Special Needs Neighborhood.com Blog

Reprinted with Permission

Teaching methods provide great foundations for the classroom, but what if that class includes children with special needs? Or, if you want to focus on special-needs children, who do you expect to lean on to learn new techniques for the classroom? While local support groups may provide great peer advice, some of the best teaching tools are online, as they often pertain to specific special education teaching methodologies. The following list of 40 informative sites to learn about effective special education teaching methods includes all-inclusive tips, specific teaching aids and collaborative teaching methods with parents and with other teachers.

Teaching Tips

1. Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Although it is difficult to obtain accurate figures, between three and ten percent of college students report having physical or learning disabilities that require compensatory classroom teaching accommodations.
2. Anita Archer Special Education Teaching Strategies: Teachers like Dr. Anita Archer have gone on to develop specific teaching strategies that can apply not only to special education students but to all learners.
3. Disabilities and Special Education: This page contains links to lesson plans and resources for students with disabilities, particularly those receiving special education.
4. Educating Children with Special Needs: One of the most critical steps in aiding children with learning disabilities is early detection and intervention.
5. Invervention Techniques: Students studying special education at the University of Virginia Curry School of Education and East Tennessee State University College of Education read and summarized scores of research articles about teaching techniques for exceptional learners.
6. Special Education: This entire site addresses special eduction, including programs, teaching plans and other resources.
7. Special Education in the Science Classroom: Strategies for Success: The first principle underlying this road map to scientific literacy is that science is for all students.
8. Strategies for Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities: This site carries information ranging from specific disorders to teaching techniques and offers individual lesson plans.
9. Teaching Resources for Learning Disabilities: The Learning Disabilities section of this About.com site offers a wide variety of resources for teaching, including tips and tools you may need for effective instruction.
10. Teaching Special Education: This site focuses on assisting the teacher in preparing more effective lesson plans for the whole class and for each individual student.
11. Teaching Strategies for Students with Learning Needs [PDF]: This material uses the Nebraska K-12 Social Studies Framework specifically, but the adaptations and suggestions can be applied to other curricular areas.
12. Teaching Tips and Strategies: About.com’s Special Education’s module provides a number of strategies and tips to help special education teachers deal with the many challenges of teaching children with disabilities.

Specific Techniques

1. 50 Tips on the Classroom Management of ADD: The suggestions provided here are intended for teachers in the classroom, teachers of children of all ages.
2. A Dyslexic Child in the Classroom: How to integrate the dyslexic child into the class environment, where he/she can feel comfortable and develop confidence and self esteem.
3. Accommodations and Modifications for Students with Handwriting Problems and/or Dysgraphia: For some students and situations, accommodations will be inadequate to remove the barriers that their writing problems pose.
4. Education Resources and Teaching Sites: This directory is for teachers, providing articles, research, curriculum, assessment and learning styles for students with ADHD.
5. Education Techniques For Children With Cerebral Palsy: Teachers who have students with this disorder in their classrooms should read information on cerebral palsy when considering educational accommodations.
6. Hard of Hearing and Deaf Students: A Resource Guide to Support Classroom Teachers: This resource guide for teachers is provided by the BC Ministry of Special Education.
7. How to Teach Pivotal Behaviors to Children with Autism: A Training Manual: The examples in the manual focus on family interactions between individuals with autism and their parents and siblings.
8. Internet Resources for Special Children: IRSC tackles every known learning disorder and provides teaching and parenting tools and techniques.
9. Modifications for Students with Tourette Syndrome, Attention-Deficit Disorder and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A diagnosis of Tourette Syndrome, and the associated disorders of ADHD and OCD require that modifications be made in the classroom setting due to the neurological origin of the disorder.
10. New Teaching Methods for Deaf Children: François Grosjean, professor for psycholinguistics at the University of Neuchâtel, has researched the bilingual concept in educating deaf children.
11. Online Resources for Teaching Blind Students: An extensive list of online resources for teaching blind students, from text accessibility to tactile graphic resources.
12. Teaching Methods for Dyslexic Children: Studies from the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development have shown that for children with difficulties learning to read, a multi-sensory teaching method is the most effective approach or treatment.
13. Teaching Strategies and Content Modifications for the Child with Deaf-Blindness: An examination of a variety of issues that might be addressed for three different children with disabilities in a regular preschool class.
14. The Arc: For 60 years, The Arc has been on the front lines in making change happen for people diagnosed with a range of diagnoses across the spectrum of intellectual and developmental disabilities.
15. The Behavior Home Page: The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) and the Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling at UK (SERC) are collaborating on this Web page on student behavior.

