Tag Archives: special education

How to Find a Special Education Advocate

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Source: Understood

The special education and IEP process can be stressful and confusing. Many parents turn to a special needs advocate to guide them as they seek services for their child. But how can you find the right advocate?

Unlike attorneys, anyone can call themselves a special education advocate. And while there are training programs for advocates, there’s no formal licensing or certification. That’s why it’s important to do your research before hiring someone. Click here to read the rest of the story

 

How A Transition Coordinator Can Prepare Your Child For Life After School

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How a Transition Coordinator Can Prepare Your Child for Life After School
Source: (Friendship Circle)

The transition from high school to whatever comes next can be stressful for students with special needs and their parents. Guiding them through this passage is a school transition coordinator or specialist. If you haven’t made contact with this individual at your teen’s school yet, don’t wait.

I had my first meeting with our high-school transition coordinator, Barbara Milewski, when my daughter was still in middle school. I wanted to find out what I should be worrying about and planning for. Not only did she reduce my anxiety, she also pointed me toward a county agency that gave my daughter a job that summer. As school meetings go, that one was unusually productive.

Since many parents don’t know such a resource exists, I asked Mrs. Milewski — who has decades of experience helping young people through this transition as a district guidance counselor, school social worker, case manager for special-education students, and transition coordinator — to share a little bit about what transition coordinators do and why you should seek yours out. Click here to read the rest of the story.

4 Things You Must to Make Standards-Based Instruction Meaningful

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Standards-based instruction can be tough for students with significant disabilities. Here are 4 tips to help make it meaningful for our students.

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve been thinking a lot these past few weeks about standards-based instruction.  I’ve been working on a presentation to help teachers teach based on the standards.  Most (if not all) states require standards-based instruction be identified in the IEP.  In addition, we evaluate our students based on the grade-level standards, even the students taking the alternate assessment.  So, how do we keep what we teach relevant to the lives of most of our students? How do we make our teaching meaningful and functional for students who are not college bound.  For those students who will need significant support after school, how do we help them use science and social studies information daily? Click here to read the rest of the story

 

40 Autism Teaching Resources You Should Know About

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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.

 

 

 

 

 

September Special Needs Resource Article Links

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Welcome to the September Article Links. These are articles that I have tweeted during the month of September. I tweet articles and links everyday. Please make sure you follow me and I will follow you back!

  1. Girls and boys with autism differ in behavior, brain structure
  2. What about mom? Reducing stress in mothers of children with autism.
  3. 8-year-old with cerebral palsy is launching a modeling career
  4. 10 must have products for individuals with cerebral palsy
  5. What every parent should know about an IEP and a 504 plan
  6. Greatest risk for cerebral palsy occur before birth
  7. Adults with sensory processing disorder, you are not alone
  8. The Forgotten history of autism
  9. 47 hacks people with ADD/ADHD use to stay on track
  10. Top four things you need to know when hiring people with disabilities
  11. Create a better classroom for kids with autism
  12. I’m a special education teacher. Here is what I want parents to know
  13. Autism: The number 1 thing you can do to help your child
  14. Living with an invisible disability
  15. Top 10 trends in special education