesson in one way and switch it up in the moment. Breaks and Self-Care: Remind paraprofessionals to take short breaks if needed and prioritize self-care to maintain their effectiveness in the classroom. Bright Rainbow Editable Paraprofessional Role Sheets Celebrate Success: Acknowledge and celebrate achievements, both big and small, for students and paraprofessionals. A positive atmosphere boosts motivation. Debriefing Sessions: After activities, hold debriefing sessions to reflect on successes and challenges. Encourage feedback from paraprofessionals to continually improve teamwork. By implementing these practical tips, you'll create a harmonious and supportive environment for both students and paraprofessionals, ensuring a successful learning experience in your special education classroom. 🌈"
Find out if your inheritance will affect your Social Security Disability Insurance
Self-advocacy does not mean “doing it all yourself” without the help of others. Characteristics of Self-Advocacy Students with disabilities require self-advocacy characteristics and skills for a su…
Your guide to the many different types of dyslexia including surface and deep. Understanding your type can help you find better ways to learn.
My blog, Bed Rested Teacher, has moved to Hand Me Down Mom Genes. If you are not redirected automatically to the new location of the post, click here: http://handmedownmomgenes.blogspot.com/p/daily-binder-inserts.html Thank you!
