Tag Archives: life skills

Teaching Special Needs Individuals Temperature Taking

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In some residences and group homes, individuals are being monitored for COVID19 by daily temperature readings. People with disabilities are probably used to getting their temperatures taking each time they are seen by their physician. In these challenging times, why not teach the skill of taking one own’s temperature. It is a basic independent living skill to learn.

 

Using a digital thermometer would probably be the most effective and it is also easy to read. teaching thermometer reading affects the following skill:

  • Attention Skills
  • Follow Directions
  • Follow 2-step commands
  • Personal Care
  • Self-advocacy skills

Prerequisite skills

  • understand cause and effects
  • able to understand numbers
  • focus attention 1-5 minutes
  • Understand sequences

Objective: With modeling, student will be able to accurately read the thermometer

Time: 5 minnutes

Material: digital thermometer (best used for underarm and the mouth)

Steps:

  1. explain that a normal temperature reading is considered around 98.7 and temperature taking is done to determine if a person has a fever or is sick.
  2. The teaching method best used is through  modeling. Explain the steps to the individual and begin by taking your own temperature first.
  3. Once done, inform the individual he should do the same by using the following steps:
  • The student will pick up the thermometer
  • The student will wash the thermometer
  • The student will carefully place the tip of the thermometer under his/her tongue
  • With the mouth closed, the student will leave the thermometer in until he/she hears a beeping sound
  • The student will remove the thermometer
  • The student will accurately read the temperature.

You can also create a temperature log, where the individual takes their temperature on a daily basis and writes down their temperature on a chart.

Identify Money Freebie

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Learn to identify coins is one of the first steps in learning to count and understanding money management skills. The following worksheets will help to reinforce the ability to recognize the various denominations of coins.

The lesson plan below is a helpful tool to reinforce recognizing coins.  Children with intellectual disabilities and special needs learn best through visual demonstrations and pictures. Remember to allow extra time to complete the task and use simple directions.

Lesson Plan: Identify Coins

Objective: the Student will successfully identify coins

Performance Criteria: The student will identify the correct coin, 3 out of 5 trials

Materials Needed:

  • coin worksheets
  • actual penny, nickle, dime and quarter
  • pencil

Steps:

  1. the instructor will use real coins and identify the coin to the student
  2. the instructor will use one coin at a time, starting with the smallest demoninator
  3. The instructor will pick up the penny and state, “this is a penny.”
  4. The instructor will then ask the student to pick up the penny
  5. The instructor will aske the student to describe the penny
  6. The instructor will ask the student the value of the penny.
  7. Once completed, the instructor will have the student complete the worksheet
  8. The insstructor will continue with the rest of the coins.

Circle Nickle Worksheet

id coin worksheet

circle penny worksheet

circle dime

Going to College With Autism

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Source: Child Mind Institute

Vassar junior Zoe Gross knows her strengths and weaknesses all too well. So while she gets good grades, the 21-year-old is aware that she does things more slowly than most people, including getting dressed in the morning, transitioning between activities, and writing papers. It makes college an even greater challenge. “When you take into account that when I’m living on my own it is difficult for me just to keep myself washed, fed and in clean clothes,” she says, “it means that I can’t do the schoolwork as fast as the professors can assign it.”

Gross is on the autism spectrum, and her struggles with life skills and executive function—the mental processes that involve things like planning, time management and multitasking—leave her feeling depressed and anxious. “I get sick a lot because my immune system is shot,” she says. “I got strep and mono in one semester.” Of course, this adds to her anxiety and trouble getting things done. “Every semester I am absolutely miserable by finals.” After finally hitting a serious “rocky patch,” as she puts it, Gross decided to take a break this semester. Click here to read the rest of the story

40 Autism Teaching Resources You Should Know About

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autismteachingres

The latest estimate shows that 1 in 68 children (1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls) as having autism spectrum disorder. This means that more than ever, special education teachers in order to be effective, will require additional resources and support. the following links showcase a number of blogs and information on working with children with autism.

