A delightful 1st grader on the autism spectrum entered my classroom and my life one year. He cried and screamed a lot, but beyond that, had no verbal communication skills. He could sign a few things, but those signs were often poorly executed and difficult for others outside his world to understand.
He often ran through his repertoire of signs when asked to use them just to see if he "hit" one that will work. Frustrating to say the least...on all sides.
So here I was, a new person in his world and I needed to communicate with him and him with me. Where should I start to help this student?
I chose to start with things he liked. His preferred items. Luckily, I had most awesome paraprofessional and together we walked this path together to work our way into his world and him into ours.
and found a variety of activities he demonstrated interest in doing. One of his first was a 2nd hand office chair I had gotten from a fellow teacher. Fortunately, it is very sturdy and safe because we soon discovered he loved to spin. The preferred item we found was through his behavior analyst. He shared that he enjoyed gummy bears.
Once I had found 2 items he preferred, I made a choice board with those two items. We set up a schedule for him that alternated work time and choice time. At the end of each work time we asked him to "make a choice".
We started with a board with just two items. A food item of gummy bears and a picture of the chair he LOVES to spin in. It took several weeks to get a good pointing action from him and the moment we got a close proximity of indicating a response as to what he wanted -he got the item.
It was AMAZING to watch this learning in progress. I worked many years and in many ways with kids with disabilities, but I was in awe and humbled every time when I had the privilege to see learning like this take place.
The next step was increasing his items. We found he like grapes and jumping, so those were also added to his choice board. The jumping was an fantastic find, as it added to his physical activity and seem to funnel some of his energy into an appropriate physical outlet.
Here is an example of the 4 item choice board I made.
As you can see I try and use real pictures when at all possible, but sometimes, its quicker and easier to use clip art.
Now we have built up to a choice board with 12 items on it.
Here are some other examples of choice boards.
Here is one for the same student much later in the year with multiple choices on it.
Tabbed Choice Boards
Here is a First/Then card I often used. The student can pick choice cards from the board and use them here.
For this student choices and alternating work and choice activities were the key to helping him begin integrating into our classroom.
Remember, when you have those problem kiddos, take it slow, progress in small steps and listen to the students too. Sometimes they will tell you what they like and needs.
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One of the best tools a special educator can have is an treasure chest of visual supports.
Visual supports cover a large range of student needs. For students who have difficulty communicating with others and difficulty understanding what others are communicating to them, visual supports can be a life saver. I know they have saved me many times.
Visual supports present information in a way that is easier for kids to comprehend. They can be customized to meet the individualized learning style of each student. Sometimes they can be that one thing that gets the message across.
A wide range of needs can be met by using visual supports such as increase independence, understanding classroom and school rules, provide a system to organize tasks needing to be completed, aid in making choices, facilitate transitions from one task to another, clarifying what work is to be completed and in what order that work should be done. These are just a few of the things visual supports can do.
In the special education classroom, we constantly work with students exhibiting challenging behaviors such as anxiety, anger, frustration, eloping, and more. Visual supports are a great way to present behavior expectations and direction while diminishing some of these challenging behaviors.
There are many different kinds of visual supports. Today I will touch on just a few.
1) Visual schedules are a great way to communicate many different types of activities in a classroom. This can be done for the entire class or group within the class. For me, using them individually has worked the best.
One year I had a lot of students that were able to transition from center to center in the classroom. I needed something to help them understand what was on their schedule next and where they would be going.
With this type of visual support, they were able know the order of the work centers using the number on the cards and then they could also tell which center they should be doing. They matched the sea creature on the card with the matching sign at the center. In addition to helping the student it also was great for me because it controled the number of participants at each center.
2) Checklists and organizers can help by breaking down larger tasks into smaller more manageable steps. Checklists can contain pictures or pictures and text to aid the student in completing the correct steps in things such as arriving at school or preparing materials to go home at the end of a day.
Here are a few examples of checklist and organizer visual supports. Thanks to Chris at Autism Classroom News and Resources for sharing this.
