Special eduction law can be a bit gray at times. Although it should be clear cut, it can be difficult to get explicit answers to some of the basic questions that pop up in the day-to-day life of a special education teacher. Here is a scenario that you may have run into before. You need to set up an IEP meeting, but have been unable to confirm a meeting time with the family. How many attempts do you need to make to set up an IEP meeting with a family? What do you do if they don't respond? Can it all be done through email and phone calls or does one of the attempts need to be a letter? Does one attempt need to be a certified letter? While there are laws related to these questions (which you can find HERE), you may find the answer given still leaves you a bit confused. When it comes to these questions, and many more, the law does not give specifics. The specifics tend to come from each state's interpretation of the law and from court case rulings. So how is a special education teacher supposed to make sense of the scattered out information and try to teach at the same time? Well... it's really hard. Some districts have incredible administrators who have a deep understanding of the law, current court cases, and best practice. Many of these districts also reach out to lawyers for guidance. They do the leg work so you can focus on providing your students with what they need to be successful. With that being said, it is still in everyone's best interest to know how to seek out the answers to your own questions. If you do not have this level of support in your district, you will have to take the extra steps to become informed of your role and responsibilities as a special education teacher. I cannot answer all of your questions here. However, I can provide you with some links and resources that will empower you to become more informed and confident in your understanding of special education law. I am going to share a ton of information. I recommend bookmarking this page so that you can refer back to it as questions arise throughout the school year. But first, let's start with the basics. There are three main federal laws that address disabilities. I recommend you click on the links and skim through each of the laws. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) - The primary purpose of IDEA is "to ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate public education that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living." IDEA (2004) This is a major law in the world of special education and there is a lot jam packed into this act. You can use the search feature on this page to find information related to a specific topic. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) - This is a civil rights law prohibiting discrimination based on disability. This law is less applicable to public education, but is still valuable to review. Section 504 Rehabilitation Act - Section 504 extended civil rights to people with disabilities in education and other settings. The act outlines the need for a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) which may include reasonable accommodations. Unlike IDEA, students do not need to qualify for an IEP to fall under the umbrella of 504 services. Please note - this is why it is extremely important that the accommodations listed in the IEP or 504 plan are being followed. If they are not, it becomes a civil rights issue, not just a special education issue. Click on Subpart D for information related directly to preschool, elementary, and secondary education. If reading through those three acts seems daunting, don't worry. I am going to share with you some great resources for synthesizing the plethora of information found above. WrightsLaw - I cannot recommend this site enough. It is run by Pete Wright, an attorney who represents children with special needs, and Pam Wright, a psychotherapist who has worked with children and families since the 70s. They summarize court cases in a way that is easy to understand and provide concrete takeaways from the rulings. They have also written numerous books related to special education law and provide training around law and advocacy throughout the country. Make sure you sign up for their newsletter to stay on top of current court cases. The website has quite a bit of information and can be a little difficult to navigate. However, you can click HERE to watch a quick video about how to sift through all of the information. Center for Parent Information and Resources - This website was produced under the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. While it is geared primarily toward parents, it serves as a great resource for anyone working with students with special needs. Their resource library provides links to documents related to disability services and special education. This site is easy to navigate and the information is accurate and concise. National Education Association (IDEA & Special Education) - This site offers "IDEA Briefs" to explain developments about and aspects of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). They are presented in a question and answer format, and are quick and easy to read. The site also offers a nice summary of the 2004 reauthorization of IDEA found HERE. Department of Education - The specifics surrounding special education law can vary between states. Search your state's department of education website for state specific laws, codes, and policies. You can search for your state HERE and get a list of helpful links. State Specific Education Association - Many states have their own rules and regulations that expand upon those found in IDEA. Your local union (if applicable) may have resources to help you learn more about special education law in your state. If you are unable to find answers on the website, don't hesitate to reach out to your local union reps to see if there are any resources or training opportunities that may be available for special education teachers. Understanding the law is a huge undertaking and I hope that this post has given you some guidence and resources to make it a bit easier. Do you have any other go-to resources for special education law? Please share in the comments below!