Autism Teacher Blogs

Savvy teachers are creating and developing blogs on teaching children with autism. Many of the blogs give first -person accounts while others share classroom activities, lesson plans and classroom management.

Adventures in Flapping

Adventures in Special Education

Autism Classroom Resources

Breezy Special Ed

Special Ed Spot

Teach.Love.Autism

Teaching Special Thinkers

The Autism Adventures of Room 83

The Autism Teaching Blog

You Aut-A Know

Classroom Management

The following links discuss strategies on engaging learners and managing students in a classroom setting.

Autism and Classroom Management: Interventions that Work (Bright Hub Education)

Autism Classroom Management (Edutopia)

Classroom Management for ASD Students (Autism Investigation Project)

Classroom Management for Autistic Children

Classroom Management for Students with Autism (Amy Glade-Prezi.com)

Classroom Management in an Autism Classroom (Minds in Bloom)

Classroom Tips and Strategies

The following links are tips and strategies that are specific to teaching techniques and helpful information on setting up the classroom, data collection and scheduling.

10 Practical Tips for Classroom Aids of Autistic Children (colotraining.com)

17 Tips for Teaching High Functioning Students with Autism (gadoe.org)

22 Tips for Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Monster.com)

Inclusion Strategies for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (Learn NC)

Teaching Students in Inclusive Classrooms (Child-autism-Parent-Café)

Tips for Teaching Students with Autism (Scholastic)

Tips for Working with Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Project Independence)

Tips for Working with Autistic Children (Love to Know)

Teaching College Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Faculty Focus)

Teaching Tips for Children and Adults with Autism (Temple Grandin)

Social Skills Lessons

Articles, tips and lesson plan information on social skills development

5 Tips for Running a Social Skills Group Ages 7-11 (Super Power Speech)

How Are My Social Skills? Checklist. (PDF)

How I Use the Social Thinking Curriculum to Teach Flexible Thinking (The Autism Vault Blog)

How to Run a Social Skills Group (Speech and Language Kids)

Social Skills Activities for Kids with Autism (Love to Know)

Social Skills Training Groups (Autism Speaks, PowerPoint Presentation)

Tips for Teaching Social Skills When it does Not Come Easy (Lemon Lime Adventures)

Classroom set-up

12 Tips for Setting up an Autism Classroom (Principal Kendrick’s Blog)

Seven Steps for Setting up a Stellar Autism Classroom (The Autism Helper)

Life Skills

Developing Life Skills: How to Teach a Skill (TACA)

Life Skills for Children and Teens with Autism (North Shore Pediatric Therapy)

Social Life on the Spectrum (Autism after 16)

Teaching Important Life Skills (Autism Speaks)

Teacher Resource Sites

The following sites are great resources specifically for teachers working with children with autism. Many of the sites include free downloads and other resources including curriculums, lesson plans and data collection.

Autism Educators

A resource for teachers, therapist and parents including a free IEP goal bank, parent resources and an assortment of tools and resources on a variety of topics. Autism Educators, Inc. is currently offering a Teacher’s Wish List promotion.

Autism Teaching Tools

This site includes information for individuals with autism and other developmental disorders. Links include information on topics such as toys and games, curriculum management and child safety just to name a few.

Cindy’s Autistic Support

This site contains free resources on lesson plans on a variety of topics including data collection, seasonal, inclusion for teachers and life skills. A great site for parents, therapist and teachers.

Educate Autism

Downloadable printables on topics relating to body parts, colors, data recording, handwriting and emotions.

National Autism Resources

Provides therapeutic tools and resources for individuals on the autism spectrum.

Positively Autism

A resource website for parents, therapist and teachers. Resources include information on fine motor, structured task, social skills, and at home.

Practical Autism Resources

Provides more than 100 pages of free printable items.

The Autism Helper

An autism blog created by Sasha Long, a board certified behavior analysis and certified special education teacher.

Do you know of any links and resources not listed? if so, please send an email to: specialneedsresourceblog@gmail.com and we will add them to the list.