3) Behavioral supports can help
manage and prevent challenging behaviors. These could include rules and guidelines of what to do in certain social situations such as fire drills, or asking someone to play. These are particularly useful in preparing the child for what comes next, and what will happen when challenging behaviors occur. Behavior supports can tell the student how to complete steps such as going to the bathroom, taking a break or asking for help.
Check out how this next idea has designated partitions on the table to show the space for each person. These spaces also have a reminder at each spot for the behavior expected while at the table.
LOVE THIS! Thanks to Autumn for sharing these great ideas. You can check out her blog post about these here.
4) Routines in the classroom are another great use of visuals. These great visuals from Nicole Chavanne show a visual indicating when bathroom passes are available provide a great way to communicate using pictures. Visuals such as these can cut down on interruptions of the classroom and help students know when its okay to use the facilities. Check out these BATHROOM VISUALS
The visual at the bottom is a great reminder for students about the noise level in the classroom.
First/Then boards can be a simple type of schedule we can use to communicate. You can use these for schedule issues and behavior issues. The great thing about First Then boards is they can be used for the even the smallest behavior you are reinforcing. In the picture below, the student is being asked to FIRST raise their hand. THEN they can have their preferred activity such as the puzzle card shown here.
I found it worth my time and effort to spend some time making as much of the visuals ahead of time. For instance, I liked to make the first/then boards and the cards to go with them, get them all organized. Then when the need arises in the classroom you can pull the needed visuals and implement them quickly.
Make sure your visual support tool box is well stocked and ready to go at any time.
I hope your holidays were really special ones. I hope you had time to enjoyed your family and friends and hopefully taken some time for yourself.
I love the start of a new year! New beginnings. Fresh starts! Time to revamp, reorganize and rev up for more progress in the classroom. But...where do you start? I start by looking at the framework of the classroom. Not the physical framework, but the rules, procedures, schedules, centers and routines.
Usually I have found the key to a smooth start after a break is......
First thing I do to get a fresh start is to revisit routines, procedures and classroom schedules.
Whether you are using the same routines and procedures from before the break or you are changing them to adjust to your students needs, spend some precious time that first day and even the first week back reteaching exactly what you expect from your class.
Here are a few things to consider when revisiting classroom procedures.
What wasn't working before?
Was your rotation of centers not working? Too confusing?
Perhaps an area was getting too crowded.
Are your classroom rules working?
Look at what you want to change. Ask yourself if you have control to change it. Some things can be changed. Others, you have no control over. Change and tweak what you can.
Now find some ways to present your students with what you want them to do. Present this to them in in as many different ways as possible so everyone understands and has an opportunity to practice what they should do.
Here are some ideas about how to do this.
Include the reteaching activities in morning meeting for several days that first week back. Depending on your students' levels and abilities, you can have a discussion about your expectations. Include songs, rhymes, jingles and poems that include actions and sayings about what is expected of them. I found morning meeting to be an excellent time to include this review time for rules and expectations.
Use games to teach appropriate choices in procedures and routines. This works particularly well when teaching procedures for centers and and work areas. Choose a generic gameboard and make cards that are specific to your class rules. The kids LOVE playing games and probably won't even notice they are learning at the same time. The game can be played throughout the year whenever your kids need a quick reminder of expectations and routines.
Use social skills stories to teach what you want them to do in specific situations such as arriving and leaving school, going to places in the school environment such as the lunchroom or the library. Read the social skills stories over and over with groups and individual students needing extra instruction in the particular areas.
My kids love to role play. Just like we would practice a play or performance, we practice what correct procedures are in the classroom for things like lining up, going to the library, coming to morning meeting. If we are acting out center time then some of the kids play students and some play the teacher and or paraprofessionals. Then we switch roles so everyone gets an opportunity at all the roles in the situation.
Songs, music, jingles and rhymes have a way of making their way into our heads. This makes them excellent means of remembering information later.
There many songs and rhymes already written. I'm sure you know some. Here is a site that has a few - Songs for Teaching . If you want some that fit more precisely to your rules and directions, try making your own. Take a common tune that is in public domain, such as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Modify the words to fit an expectation you're teaching.
