Self-Regulation is fundamental to supporting Autistic kids. Self-Reg is the work of Dr Stuart Shanker. A guru in decreasing anxiety in populations of students that you and I teach. But what’s it all about? Keep reading for an introduction to Self-Reg and grab yourself some templates to start working with today. Self-Regulation – What is that? Self-Reg is a frame-work…

Sharing four of my fave teaching strategies today that support Autistic learners. I find these strategies to be critical for successful teaching and learning within Special Education. Read on to find out what they are and why I find them essential. My Four Fave Teaching Strategies Four of my fave teaching strategies are: Wait time; Structure and Routines; Using a…

All special educators must either lead or participate in Individual Education Plan meetings. It can be a daunting task but with some preparation it doesn’t have to be. Read on for some tips to support successful IEP meetings. IEP Meetings – Prior to the Day Preparation is key to the overall success of the meeting. So where do we begin?…

Increasing independence is the aim of all Special Education teachers and families. Why is it then, some adults continue to carry bags for students? Often they also go on to unpack more than the kids or young people do too! Read on to find some tips to help increase independence for students in Special Education. Increase Independence: Set up the…

‘What’s in the bag’ is a fun and engaging activity for Autistic students and Early Years learners. It’s great for teaching students to increase attention, for extending language and teaching Augmentative and Alternative Communication (A.A.C.) core words. Read on to find out how I do it and view a video example. ‘What’s In The Bag’. What is it all about?…

Songs are a great way to transition students in SpEd. They just seem to tune in (oops no pun intended) which is exactly what we are looking for! Grab their attention and get them moving in an orderly and timely fashion. Read on for a couple of ideas I have to share about using songs to transition. Why use Songs?…

Preference Assessment (or Reinforcement Inventories) are very important. What are they? Why are they important? Who contributes? When and how do I assess and record? For the answers to these questions and more read on. (1) What is a Preference Assessment? It is an assessment of preferred tasks, games, foods, drinks, songs, toys, sensory objects, You Tube clips, people and…

How do we have an Easter Egg hunt in a lockdown? Well it’s tricky but not impossible. It will certainly be a different kind of Easter this year given the COVID-19 lockdown. Questions such as “will the Easter Bunny still be able to come?”, and “can we afford Easter eggs this year?”are surfacing. How are you handling these tricky questions?…

Let’s talk schedules. You have your timetable sorted or on the way to being sorted. Now what? Where do you start? Schedules are a great place to head to next. The types of schedules required in a special education setting are whole class, individual, work and first/then schedules. All are necessary for different purposes. Whole Class Schedules First let me…

Prepare for back to school in SPED before the year begins. We all want to start the school year feeling ready to go. Preparation in advance is the key. The following 10 items are critical to have organised before the students arrive. Note this page was written prior to COVID lockdowns. However, much of the prep work is still relevant…