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This is such an exciting time of year - all around the world millions of children are getting ready for their first day of ‘big school.’ (And if they have a uniform, we can be sure they’re popping it on at every opportunity!). Of course, millions of teachers are also behind the scenes, getting ready to welcome these little ones into their classrooms. It’s only natural that many children will feel nervous and unsure, so what can we do to help them feel welcome? So glad you asked, metaphorical reader! Here are three of my favourite tips for introducing yourself to your students. And the best part is, these tips count whether your students are in their first year or final year of school. Nothing says welcome like a little rainbow decor! Create a Meet the Teacher Flyer One super simple way to introduce yourself to your students and parents is to create a ‘Meet the Teacher’ flyer. This gorgeous letter can be emailed or posted before the school year starts, so the students can get a sense of the (amazing!) teacher they’re about to meet. Miss Zienter and Ms Riso got the memo with their Boho Rainbow templates. Gorgeous images via @misszandthefirsties @teachingwithms.riso. My ‘Meet the Teacher’ templates are available in a range of different designs and aesthetics to match your overall classroom theme. In the flyer I’ve made space to list some facts about you, your favourite things and a meaningful quote, but you can really take it in any direction. They’re fully editable (no fancy software required - Powerpoint will do!) so you can communicate the things that are important to you. This is always one of my favourite things to make - that’s the Boho Rainbow collection on the left, and my new Boho Plants collection on the right! As a fun bonus, why not send a blank copy for your student to fill out and return to you! It’ll give you a head start on knowing them, and they’ll love that you’re excited to meet them too. Just change the heading to ‘My name is’ and you’re good to go! Host a Meet and Greet Another popular idea at many schools is to host a ‘meet the teacher’ evening where parents and students come in to meet you. These can be a little nerve-wracking the first few times, but BFF - I’ve got your back! Talk about a warm welcome - SUCH a stunning space from @miss_grosse_! My biggest tip is to prepare a fantastic slideshow to kick off the evening. Use it to introduce yourself, share your values and provide and insight into the kind of teacher they’re entrusting their kid’s ones to. Share details of what parents and students can expect from you, and really use it as a chance to start building trust with the children and parents. Absolutely adore the way your slideshow matches your decor, @miss_grosse_! I have a range of different Google Slides templates that work perfectly for this, and they just so happen to match my classroom decor ranges. These little details - like a cohesive aesthetic and slide decks with a little extra personality - can really showcase the effort, care and attention you bring to your work. No matter your aesthetic, there are Google Slides to match! The slide templates are completely customizable, so you can photos, videos, illustrations or anything you like. Approach this kind of session as an investment - the more you can reassure parents that their children are in great hands, the more you can avoid situations where they may otherwise assume the worst. A little extra effort now may just prevent a few of those kind of emails later! Love the Boho Vibes in these shots. Right hand image via the wonderful @firstieswithmissm. After your slideshow you’ll likely have a Q&A session, or time to mingle with the parents 1:1. So, I’d recommend having some fun play stations ready to occupy the children. Now I’m not talking about PlayStations (though I’m sure the kids would love that!) but little discovery setups that encourage tangible play-based learning. Set up sensory stations where they can dig for hidden ‘bones’, or reading nooks where they can curl up with a book. The spaces we create form part of our first impressions - wouldn’t you feel so welcomed by @kelseyholloway’s reading nook, and @myteacherlibrarianlife’s Affirmation Station? Clever, play-based learning stations present yet another opportunity for parents to see that they’ve won the teacher lottery with you. Don’t you just love the brilliant play station via @teachingwithmissblechynden and the Boho Plant reading zone via @mrslanderlearns? And much like sneaking veggies into kids’ dinners, you can even plant a fun little writing exercise to provide a benchmark for comparison later in the year. Consider Personalised Accommodations There are some really powerful actions you can take to support neurodivergent children before they start the school year, that will set you both up for success. One simple action is to invite the child and their parents to the classroom (perhaps right before the info night) and ask them to choose their own seat. Have you sorted out your welcome displays or name tags yet? For Autistic children and children with ADHD, their position in the classroom can make a big difference to their comfort, ability to focus and their resultant performance. Similarly, seeking their input when choosing appropriate chairs, desks and sensory tools is really important. When everything has a place? Magic happens. And when that place is beautiful? Even better! I also find that labels are helpful for orienting children - whether it’s helping them find their chair, office supplies in a trolley, their reading group books or little stationery items. A little real life label-inspo via @i_spy.mrs_i and the Boho Rainbow range! These kind of simple accommodations show children (and parents) that they’re entering an inclusive, safe and tailored classroom. And there’s no better introduction than that! These may be my favourite labels ever! I hope these tips help BFFs! Whether you’re brand new to teaching or a little more seasoned, it’s safe to say we all want to make a great first impression. Take a browse through my resources to see how I can help you save time, and if you get stuck, reach out via my socials - I’m always here to help!