Collaborative Teaching

1. American Academy of Special Education Professionals: AASEP dedicates its efforts and resources to the enhancement of the academic, psychological, physical, and social needs of infants, toddlers, children, adolescents, and young adults receiving services for their special needs.
2. Collaboration Between General and Special Education Teachers: This Digest explores the facets of this new collaboration between general and special education teachers, termed “cooperative teaching.”
3. Inclusive Teaching: Inclusive Teaching means teaching in ways that do not exclude students, accidentally or intentionally, from opportunities to learn. Includes teaching strategies.
4. Integrating Inquiry and Technology into the Middle School Curriculum: Make It Happen! is an approach that improves middle school education for students with diverse learning abilities.
5. LD Online: This section includes articles about how to create a useful IEP, understanding the IEP process, and the importance of good communication.
6. Learning Disabilities Association of America: Parents and teachers can use the tools and techniques offered by this group. LDA is the largest non-profit volunteer organization advocating for individuals with learning disabilities.
7. Models of Inclusion — Four Techniques for Successful Implementation: In response to the call for full inclusion, several alternative service delivery models have been developed and implemented.
8. National Association of Special Education Teachers: NASET provides members with a variety of teaching tools and techniques. NASET is the only national membership organization dedicated solely to meeting the needs of special education teachers and those preparing for the field of special education teaching.
9. Research in Special Education: Scientific Methods and Evidence-based Practices [PDF]: The purpose of this paper is to set the context for the development of research quality indicators and guidelines for evidence of effective practices provided by different methodologies.
10. Special Education Advisor: This site is suitable for parents as well as for teachers to understand special needs and teaching techniques.
11. Special Needs Resource Magazine: Cindy Golden is the editor of Special Needs Resource Magazine. She is now serving as the principal of a program for students with severe behavioral disabilities, neuro-cognitive disabilities and autism.
12. Teachers Helping Teachers Special Education: This site provides a number of activities that are specifically geared toward teaching basic skills to special students.
13. Understanding Special Education: This site, intended for parents, also contains teaching techniques and tools.

Editor’s Note:  This information was prepared by Matt Holden, who writes articles for  Masters In Special Education.org.  If you want information about how to pursue a Masters in Special Education, see Masters In Special Education.org. 

   Do the labels confuse you?  What’s the difference between educational therapists, learning specialists and tutors?

   An educational therapist is a specialist who provides individualized, intensive interventions on behalf of children, adolescents, and adults with learning problems.  Educational therapists offer assessments and case management.

   A learning specialist works with students who are experiencing academic difficulty or who have diagnosed learning differences.  They identify learning styles, analyze and interpret tests, review other pertinent information, prescribe specific, appropriate, and practical learning strategies.

   A tutor provides homework help and subject matter expertise.  She may work with children who require private instruction in specific subjects.

   Has your child worked with a wonderful educational therapist, learning specialist or tutor?  If so, tell other parents about them by adding their contact information to Special Needs Neighborhood.

Homemade toys are fun and serve as wonderful holiday keepsakes too.  They can save you lots of money during the Holiday season.  Plus, they can offer you hours of old-fashioned family togetherness.

Most of us have refrigerator magnets.  Find some interesting ones that you want to use.  Add the magnets to a cookie sheet and you are done!  Your child can play with them over and over as they reapply the magnets to the cookie sheet.  Make a game of naming the magnets and your child will not suspect that you are teaching him new vocabulary words.

Save those water bottles.  Ten two-liter bottles make a terrific set of bowling pins.  Get a tennis ball and you are ready to play.  Empty bottles are good for younger children because they fall more easily.  Fill them with sand for older kids to add challenge.  Also, have fun decorating the bottles and tennis ball.

Visit your local library for books on homemade toys.  Here are a couple of suggestions:

Creative Play Activities for Children with Disabilities, by Lisa Rappaport Morris and Linda Schulz

Partners in Play – Creative Homemade Toys for Toddlers, by Rita Anderson and Linda Neumann

What homemade gifts do you recommend?  Leave your comments here or add them to the Special Needs Neighborhood bulletin board page for your city, “Ask The Community”.

A recent study shows that having students write about books they’ve read, teaching how to write sentences and paragraphs and frequent writing practice, improves students’ reading comprehension.  According to Steve Graham, a professor of special education and literacy at Vanderbilt University, and Michael Hebert, a doctoral student in special education at Vanderbilt,  writing activities improved students’ reading over traditional reading activities such as, reading  and rereading text, receiving explicit reading instruction or reading and discussing text.  Graham and Hebert explain that requiring students to reflect on ideas in their own words improves comprehension.  They emphasize that writing instruction should not replace reading instruction, but that opportunities for writing should increase.  Click here to read the full report.

