If you, an educator, school administrator, or committee leader, are looking to celebrate National Autism Awareness Month, then keep reading!  Below are 30 different ways schools can celebrate the month of April.  

World Autism Awareness Day occurs on April 2nd of each year. In 2007, the United N...

Special needs trusts, ABLE Accounts, and finances, oh my!  While I typically cover topics geared toward high school and transition age students, getting finances in order is a topic that families with students and loved ones of all ages can learn from.

Estate planning (or financial planning) mea...

I was fortunate enough to teach in a newly renovated building with a Snozelon room. The room featured a light-up permanent peg board, a vibrating upholstered chair, fiber optic tentacles hanging from the ceiling, and a large bubble tube. Sensory rooms made specifically for students with special need...

When I was in the classroom, I would observe students becoming elevated due to worry, a new or unpreferred demand, a change in schedule, etc., and there were times when it was necessary to be uncomfortable for growth and learning and other times when the student needed strategies to calm back down t...

As a 15 year veteran educator, I was blessed to receive gifts of thanks during the holidays (Christmas) and end of the school year.  I'm sharing the best gifts I have received and loved and would love to receive if I were still teaching in the classroom.  

While many lists for teacher appreciati...

Prism Cube  |  Helicone Lollipopter   |  Weighted Hula Hoop   |  Twisting Board

Spinning, whether handheld fidgets or their own body, is a visual and vestibular sensory input experience enjoyed by many teens and adults with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD.  

As I've mentioned before in 101...

Please do NOT buy that fidget box full of random rainbow-colored fidgets, and I hope it will meet the needs of teens and adults!  You are bound to find that they are small in size, simple, and limited in use.  

So, I made a list of the best fidget toys out there for older kids, teens, and adults wi...

Calling all adult sensory seekers!  Autistic children become autistic teens who become autistic adults; the same goes for other disabilities and ADHD, and they most likely will not outgrow their sensory-seeking behavior.  Someone with an autism spectrum disorder or a disability shouldn't be limited ...

I think every special education teacher has had the feeling of wanting to teach new skills or address IEP goals with a student and knowing all the ways that haven't worked.  Educators often turn to other coworkers looking for the right tools, including ideas, insight, and suggestions for different m...

I had the pleasure of supporting a family friend as they prepared for an upcoming IEP meeting a few months back. After sharing some feedback about the IEP draft, I reviewed some lingo they may hear from school staff during the meeting, explained what it meant, and then walked them through the genera...

Some of my favorite memories of teaching stem from my beloved cooking lessons.  It was always a mix of chaos, laughs, near misses, and young adults with special needs scarfing down their deliciously messy plates.  I was actually observed by my assistant department chair, department chair, the distri...

Are you tired of ‘Dollar Over’ being your go-to functional math and independent living goal when drafting annual goals or transition planning?  Because let’s be honest, do most people in the real world carry a $20 bill, $10 bill, $5 bill, and four $1 bills with them at all times?  

Are you also ...

I love a really good transition assessment.  I love when parents/family members give quality feedback.  I love when staff share their ideas and insight about a student’s future.  But, I really love when students are open, honest, and (most importantly) realistic* about their dreams and goals for the...

What is ‘functional reading?’ I believe it’s being able to read and understand enough to get what you want or need AND what you don’t want or don’t need. This includes weeding out the fluff stuff that doesn’t matter.  The fluff detracts you from your goal. 

Functional reading is turning on Netflix,...

You are sitting down to write a student’s IEP and you get to the Transition Plan section.  You plug in the same phrasing you use to every other student.

GASP!!!!

You would never do that!!!  You are a better educator than to copy + paste (even if it would save you a few hours of time).  

Every school year brings a lot of excitement and overwhelm, as well as new paraprofessionals and support staff to train. While we may have the best intentions to provide hands-on training for the newest classroom staff, schedules may not always allow this.

Give your special education classroom para...

It’s the thing that lingers on a special education teacher's to-do list and weighs on you all summer because it is NEVER just a one-and-done sort of thing. The first student schedule draft will take you a few hours and you’ll hesitate to even remove the task from y...