Freebie! One of the keys to teaching reading comprehension is showing kids how proficient readers think about text. Teachers have to find a way to make their thinking visible. One way is with graphic organizers.

It is back to school season again! Special education teachers around the country will have a stack of IEPs in front of them with various dates and loads of information to process and remember. Don't get overwhelmed. Get organized! I have a couple of little tricks that helped me stay organized and prepared for upcoming meetings. I hope you'll be able to pull something and make it work for you! Due Dates The first thing I do is look at when meetings are due. A few years ago, my district went from having all of our meetings in the spring to having them stretched out over the entire year. Yes, that means we could potentially have a annual review or triennial review during the first month of school! Since I am a visual person, I print out a one-page calendar and fill in the names in the months. Color Coding Color-coding makes my life so much easier! Once I know dates, I look at the types of meetings students will be having. I like to sort out the triennial reviews from the annual reviews since there is so much more that needs to go into preparing for them. In this case, I have my annual reviews in the green folders and my triennial reviews in the orange folders. I can quickly and easily see which kids I need to evaluate and when those evaluations are due. Post-Its I use a lot of file folders. Like more than anybody probably ever should. I like to reuse my file folders but I hate having messy labels. Post-its totally solve my problem! I can label my file folders without ruining the folders. I write the student's name, birthdate, and the month their meeting is due on the post-it. You can write other important information on the bottom of the post-it such as medications or ID numbers. Sometimes, I use more than one post-it on the inside of the folder for information that I may quickly need to access. Once the folder is closed, you can keep confidential information hidden if you put it low enough or on a separate post-it. Fill the Folders At the beginning of the year, I fill the folders with what I will need. I like to keep a checklist of what I will need for the meeting. I can check off what is included and easily see what I am missing. If a student has a triennial review, I also load the folder with the testing protocols. There is nothing worse that getting ready to test a student and finding out that you are out of protocols and need to order more! When I load the folders, I will know right away if I need to order more and can do so before I need them. Since I bring the folder with me to the meeting, I also put a notes sheet in each folder so I won't forget it. My notes sheet helps my stay organized and on-task during the meeting as well as helps me document what happened during the meeting for my own records. During the school year leading up to the meeting, I throw in work samples, notes from parents, doctors, or teachers, assessments, and anything else that may be needed at the meeting. I treat these folders as working files. They are for my own records and I can put things in and take things out as needed. At the end of the year, I sort through each file to determine what needs to be saved in their folder that I keep from year to year before passing it along to their next teacher. The other contents will either be shredded or sent home with the student. It certainly isn't a perfect system but it helps me out a ton! You can find all of organization sheets I use along with all of my other special education resources in my Special Education Bundle in my TpT store. Thanks for stopping by!

"I believe it is a teacher's responsibility to ask for those IEPs before school starts... and read them!"

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Teach your students self regulation in a fun and supportive way.Visual tools that's individual and accessible for my students to help recognise and control their own feelings and emotions.Each of my kiddos have popped their name on one of these fun booklets and use these visuals supports for their n...

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PRINTABLE BRAVE TALKING CERTIFICATE / Selective mutism / Exposure Therapy Empower your child's self-esteem with our Printable Brave talking Certificate, specially designed for those conquering challenges like Selective Mutism or communication barriers. Ideal for parents, teachers, and therapists engaged in exposure therapy, this printable stands as a meaningful tribute to every stride forward in their growth. What you will receive: 1 PDF File and 1 JPEG A4 size. How to use: Download, print and fill in the blank details with your child's name, date and the person giving the certificate. Pop into a new or used frame for a perfect gift Please Note: This is a DIGITAL ITEM Nothing will be sent out in the post. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brave Talking ladder - Selective Mutism - Exposure worksheet - goal setting worksheet - confident speakers - communication disorders

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Here is a great data sheet for intervention teachers to give to general education teachers that outlines the basics and most important parts of a students IEP. It provides a snapshot of the student so that general education teachers don't need to spend countless hours going through the entire IEP for every student with an IEP. I complete this for all of my students and give it to all of the professionals who work with my students. This includes the specials teachers as well! I have modified this IEP form from the previous form so that you are able to edit this form. This means that fonts are not overly exciting. I have also changed some of the wording to mimic the IEP more. This is not my original idea. This is an updated version! I added a section for the important dates of the IEP and ETR :) I hope you enjoy it!

