Setting up Behavior Resources & Visual Directions in the Classroom

September 22, 2024October 28, 2024 AutismadeLeave a comment

As a Teacher you know you need to have a well stocked toolbox! But for a Special Ed teacher this is especially true in order to run a successful classroom.

Students with such diverse needs will need more specialised resources to support their learning. In this article I would like to share with you a handful of essential tools that I’ve discovered, created and have helped with behavior management in my Special Ed classroom.

10 resources I find the most useful in my classroom for you to check out

5 FREE resources for you to download and try

It is important to remember that these resources are not just tools, but opportunities to empower and uplift students, and an opportunity for you to explore and implement them in your own classroom.

Schedule Templates for Preschool Special Education Classrooms

September 16, 2024December 9, 2025 AutismadeLeave a comment

You can now enjoy a more structured day for your special needs preschooler with these printable schedule templates! An easy-to-use guide will help you create individualized, fun learning experiences tailored to your child’s specific needs and capabilities.

This quick rundown will provide you with a few tips and strategies to help you create the perfect routine for your little learner.

Here are some quick tips and printable resources for setting up and getting started!

1. START SIMPLE – Make visuals for just meaningful times of the day eg, morning work, break, lunch etc, this will help your young learner to recognise and correspond each picture with each of the activities.

2. BUY A LAMINATOR – Your laminator will become your friend! If you want all your hard work to last, laminate all mounts and visuals because they are going to go through a tough time!

3. WALL MOUNT – Mount on a wall, the schedule must be low enough for your student to access and take away finished symbols.

4. USE A FINISHED BOX – Attach a finished box at the end or side of the schedule to drop the finished visuals in before starting a new activity.

5. TRY A FILE FOLDER – A portable schedule can be used in a file folder in the same way as a wall mounted one. I find these easier with older children to check into the activities and more efficient in busy classrooms. Pop their name on it and keep all their individual support visuals in one place.

6. MODLE AND PRACTICE – Always model, practice and remind your busy student at the beginning of each activity to, “check in”, or “check your schedule“. Make a plan to pull back on all prompting until they begin to use this system independently!

Ask yourself questions to find the right types of schedule to fit the learners needs.

Are your students able to pull off visuals when finished or can they tick a box?
Do they need visuals?
Can they read or write out the schedule?
Can they tell the time and follow the order of the day?

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Editable Visual Schedules

Editable Schedules for Classroom Management

Reward Chart Systems for Behavior Management|schedule|Token Economy|First & Then

Daily Planner Binder – Back to School for Kindergarten & Special Education

New Teacher Tips for Special Education.

August 7, 2023August 7, 2023 AutismadeLeave a comment

Being a special education teacher can be both rewarding and challenging. Teaching in Special education will require a unique set of approaches to effectively support young learners with diverse learning needs. Whether you’re newly graduated or moving from a general education setting, here you’ll find some valuable tips to help you thrive in your new classroom role.

Build Relationships:

A meaningful connection with your students is essential. Take the time to learn and understand their individual needs, preferences, and communication styles. Build a positive learning environment and spend time finding ways to motivate and encourages students using their own preferences and interests.

Collaborate with Support Staff:

As a Special education Teacher you will often collaboration with speech therapists, occupational therapists, behavior specialists, and other professionals. Work closely with these experts to create comprehensive education plans and implement effective strategies for your students.

Individualized Education Plans (IEPs):

Get to know IEPs of your students. IEPs will outline goals, accommodations, and modifications necessary for each student’s success. Regularly review and update IEPs based on student progress and needs.

Differentiated Instruction:

Adapt your teaching methods for each of your students, learning styles and abilities. Use a variety of instructional techniques, materials, and technologies to ensure that each student can access the curriculum at their own level and style.

Patience and Flexibility:

Working in special education requires patience and adaptability. Be prepared to modify your lessons quickly, as student needs may change from day to day.

Positive Behavior Support:

Implement a proactive approach to behavior management. Focus on reinforcing positive behaviors through praise, reward boards, reward choices, and self regulation strategies, along with running a structured classroom environment. Develop clear and consistent routines to help students feel secure.

Self-Care:

Caring for yourself is crucial for maintaining your well-being and effectiveness as a teacher. Balancing the demands of the job by setting time for yourself, will help to ensure you can continue making a positive impact on your students.

A career as a special education teacher requires dedication, compassion, and a willingness to carry on learning. By building strong relationships, collaborating with support staff, and implementing effective strategies, you can create an inclusive and supportive classroom environment where all students can thrive and reach their full potential. Remember that every day is an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of your students.

Critical Communication for Behavior Management

July 27, 2022August 11, 2023 AutismadeLeave a comment

Functional Communication is an important skill to master in any successful Behavior Management Plan. Here’s a brief description on how I teach theses skills with my young learners.

How I Teach students to use a “Break or Help” card

1. Firstly you need to help your student realise when they need to use the break/help card, preferably before they get too frustrated or loose concentration. At the start of any activity, show the student the break card and place the card where they can easily reach it.

2. Point to the break/help card and tell them, “This is your break/help card. You can use it to ask for a break.” When your student starts to get frustrated or loose interest, You say “If you are getting upset, use your break card to tell me you need a break/help.”

3. Once he requests the card allow the student to take a break/help from his tasks, or direct the student to move away to the “break area.” I found that self regulating visuals on the bottom of the card is a fantastic way of calming your student while on a break.

4. Requesting is an important part of teaching the student to trust and use the visual support, once they are consistently asking for breaks, you may begin to extend the time between the request and the actual break.

5. Visuals to the bottom of the support cards help redirect the student to what he can do instead, or while using the card. I hang them up on a keyring for easy access in my calm down corner!

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How to Use Social Narratives for Behavior Management

February 5, 2022August 11, 2023 AutismadeLeave a comment

Social narratives are always available in my calm down area! I keep them on the book shelf ready to remind my young learners how to respond in difficult social situations. This type of visual guide describes social interactions helps with understanding social skills and cues that they might of missed.

Social supports help my young learners understand how to behave or respond in particular situations by using visuals to describe various social interactions, situations, behaviours, and skills.

The main goal of a Social narrative is to share social information that describes how to behave in them instances.

Reading these stories, one to one and as a whole class lesson has enabled me to reinforce these important social skills. I’ve displayed a poster on classroom rules as a quick reminder and added supporting activities to generalise learning.

“Class Rules and “Inside voice,” are the ones I often read within a class lesson, usually when a reminder is needed on how behavior affects the class and disrupts others.