Hi Reader! In early intervention settings, Structured Play Groups are a perfect, developmentally-appropriate evidence-based practice for autistic students and can be a valuable support for developing friendships and communication skills. In my experience, the benefit of these groups certainly stretches beyond just my autistic students but those with other developmental disabilities and even their neurotypical peers! Especially in these unique post-pandemic lockdown times when all students...
13 days agoΒ β’Β 1 min read
Hi Reader! Can you believe it is already time to teach about Thanksgiving?! Some of my favorite activities this time of year include: teaching about past and present and making our own "pilgrim ink" πͺΆ practicing manners to get ready for Thanksgiving dinner π¦ taste testing a variety of Thanksgiving foods at our classroom Thanksgiving feast π and teaching about fractions using pie! ππ₯§ To learn more about what Thanksgiving looks like in my classroom, check out my blog post: Celebrating...
20 days agoΒ β’Β 1 min read
Hi Reader!! Do your students struggle to apply sensory strategies in order to calm down in the moment? Have you discovered there are certain times of day when everyone seems a bit dysregulated? Do you have students who struggle with engagement because they are overwhelmed? I have been there! In my blog post featured below, I highlight several resources that I used to help students proactively learn and practice strategies so they were more successful calming in the moment and give ideas for...
27 days agoΒ β’Β 1 min read
Hi Reader! One year my class did a hayride π on a farm field trip and the guide ready The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything and acted it out with props. It was the BEST! π If you have never read this spooky story, then now is the time! It is about a little old lady's journey through the forest where she encounters different articles of clothing that make different sounds that all come together in the end for a spooky surprise! My kids have SO MUCH FUN with all the sound effects...
about 1 month agoΒ β’Β 1 min read
Hi Reader! Can you believe it is already time to teach about Halloween? ππ»π§βοΈ I love getting my students ready for trick-or-treating during our social skills group. We even practice by visiting each of the staff members in our front office to trick-or-treat. It is so much fun! Want to see what else we do during this time of year in my classroom? Check out my blog post: Fall Activities in the Special Education Classroom Unsure where to start in your classroom? Grab my Halloween Thematic Unit!...
about 2 months agoΒ β’Β 1 min read
Hi Reader! Have I mentioned that I π§‘LOVE𧑠October?! It is my favorite month for apple cider and pumpkin spice donuts π, sweater weather, and it's my birthday month! It is also one of my favorite times in the special education classroom. We have taken some great fall field trips, had spooky story time, and our annual Halloween party is always so much fun! Want to see what October looks like in my classroom? Check out my blog post: What to Teach in October in the Elementary Special Education...
about 2 months agoΒ β’Β 1 min read
Hi Reader! The leaves π will be changing before we know it... well in Ohio at least! And I am definitely ready! Fall is my absolute favorite season. I love the changing weather (as long as it's not too rainy!), beautiful scenery, weekend evenings by the fire pit, and cozy sweaters. What are your favorite things about fall? What about fall in your classroom? What makes it special for you? Do you make bird feeders? Collect leaves? Make scarecrows? Read your favorite fall stories? I love it all!...
2 months agoΒ β’Β 1 min read
Hi Reader! Data collection on IEP goals is one of the most important tasks a special education teacher takes on because it helps us plan for interventions and monitor student progress. But it is also one of the most tedious tasks we do! Over the years, I have created a system for organizing my IEP goal progress monitoring that has made it easier to set up, implement, and even delegate! Learn more about how I set up my IEP Progress Monitoring Binders in my blog post by clicking the button...
2 months agoΒ β’Β 1 min read
Hi Reader! I always found it easy to find opportunities for the daily practice of literacy skills in my classroom. Name sequencing, sight words, vocabulary, read-alouds... we regularly did it all! π But math was a different story. I found that I often compartmentalized math instruction to single bands (money, time, numeration, etc.) and it was usually during IEP or intervention time. So students were primarily working on skills at their level or related to their goals and did not get the same...
3 months agoΒ β’Β 1 min read