Tag: Visuals for Autism

Schedule Templates for Preschool Special Education Classrooms

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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.

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

For more resources visit my TPT Store!

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

Effortless Life Skills: How to Teach Preschoolers with Special Needs Through Adapted Activities.

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“Are you tired of the daily struggle to get your little one to practice good hygiene habits? or trying to Teach Functional life Skills to your young learners? Trust us, you’re not alone. Don’t lose hope just yet – I’ve created resources specifically for you. In this article, we’ll explore the use of adapted books as a tool to teach effortless personal hygiene to young children with special needs.

From the basics of adapted books to easy sequencing strategies for teaching hygiene. So let’s dive in and discover how simple it can be to instill healthy habits in our little ones!”

These books not only make learning fun and engaging but also cater to the specific needs of each child. By using adapted books, we can instill healthy habits in our children with special needs effortlessly. ” Let’s empower our children with the necessary skills to practice good hygiene on their own. So why wait? Grab an adapted book and start the journey towards healthy habits with your child today. Make hygiene a part of our daily routine and improve the overall well-being of our children. Let’s make hygiene effortless and enjoyable for our little ones with special needs.

Sequencing schedules can be used in bathrooms as visual reminders of the washing steps to follow

Simple activities to keep on with the good practice of Sequencing patterns for daily hygiene routines. Sequential learning can help your students gain confidence, build self esteem and promote a positive learning environment for them to gain basic skills.

In conclusion, good hygiene habits are essential for everyone, and especially for children with special needs. It is a daily struggle for parents to teach their preschoolers with special needs the importance of hygiene. But with the help of adapted books, we can make this task easier and more effective. Whether it’s through interactive stories or visual tools, adapted books offer a unique and personalized way to teach hygiene to our little ones.

Autismade Resources

Functional life Skills Adapted Book | Wash Hands

Functional Life Skills Adapted Activities | Brush Teeth

Fun Activities and Resources for Back to School

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Its that time of year again – the panic of building back to school lessons, fresh new resources and a shiny clean classroom! But a new class list of children in Special Education can mean new challenges and worries, so be prepared with hands on resources, learn as much as you can about each student and relax into teaching!

This interactive Daily Binder is full of visual strategies to help your students plan their day ahead and keep them focused throughout. Once laminated or placed in a pocket folder a dry wipe marker can be used for students to jot down their name, grade and class, followed by their teachers name, their friends name, things they like and things they don’t. There are pages with the days of the week for your student to practice and tick off what day it is and same for seasons. Handy pages for students to write out their daily schedule and tick off as they go though it. Working for cards and reward choice. What to remember when you feel angry, “first and then” when they get frustrated and what I need visuals for them to choose from.

About Me – Back to school activity sheets especially designed for new class members to fill in and share information about themselves.

Adapted books will enable your students to practice sequencing, curriculum tasks, stories and everyday activities. Instead of laminating and binding use them as cut and paste activities!

The ability to organise, sequence and prioritise helps us to plan daily activities and manage our time effectively. however, a lot of preschool/Special Education children may find communicating, organising, sequencing and prioritising difficult. This visual binder can support students with everyday basic needs.

FREE Back to School Download Activity sheet

Tips on How to Promote Positive Behavior in Preschool and Special Ed Classrooms

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The main aim in my classroom is to create a positive friendly environment to begin teaching, sometimes I find myself going around in circles… but I love it! Running a successful Special Ed class, in my opinion, requires a combination of effective communication and visual supports and I know by incorporating both I can significantly enhance positive behavior in my class. In this blog, I’ll guide you through how I combine critical communication skills with visual supports to promote behavior management in my wonderful class!

Tip 1: Define Clear Expectations

I always start by establishing clear behavioral expectations through visual supports and by engaging students with visuals of my classroom rules.

Then I teaching critical communication skills to ensure that every student’s perspective, abilities and needs are considered.

Tip 2: Collaboratively Create Visual Aids

I always Involve my students in creating visual aids and support systems of their preferences to promote a sense of ownership, decorated with pictures of their interests and motivators. Through discussions and choosing sessions, I guide them in designing posters, charts, or cards that visually represent each behavioral expectation. I find this collaborative approach offers a deeper understanding of the rules and a sense of responsibility for them to follow.

Tip 3: Display Visual Supports Strategically

By strategically placing visual aids in areas where they can be easily seen and accessed. A choice of support cards, critical communication aids such as “Break” and “Help” are always easy for students to find and I discuss with staff how the visual aids will help everyone remember and adhere to the agreed-upon behavioral expectations.

Tip 4: Teach and Model Behavior

Utilize critical communication skills to teach and model positive behavior. I engage my students when behaviors are demonstrated to the supporting visuals, and encourage them to share their thoughts and solutions, promoting critical thinking with self regulation supports.

Tip 5: Implement a Collaborative Reward System

I work with my students to design a reward system that aligns with their preferences. Use critical communication skills I gather their input on incentives and rewards for positive behavior to establish a system where students feel empowered to make decisions about their own motivation. An individualised Visual Schedule, Token Economy Support are particularly valuable for my Classroom Behavior Management. It lets students know what activity they need to do, what motivator they can work for and supports them throughout the school day.

Its been hard work with many an hour planning and preparing but its been worth every second!

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Chaos to Calm: Mastering Behavior Management in Special Education Classrooms,

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Are you a Special Education teacher who feels like your classroom is constantly in chaos? Do you struggle to manage behavior and create a calm learning environment for your students? If so, you’re not alone! Behavior management is a never ending challenge for special education teachers, but there are strategies and practical tips that can help you transform chaos into calm.

Throughout this post, I’ll help you with practical strategies and steps for you to start implementing them in your class today. From creating a structured and supportive environment to implementing effective interventions, I will guide you through the process of helping you master behavior management.

Creating a Structured and Supportive Environment

. Set time to build a structured environment by establishing clear expectations and routines. . . Provide your students with a sense of structure and predictability by clearly communicating the rules and procedures to your students you provide them with a sense of structure and predictability. This helps to minimize confusion and allows students to focus on their learning. . Consider creating visual supports, such as posters or charts, to display these expectations and refer to them regularly.

Click here to pick up these FREEBIE Posters

. To further promote structure and support, consider implementing classroom organization strategies. Ensure that your classroom is arranged in a way that allows for easy movement and minimizes distractions. . Provide designated spaces for different activities, such as quiet reading areas or group workstations with centre signs. This helps students understand where and how they should engage in different tasks, promoting a more focused and productive learning environment.

. Additionally, incorporating visual supports can be highly beneficial in creating a structured and supportive classroom. Visual aids, such as schedules, rules, and task boards, can assist students in understanding expectations and managing their time effectively. Furthermore, visual prompts can be particularly helpful for students with communication difficulties or those who struggle with transitions.

. Another valuable intervention is the implementation of social skills training. Many students in special education classrooms struggle with social interactions, making it difficult for them to navigate social situations and establish positive relationships with their peers. . By incorporating social skills training into the curriculum, students can learn important skills such as active listening, turn-taking, and conflict resolution. . Role-playing exercises and real-life scenarios can also help students practice applying these skills in a safe and supportive environment.

By implementing these effective interventions, Teachers can enhance behavior management in special education classrooms. These interventions address the specific needs of students, providing them with the support, strategies, and tools necessary to help them succeed academically and socially. When students are equipped with the skills and resources they need, they are more empowered to make positive choices and engage in behaviors that promote a calm and productive learning environment.