Ok, so hear me out on this one. I’m not saying behavior change is inherently easy but, it’s not as complicated as it has to be. I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Behavior is just unheard communication. This means that when we reframe behavior and see
My favorite way to generalize and continue to reinforce social skills for kids is through affirmations. I LOVE using “I can” statements. These types of statements are very clear and to the point. They give students a very clear indication of exactly what skills they are working on. I especially
Last week, I had so many IEP meetings. We have one day a month when the district pays for 2 substitutes to come into the building so that we can hold IEP meetings during the day. I love that I don’t have to stay after school but on months I
The last two years have really been a test in gaining confidence as a teacher. The constant change in technology, virtual learning, hybrid learning, even leading virtual meetings. This week after leading a meeting with a family who has questioned me every step of the way, I really had to
What do they really mean? So this slightly varies state to state but IDEA (the federal law surrounding special education) covers 13 eligibility categories. Some are fairly self-explanatory but many are full of jargon and hard to understand so I’m gonna break them down for you. Eligibility categories Autism- ASD
7 IEP acronyms There are sooo many acronyms within the special education and IEP process. It can be super overwhelming even for veteran teachers. As a first year teacher, I was so confused about all of the acronyms within the paperwork and it took me a little while to figure
So this year for the first time EVER, I actually enjoyed my winter break. I usually spiral due to the lack of routine and my mental health just plummets. This year, I tried something different and man, did it help. I created a very loose schedule for my toddler and
Whenever I receive an IEP for a new student the first thing I do is look at the IEP goals. There are so many times in my career that I have inherited goals that rely solely I don’t love. They are wordy or written in a way that doesn’t make
One of my favorite ways to teach social skills is through social scripts (sometimes called social stories). The term social stories was coined by Carol Gray and primarily used when speaking about students with autism. Carol Gray has a specific criteria to use if you want to call it a
I always refer to myself as a Type A person but a Type B teacher and here’s why. I like to keep everything super organized but when the school year gets rolling, everything goes out the window. As an organized person, I usually know where everything is but eventually I