What activities and lessons do you use for reestablishing classroom procedures? Please leave me a comment and let me know. What works for you can also help someone else.
One of the most important concepts in teaching my special education classroom is organization. Why is it important ?Organization leads to orderliness. Keeping a classroom in an orderly, organized manner is our job as teachers. It leads to smooth implementation of other classroom implementation components. It helps students focus.Yes, I know.....Blah, blah, blah, blah! We know all of these are true, but in my classroom of 12 children with a variety of disabilities, personalities and strengths, it was MANDATORY!Data is a large part of being a teacher these days. Keeping it organized during recording and storage is imperative.Today let's talk about 5 ways to take and/or organize data to make it easier to manage.Now I have been around for awhile so lets start with some simple ways to take the data.
Recording Data
When I first started taking data, there were no apps, no iPhones and it was challenging to keep up with data on the fly. Let's face it, We take data in so many different situations and with so many different behaviors, we have to be prepared for just about use, do and experience anything and still keep recording data through it. Here are a few ideas to keep data organized and in one place during recording keeping. Masking Tape - a few strips of masking tape on my pant leg worked well. Each strip served very well for making tally marks for frequency behaviors. Usually I had a code on each piece of tape so I could keep each child's information private.Sticky Notes - Ohhhh do I LOVE sticky notes. I love them for a myriad of things but...we're talking about data here. When sticky notes came along, they were a godsend. They stuck to things as easily as tape, but provided more room for the prompting level or frequency tally. They are easy to stack at the end of a class or day and then unstick to transfer to a formal behavior sheet. Better yet, sticky notes fantastic because you can create a behavior sheet in which all you have to do is unstick the note from your pants or table and place it on the behavior sheet. Take things one step further with sticky notes and color categorize them according to student or behavior. This could make organizing them later much easier, if all the math data was on one color note or all of Sam's information was on green stickies. Easy to sort!Clipboards - I use many different sizes of clipboards as a way to keep data. Clipboards can be grouped according to class for which you are taking the data, by the student, or by the location in the classroom. I liked keeping clipboards in the math area for data keeping. This way all the adults needed to record data had access to them. Sometimes I decorated the clipboards with contact paper or put stickers on them to Notebooks - There are many different types of "notebooks" that you can use to gather and record data. You can use mini 3 ringer binders, notebooks of index cards or one notebook for a set of students. Data Forms Of course there are all sorts of forms out there for collecting and recording data. ABC check off forms, and tally frequency forms are some of my favorite.
Data Recording Apps Once the App store became a reality, behavior and data apps have been growing by leaps and bounds. I have used Behavior Tracker Pro app through the App Store. It is a $29.99 paid app for the pro version, but it is worth it. You can use it with multiple students but you can also set it up for multiple observers, too. These are just a few ways to organize and keep data together. What are ways that you use?Have a great week!
Whatever skill or behavior we want to increase in the classroom, using positive reinforcement is a tried and true method of increasing appropriate behaviors or academic skills. Using positive reinforcement correctly is imperative to increasing desired behaviors or skills and transitioning toward building independence. Today I want to share about reinforcers and how I used them in my classroom as part of a positive reinforcement program a special education classroom.
REINFORCERS
In my classroom, I made sure I used finely tuned incentives that were tailored to each child's likes and preferences because my positive reinforcement program and the reinforcers used were at the heart of everything we did. Reinforcers kept the classroom functioning; it helped kiddos with strong ideas about what they thought they should make better choices. Having an effective reinforcement program helped keep us moving forward. It helped them to see that one more big push to practice this next step in math could be rewarding.
Having the correct reinforcers and breaking down tasks and or behaviors down into segments a students would complete, were two of the most important components of the my classroom reinforcement program. Here are some pieces of my positive reinforcement program that worked for me.
Step 1- ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOU ARE USING THE BEST REINFORCER
I found it imperative to always have a meaningful reinforcer. If the reinforcer wasn't an important activity / item to the student, I saw little improvement. One way I tried to always have the best reinforcers for each child was by using a reinforcer inventory with every student. This form was administered to every student at the beginning of each school year. I kept it updated by reviewing it every grading period. As we all know, things children like change frequently so I often found myself updating it anytime I was experiencing difficulty with a child's behavior program. This helped me make sure I had the most effective reinforcers. It wasn't always the answer, of course, but it was the place I started to reevaluate what was going on.