Raising a child with special needs is expensive.  Therapies, doctors, interventions, schools, child care and so on are costly.  Some moms of children with special needs are finding that starting their own home businesses provides more income that they seek and, is a way for them to care for a child with special needs.

 Are you a mom of a child with special needs who is operating a business from home and feel that you need more support?  Maybe you’re thinking about a business, but want to connect with other busy moms.  If so, then you may consider joining a support network such as Special Mompreneurs.  Special Mompreneurs is a network of moms who own and operate businesses while staying home to care for a child with special needs.  At Special Mompreneurs, you find business-related reference materials, free marketing webinars, discussion forums and more.

 Marla Murasko created Special Mompreneurs because she wanted to inspire and to support mom entrepreneurs.  Marla understands juggling a business while caring for a child with special needs.  Her son, Jacob, has a congenital heart defect.  Marla operates a Virtual Assistant business that includes executive administrative support, office management, desktop publishing, project management and personal concierge services.

 You can find Special Mompreneurs listed as a new resource on Special Needs Neighborhood.com under support groups.  It’s one place for business-minded moms of children with special needs to connect.  What other resources do you like for mom entrepreneurs?

Are you staying close to home over Memorial Day Weekend?

 Your decision to travel with your child with special needs may involve considerations other than cost, such as accommodations, changes to routine and dietary needs.  The hospitality industry is responding to invitations from businesses that serve the disabled community for changes to standard operating procedure.  This industry is listening and on-board with making vacations possible for families of children with special needs.

 The Wyndam Garden Hotel, located in S. Austin, TX, is a place where families of children with special needs can relax and parents can enjoy a break.  According to Anna Roberts, Guest Relations manager, the hotel developed an interest in providing comfort to families of children with special needs who are traveling when a local business that serves kids affected with autism approached the hotel about arrangements for its clientele; the idea of partnering with the provider was a natural one.  “Hospitality is our job,” said Ms. Roberts.   

In preparing for travelers with special needs, the hotel modified its space and expanded its menu.  Adaptations include:

 *Door alarms, chime style, sound when door is opened.  Alarms are optional and can be switched off manually.
*Corner Guard Cushions on tables
* Childproof drawer latches on at least the bottom two drawers.
*Shortened strings on blinds.

*Outlet covers on all electrical outlets.
* Childproof door knob covers on the outsides of bathroom doors.
* Small refrigerator in rooms.
*All desktop and counter top items are cleared and placed at a higher location.
*Additional “u-bolt” style lock on door at higher location than original u-bolt.
*Television and phone in room secured to the tabletop by their cords to prevent tipping.
*Bathrooms, counter and tabletops cleaned with TH approved products and carpets cleaning donated by organic dry cleaning service.
*Toys and books, as well as, welcome baskets containing snacks, drinks and soap.

*Rooms are without balconies and far from elevators.
*Gluten-free/Casein-free menu options.

 Also, hotel staff received training on behavior issues that may arise, how to handle requests for adaptations and contact lists of local resources if emergencies occur.  In addition, the Wyndam Garden Hotel proposed to offer year-round promotional rates to families of children with special needs.  For information about promotional rates and other services, contact Anna Roberts via email or, call her at: 512-744-4830.

 What hospitality resources have you found?  Add your vacation resources on Special Needs Neighborhood.com under Promotions and Travel.

How can renewing your car’s registration benefit kids affected with Autism and its related disabilities?  Autism advocates have found a way to channel funds raised through this annual rite towards Autism awareness.  They are succeeding with legislative efforts to create specialty license plates nationwide.  Money raised is used for autism-related programs.

For example, a Florida resident replacing his current license plate at registration time or anytime with a specialty one that reads, “4ATSM”, supports Florida autism programs for children and adults and, provides partial funding for ARCBroward, a Florida non-profit.  Autism advocates and the Center for Autism Related Disorders (“CARD”) lobbied the 2009 Florida Legislature for The Autism Services Grants Council and The Autism License Plate Fund.  According to its web site, The Autism Services Grants Council implements and oversees “a grants process for the distribution of funds generated from the sales of the Florida Support Autism Programs Specialty License Plate.”  “4ATSM” plates cost $25.00 annually.  They are sold at local, county and private vehicle plate renewal offices around Florida.

