This is a post that has taken me a long while to compile. Working with individuals with Special Needs is something so dear to my heart, that I couldn't seem to fit all that I wanted to say into just one Post.
I did my best to put together as much as I possibly could for teachers, parents and all of those who love an individual with Special Needs. Pictured below is the inspiration behind my entire teaching career.
God blessed our family with a very special member and he has forever changed the way I view the world and teaching!
Now I am still learning all I can, and I know that I will never be able to learn it all. That is why I am such a believer in collaborating with others. I am a sibling of an individual with Autism, Down Syndrome and Seizures. I have my degree in Early Childhood Education with Special Education Approval. I have also worked as a Behavior Therapist for individuals with Autism, I have trained extensively with Therapeutic Horseback Riding Centers to provide services to individuals with Special Needs, I volunteer for numerous Special Needs organizations local to me. This is a field that I am extremely passionate about and I hope that you will be able to take something away from this and I also hope that you will share your own experiences with me!
Below are some tips that I have compiled for the Special Teacher. This is not the end all be all list by any means, but these definitely have helped me :)
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Flexibility! I can't say this one enough! There is not a lesson plan in the WORLD that can account for every need of a child with Special Needs. Teachers, you can have your entire lesson planned down to the very last detail. The key however, is realizing that plan may just have to be put on pause at any given moment. Always have a back up plan (or 3). All students have good days and bad days and some right in between. What works today may not work tomorrow, or even the next five minutes, so being flexible is the best way to plan to meet your student's needs. Also, always be sure to follow through with whatever it is your are working on with your student. If you are working on an activity with them and they have a melt down, be prepared to step away and allow for breaks. Be sure to ALWAYS end on a good note though. You may have to differentiate your plan right then and there, and that is absolutely ok! Never ever walk away and throw the plan out the window for keeps though. Be able to put it on pause until the child is ready to move forward, and when they are, be sure to be moving at a pace that is tailored to them.
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Calm Down Space: No matter what you teach (grade or subject), build in a special spot in your classroom for your students who need to take a break, regain composure, or really to use as needed. All students, especially ones with Special Needs, are in need of learning breaks whether it is to stretch, take a sensory break, go for a walk, etc. I use
Brain Breaks religiously with my kiddos just to keep their little minds from getting burnt out. In my
Calm Down Space, I have a memory foam area rug that I found at Target for under $20. My space is located right next to a window so students can look outside for a fresh and uplifting view. I also have an array of social stories to acknowledge feelings of anger, sadness, loneliness, madness, and so forth as well as to teach my students just how to cope with those feelings to move forward. I have sensory fidgets, a sand timer, some stuffed animals and our classroom puppy (he is a stuffed puppy!) that is always up for a snuggle.
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Routine, Routine, Routine. Ok, so this may sound contradictory to my first bullet, but hear this one out! Routine in the classroom is always a plus. Students should know what is coming so that they can transition smoothly. Establishing and maintaining regular routines provides a sense of predictability and comfort. This really helps kids to take initiative and be in control of their learning! I have visuals posted EVERYWHERE! Visuals of our daily schedule, arrival routines, pack up routines, how to stand in a line...I think you get it :) This is pretty common among any preschool classroom, but it also works wonders for students of any age! I stumbled across an AMAZING iPad app the other days that enables you to customize personal schedules and create choices for students. The app is called
Choice Works. It is life changing!
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Positive Praise. This one is done just the way it sounds...Always be on the hunt for positive behaviors and praise, praise, praise! It may be my background in ABA, but this one truly works. Students need to feel validated, appreciated, proud of themselves. It is up to you to provide them endless opportunities to recognize their strengths!
~Fidgets & Sensory Items. Theses don't need to be fancy! Common items, such as shaving creme, bubbles, the grippy material you use to line cupboards, stress reliever balls, a bottle filled with sand and beads. These are all calming, easy to find and budget friendly! Many of these items can be found at the Dollar Store. I once saw the most amazing weighted blanket made my the mother of a child with Autism I used to work with. The mom used a bag of rice from the store, covered the bag with felt and then created a no-tie blanket around the bag of rice in character printed fabric from Wal-Mart. It worked wonders and kept her little one sitting still when he would start to get wiggly!
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Use School Resources. Always work with your coworkers to brainstorm ideas for your kiddos! Everyone in a school has such unique backgrounds. Some come in with a background in social work or psychology or perhaps they are a parent themselves. Maybe some of them have a loved one at home with Special Needs. NEVER be afraid to speak up and ask for second (and third and fourth and fifth!) opinions to collect ideas and resources. No one could ever know everything, so never be too proud to ask!
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IEP's & Filing Everything: This is nothing new. Figure out an organizational system that works for you and stick with it. This is so much easier when established at the start of a school year, but whatever you do, do not get lazy on this one. Create every child a file, collect all the important things. Document conversations and emails with parents. Jot down summaries of visits and meetings. Keep track of parent hopes and goals for their child. Keep all IEP & Assessment items neat and accessible. Do whatever you can to have everything at your fingertips. Keep track of dates. Don't view IEP meetings as another "To Do". Recognize that to this child's family, those meetings can make or break their hopes for their child. Yes, there is a lot of paperwork that precedes those meetings. Remember that these meetings can be emotional for a family and view those goals as the tunnel to help bring students to their full potential!
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Get Involved: I truly feel that this is one of those areas that pinpoint the reason that parents are such an integral part of a child's education. Yes, getting your degree in teaching or Special Education is important. But unless you get out there to experience those real life situations, it will be tough to understand just where those students and some of those struggles are coming from. Volunteer for a special needs organization and find ways to connect with your kids!
~Family Involvement: Again, not much different from what you would do with your mainstream kiddos. Talk to the family. Learn about their goals. Show them that when their eyes are filled with tears during the challenging times, that you are right there with them and want what is best for their child not just this school year, but forever. Having a loved one with Special Needs myself, I know that the future can be terrifying at times. If you do anything on this list, understand where families are coming from.
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Love Them. It does not matter if this child tears apart your classroom during meltdowns, always talks out of turn, distracts their friends, always finds a way to make a run for it down the hall...LOVE your students! It is often true that the ones that seem the toughest to love are the ones who need love the most.
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Special Education students in the Mainstream Classroom: As a teacher of very young children, it is not uncommon for my students to be very honest with their questions when they meet a friend who may be different from them. As the teacher, be open and set the stage for an accepting and encouraging learning environment. The following are helpful to answer questions that may throw you for a loop, such as "Why is he making those noises? How come he sits in a special chair? Why does she cry during class? Why does she not have to do this assignment? Why do they look different?"
- Emphasize that no two people are the same -- some differences are just more noticeable. We are all different and that is ok!
- A disability is only a trait of an individual. Just like we all have different likes, dislikes, strengths and challenges.
- We all want friends and to be included, no matter what!
- All of us may need help or extra support at times.
- In this classroom, we are all included and we are all important.
These are some books that may be helpful:
In Jesse's Shoes Kimberly Lewis
All Dogs Have ADHD Kathy Hoopmann
Understanding Sam and Asperger Syndrome Clarabelle van Niekerk
Views From Our Shoes Donald Meyer
The video below pretty much sums up all the rest! Enjoy! :)
Don't Limit Me-Powerful Video on teaching individuals with Special Needs
Additional Resources on educating your students with special needs
Teaching Students with Down Syndrome
AMAZING Blog Post on teaching students with Autism by the "I Love ABA" Blog
Teaching Students with ADD & ADHD
Teaching Students with Cerebral Palsy
Special Education Students in the General Education Classroom