When reinforcers aren't working it can be for a variety of reasons. Sometimes the child has matured and their interests have changed. Sometimes the item just isn't such a preferred item any more and other options need to be sought out.
Here is an example of a reinforcer inventory I have used in the past. I used it when a new student entered my classroom, at the beginning of every school year with each student, plus periodically during the year whenever I felt the current reinforcers weren't working any more.
Step 2 - OBSERVATION
Observation is a vital key in determining what is reinforcing for someone. What activities do they gravitate to? What items evoke the most response. Do they play with other students? When out around school grounds, is there a staff member who is important to the student? Observation and establishing a real relationship with the student is a great way to determine the best reinforcers to use. Sitting down with the student and talking about things they find rewarding can provide such insight in about that child and what things mean to him.
Step 3 - KEEP IT SIMPLE
I have found reinforcers are better when kept simple. Don't complicate your life any more than it needs to be. Reinforcers do not have to be elaborate. They do not need to be expensive. They do not need to be complex. They do NOT need to be food all the time. Last year, I had 8 students. We used food as a reinforcer for 1 student. The other students were more interested in things such as play activities or pairing up for activities. Of course any time you use food, you have to keep in mind allergies and I always made sure to include the parent in the behavior plan so they were aware of what we were doing.
Let's look at some simple reinforcers. The simpler the better. Here are some I have used. I'm sure you have more.
Collecting sticky notes
paper clips
pennies
keys (real or paper), read to a buddy teacher, 5 minutes reading a book, spend 5 minutes with a friend in another classroom, computer time, iPad time, take a walk, collect leaves, get a drink from the water fountain in the hall, draw a picture, spend time in the quiet area, listen music on an iPod, play with thera-putty, jump on the mini-tramp, walk the balance beam, spend 5 extra minutes at PE. sit in the spinning chair. Even getting 3 minutes of a staff members attention can be a powerful reinforcer at the right time with the right student. My favorite of that small list is the sticky notes. At that time I had never considered something so mundane to me to be so important to a child.
I had a set of brothers in my class one year who loved orange juice. So I bought a bottle of it and kept it in the refrigerator in the classroom. As a reinforcer for increased attention, they got a little juice. For these boys, it turned out they rarely got juice at home and with their parents' permission, this reinforcer was so powerful, it actually lasted almost the entire school year for one of the boys. The older one developed a preference for building with blocks, so we switched to that as a reinforcer for him.
I had a student who loved bright colored sticky notes and loved to collect them. For his reinforcers for awhile, he received a sticky note for doing 5 math problems or for asking to go to the bathroom. Eventually his preferences changed and he moved on to other items and activities as reinforcers. It certainly was one of the easiest, simplest reinforcers.
Sometimes some special time with a staff member is the valued reinforcer, even more valued than food items. Perhaps going to another class and helping another teacher or student is reinforcing. I had a student once who worked for the opportunity to take off his shoes and wear socks in the classroom. We gave him a short amount of time following the completion of a task in which he could take off his shoes and walk around in his sock feet. I have never seen math work get done so quickly and never saw a happier boy in socks! I have had students who like to go out for a walk or go visit the office staff or the head of our school special ed department. Its amazing what will work.
Remember, incentives and reinforcers don't have to be big and elaborate. What matters is how valuable it is to the student.
STEP 4 - FADE FOR SUCCESS
In any behavior plan we want to aim for success, so remember to always have plan to fade the reinforcers. I had a little boy once who worked for gummy bears. It was the only thing at the time that was effective to him. One of his main goals was learning to sit in a chair at an instruction table. At the beginning of the year, when asked, he would go to the chair and touch it but never sit down. At first he received a portion of a gummy bear for just touching chair, then we progressed to touching his leg to the chair, and sitting in the chair even if just for a moment. Each and every time he did this he received his gummy portion. Once he was successful at sitting, even just momentarily, we began to give the gummy bear out every other time. Then we moved to every third time and continued fading out the reinforcer until he would sit in his chair as requested. Eventually, we were able to fade out the gummy bears as reinforcers. He learned to love pats on the back, verbal praise and even became able to be proud of himself.