Genius Hour is a venue for facilitating authentic learning. As teachers, we are used to directing a prescribed curriculum. Genius Hour is an opportunity for teachers to TEACH and GUIDE authentic learning. We are teaching the process that Life Long Learners use in the pursuit of daily learning. Genius Hour is more than research. There is a goal (project, invention, presentation)! Brainstorm: Spend time delving into the many possibilities. You’ll know you have a great Genius Hour idea when you know you can spend a year learning and there is a final goal. Plan: Set a goal for the end product. A year is a long time, so chunking your learning becomes essential. Create mini-projects or targets that will ensure the end product is achieved. Explore: This is the learning portion and most time intensive. Genuine, creative learning is not linear. Rabbit holes and deeper learner are encourage. Becoming a ‘genius’ requires time. Present: Final goals will vary wildly. A genius hour project is more than a ‘presentation’, there should be some personal action.

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Use this craft and activity to teach coping strategies for anxiety, anger, stress, and other strong emotions. Kids and young adults will complete a lesson to learn about coping strategies and then create an ice pop craft with their individualized strategies chosen. This craft includes over 30 unique coping strategies for kids and young adults to choose from. This would be the perfect spring or summer activity while still focusing on learning critical skills! Why Teach Coping Strategies Coping strategies are any activity that can help calm emotions and stress. Kids and young adults may often experience difficult emotions but do not have appropriate coping strategies for dealing with those feelings. Just some of the coping strategies discussed and practiced within this resource include: listening to music, taking a walk, coloring, deep breathing, focusing on an object, using positive self-talk, practicing yoga, counting to ten, talking to a friend, and much more. How to Use Students will complete a worksheet that discusses and reviews the concept of coping strategies. To complete the craft, kids will select 2 or more coping strategies, cut out all the pieces, and glue them together. Note that step-by-step directions with photos are included to make it easy! Kids can add as many coping strategies to their ice pop to make it taller! The top of the ice pop says "I can...", encouraging kids to internalize using those strategies to help them manage emotions. After completing their craft, kids are encouraged to practice those strategies, as it is essential for kids to practice those strategies when they are calm. This will allow kids to learn how to use those same strategies when they are angry, sad, frustrated, or any other strong emotion. Alternatively, a blank version is available for kids to write in their own completely individualized strategies. Some of the strategies include: • Use positive self-talk • Write in a journal • Take a walk • Practice yoga • Think of a happy place • Slowly count to ten • Listen to music • Color or draw • Talk to someone • Read • Make a list of choices • Take 5 deep breaths • And many more! Need MORE Coping Strategies? { Mindfulness and Coping Strategies MEGA Bundle } This is a HUGE bundle with over 500 pages focused on teaching mindfulness and coping strategies to encourage self-control, happiness, positivity, and many more positive outcomes. It contains a variety of lessons, workbooks, posters, task cards, foldable crafts, and much more! Tips for Customers: Click here to follow my store for new resources and freebies. If you have questions, please contact me through Q & A and I'll get back to you as soon as I can! Please consider leaving feedback on this resource to receive TpT credits! I always strive for 5 stars and love hearing your feedback. Terms of Use: © Pathway 2 Success. One license is for the classroom/personal use for one educator and their students. Materials may not be shared with other educators without the purchase of extra licenses. Materials may not be posted on the Internet where they can be publicly accessed. Personal and classroom use only. Please see full terms of use for more information. Disclaimer: These resources are for supplementary support/education purposes and are not a replacement for education or other necessary supports. Educators, parents, and others who utilize these materials are encouraged to seek out additional support, as needed.

I was in Georgetown, Texas, last week with some AWESOME teachers. Several of them had these prompt cards on their name lanyards. I thought it was very clever and a great classroom management tool. They told me that they got the cards on autismcircuit.net. Well, I went there and I was impressed! The Texas Autism Circuit might have created tools and techniques for students on the autism spectrum, but I guarantee you that these would be useful in any classroom. They explain how and when to use the tools and give you printable templates and resources. Here’s a sample of what they have - FREE of course! Behavior cue cards to reinforce verbal directions or quietly redirect a student. First/then cards to use as a visual support for transitions. Take a break card for when students might need a break or if they seem frustrated. But wait, there’s more!!! You’ll find ideas for collecting data, helping children with time management, and other social skills! Special thanks to Frost Elementary Pre-K and PPCD teachers!