Here’s a list by state regarding Autism License Plate funds/efforts:

Colorado: http://www.autismboulder.org/announcements.html#license

Florida: http://www.autismlicenseplate.com

Illinois: http://www.autismillinois.org/autismawarenesslicenseplates.aspx

Indiana:  http://www.autism-society.org/indiana_chapter

Kentucky: http://www.kyautismawareness.com

Maine: http://www.exceptionmag.com/features/maine-focus/000407/autism-license-plate-maine

Missouri: http://www.joplinindependent.com/display_article.php/cwilson1213870513

North Carolina: http://www.autismsociety-nc.org

Ohio: http://www.asgc.org/licenseplate.htm

Oklahoma: http://www.okautism.org

Utah: http://www.examiner.com/x-4167-Salt-Lake-City-Special-Needs-Kids-Examiner~y2010m2d23-Autism-Legislation-Moves-Forward-Including-Autism-Awareness-License-Plate

Please update this list and add your state’s status to our comments.

Editor’s Note:  Autism is a developmental disability defined by a set of behaviors.  Autism is prevalent among boys, affecting 1 in 70, according to a 2009 Centers for Disease Control report.

Spring is nature’s party time, but it’s filled with hazards for children with special needs.  When playing outdoors with your child, watch out for poison, parasites and pollen. 

First, your yard is filled with plants.  Do your research and know how poison ivy and poison oak look.  Teach your child how to identify these plants from others.  Wash clothes thoroughly following outside play.  The plants’ oils stick to clothes and can expose others to the poison.  Your child will develop an itchy rash if she’s made contact with one of these poisonous plants. The initial rash is contagious. 

Second, sneaky and disgusting parasites such as ticks thrive this time of year. Ticks transmit diseases like Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease and, can cause paralysis.  Inspect your child after outdoors play.  Look over clothing and search belly buttons.  If you find a tick on your child, a way to remove it is to grab it as close to the skin as possible and pull.  When you hear a pop such as a suction cup releasing, the tick is loose.  Flush it down the toilet. 

Finally, flowers produce pollen that brings about seasonal allergies.  Your child may experience sniffing, wheezing or, watery eyes.  Stay informed about pollen counts in your neighborhood.  When pollen is high, manage your child’s exposure with less outside time.

With planning, your children can enjoy the season and you can avoid visits to the doctor’s office.  How do you safeguard your children outdoors?  Share your comments. 

Have you heard about H.R. 4247 also known as Keeping Students Safe Act?

The U.S. House of Representatives passed The Keeping Students Safe Act on March 3, 2010. This legislation addresses physical restraint and exclusion standards in schools.  Under the proposed law, elementary and secondary schools are prohibited from using mechanical restraints, chemical restraints, or physical restraints that compromise a student’s breathing or compromises a student’s health and safety.  Imminent danger for the student or harm to others are required circumstances before school personnel can justifiably use physical restraint or seclusion.  When physical restraints or seclusion is used, school personnel must monitor the student and keep direct visual contact with the student during the restraint or seclusion period.  The legislation outlines more training for school personnel in first aid and state-approved crisis prevention.

Lawmakers also propose that school personnel cannot make written recommendations for restraints and seclusion as planned interventions in Individual Education Programs (IEPs), behavior intervention plans (BIPs), Individual Safety Plans and, student’s education plans.  Also, the pending law considers parent notice issues.  The legislation requires schools to give parents timely notice about restraint or seclusion used with their child.

In 2007, Autism Advocate published an article about school discipline for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (“ASD”).  This article explored how positive behavior interventions such as reward reinforcements for appropriate behavior eliminate problem behaviors for most students.  In fact, the authors explained that research showed “that if teachers and other school personnel have the knowledge and expertise to provide appropriate positive behavioral supports and interventions at all levels in the school, behavior problems can be greatly diminished for all students, including those with ASD.”

 What do you think about the proposed law?  Do positive behavior interventions work with your child?  Leave your comments here.

Today is Earth Day!  What activities will you do with your child with special needs to observe today?  Here are a few suggestions:

1.  Prepare a “Green” meal together – I love this idea especially since my daughter gave it to me.  As we were making her school lunch she suggested that we make a salad.  I was thrilled! 

2.  Organize a community cleanup – Choose a site that needs clean-up.  Make signs about your up-coming clean-up and post them around your community.  Host a meeting to assign tasks to volunteers.  Meet at the chosen location this weekend.  Bring plenty of water and snacks for everyone to enjoy.

3.  Walk or bike somewhere today – This activity addresses environment, wellness and promotes language skills.

How are you spending Earth Day with your child with special needs?  Leave your comments here.