A few weeks ago, I was privileged to take part in a BLAB with group of special educators. We shared our experiences and ideas about reinforcers in our classrooms.
Thanks for stopping by Special Ed Spot today.
Till Next Time
Disruptive behaviors are often an issue in the special education classroom. Kids get agitated, they are frustrated or just reach the top of their anger scale? Working with students with these issues is often part of being a Special Education Teacher. What can you do? I thought I'd share a little about how I use fidgets and a special space in the classroom to help these students.
Do you have a fidget box or Calm down area in your classroom? Its been a lifesaver for me, my staff and it has also helped the many children that have used it over and over.
Here's how I have used fidgets.
SET THE FIDGET SPACE
This is the first center set up in my classroom each year. I usually like to give it a name. Something like "Space Place" or "Chillville" have been a couple of my favorites.
When selecting the space for CHILLVILLE I make sure the area is accessible for everyone, yet cordoned off from other parts of the room to make it private yet viewable. I want it to be comfortable and feel good for the kids.
USING THE FIDGET SPACE
I find a fidget space, a great proactive way to alleviate behaviors before they begin. So, I use them in several ways.
I integrate time for the fidget area into the kids' daily schedules. This way they can count on a guaranteed time to go. "If I do my reading then I can go to Chillville."
A few decorations populate the wall including the rules for the area. Some of the rules include quiet voices, one toy at a time and stay in the fidget area.
Some must haves in my fidget space is a beanbag chair and some plastic baskets to hold fidgets, post the fidget space rules. I usually make sure my fidget space rules have pictures cues so everyone understands them.
Sometimes when the behavior escalates overall in the classroom, we call a break and everyone gets some downtime of their own time in Chillville. This often gives enough of a break that when their time is up, they are more ready to get back to work.
When I have students in need of some space to themselves, just some time to chill out or a break time to gather themselves together, I schedule a Chillville or SpacePlace visit. The students get 10 minutes to go to Chillville and "play" with the fidgets in the area.
IDEAS OF WHAT TO PUT IN YOUR FIDGET SPACE?
There are so many fidgets but I wanted to share just a few of the ones that I have used. Some fidgets that can usually be found there are
1. different colors and resistance levels of thera-putty
2. squishy balls,
3. fuzzy, prickly, spiky types of tactile balls
4. tangle toys
5. Leap Pads with velcro holders for fingers to touch and feel
6. Small stuffed animals
7. Small wind-up toys
Here are a few other examples of things in Fidget Area.
That last little fidget, pictured above, is a Pop Tube or sometimes written Pop Toobe. If you've ever had one of these, you know it isn't necessarily a quiet toy. However, I had a 3rd grader that just LOVED these things. I will try anything at least ONCE for students I teach!
For this student, the Pop Tube was amazing. He would sit and play the accordion-like pleats, in and out for long periods if you let him. That didn't cause too much noise and was not a disturbance to the rest of my kids and worked wonders for him. However, the PopTube didn't work for another child because he learned how to extend it, swing it around his head to make it whistle. We then worked it out so the tube was only available to those that use it quietly.
As we get ready to begin the Thanksgiving holiday, I am very thankful for all of you, my blog readers. You have made sharing about myself and my teaching lots of fun; more fun than I ever thought possible. So THANK YOU! I am very thankful for each and every one of you! Please keep reading and share with others.
This week, even though I am fortunate to have the entire week off I was up with the sun working on school things. Hard to believe I know!
I have been working on a new product and of course it has a freebie for you guys . So even though I am running a little late getting this post up this week, getting ready for the holiday, I hope you will enjoy it!
OPPOSITE CARDS FREEBIE
Don't forget to check out Manic Monday Freebie
Happy Thanksgiving from Superteach's Special Ed Blog!
You can use mini 3 ringer binders, notebooks of index cards or one notebook for a set of students. 
