Best products from r/specialed

Ok. Did some reading.

I'm not going to sugar coat this because well, I don't believe in that.

Welcome to the dark side. We have goldfish crackers. (BTW my roommate was an aide for 20 years and said that they are convenient because if they are attacking you, you can throw them at them and it will distract them for a while.) Invest in goldfish crackers and fruit loops. They make good rewards.

Buy this book. I really wish someone had recommended me that book before I stepped into an autism classroom. I reread it now every once in a while and still learn new things.

Start here. Go through the rest of her blog. Subscribe to it. She runs an excellent easy to understand blog.

Visuals are insanely important. Subscribe to LessonPix. Your school may have Board Maker, but I find it very difficult to use. Plus, LessonPix is online based so you can create something at home and then access it at school or vice versa. It is like $36 a year, which is insanely cheap. For my visuals, I usually put a picture with the word on the bottom.

You will need velcro. Do not buy it from a store. This is a wholesale place online. They have the cheapest velcro out there. I buy coins so I don't have to cut it, it makes it a lot easier. If you are going to cut velcro, get titanium scissors. They will not gum up when cutting velcro. Have a system with your velcro so you don't have random patterns of velcro. I usually do soft on a surface and rough on anything that travels.

You are going to need a personal laminator. My binding has the cheapest 5 mil laminating sheets out there. Use 5 mil for anything that travels and if its going to stay on a wall, use 3 mil. 3 mil or 1 mil (what the school laminating machine uses) tears easily and doesn't last. Once you create something, you don't want to lose it. Most any laminator will do. I like the Fellowes brand. This is a very good one. That my binding website has some awesome deals on laminators. Whatever you get, just make sure it doesn't need a carrier sleeve to laminate because those are annoying. Just make sure that if you from 5 mil to 3 mil you switch the laminator over to 3 mil and let it cool or there will be a burning smell. To save time I bought one of these. Just makes cutting faster.

Don't overspend on stuff for the classroom. Look at oriental trading post. You can find a lot of stuff there. Sign up for the newsletter and wait from a free shipping coupon, don't pay for shipping.

Get yourself a couple pairs of these. I like the 18 inch ones. Make sure your tetnus shot is up to date.

You probably need to brush up on your evidence based practices for autism too.

I know this is a lot of information. But these are all things I wish people would have told me before I started teaching this level of autism kiddos. I went into it blind. I've had to put all this together through reading, training, and observation. Its easier just to be front loaded with the information.

My first year teaching, I was put in a K-1 mod/severe autism class (your setting 3). It was the first autism specific class at the school. Nobody gave me any support. I had no idea what I was doing. I had very little formal training on autism specific teaching. It was like being sucked into a vortex in deep water with nobody around to help me. I didn't even know where to go for information. That's why I try to help people and be completely honest. I'm not trying to overwhelm you.

If you need help and support, let me know. My MA.Ed is in Special Ed with a specialty in Autism Spectrum Disorder. I am teaching a class similar to yours at an elementary school level next year. I'm really good at dealing with behaviors and data too.

I wasn't intending for this to turn into a giant wall of text, but it kind of got away from me. So... sorry.

I'm starting a SPED credential program in a few weeks, so this process is fairly fresh in my mind. This is all assuming you don't have a credential from another state (I think the process is a bit different). Your BA doesn't really matter (mine's in history) it's just important that you have one. Each university has different requirements, but one thing they ALL have in common is that you will need to take and pass the CBEST and the CSET.

The CBEST is pretty easy, as I'm sure you've learned from your practice test.


The CSET is a different story and definitely requires studying. There is no SPED CSET, so it's recommended that you take the multi-subject, which is actually 3 separate tests (or 4 if you decide to add on the writing test, but it is not necessary). I used the Princeton Review guidebook and passed each one the first try, but I've heard of a lot of people who needed to take it 3 or more times to pass.


You will also probably also be required to get your Certificate of Clearance from the CTC. I think some programs let you do this after you've been admitted, but I'm not sure.

Most universities make it pretty easy to add on your Masters to your credential. AFIK it's not a requirement to get hired in most districts, but it certainly won't hurt you. It also adds a pretty significant pay bump over time. There's a lot of good reasons to get it, and it's pretty easy to add on, so why not?


The rest is really just finding a program that suits you. Some programs allow you to get your credential in 4 quarters, some take 2 years. You could do it all online, aside from your student teaching. A lot of programs will let you do a teaching internship in lieu of student teaching, which allows you to work as a teacher while getting your credential. Keep in mind though that finding an internship position can be hard. My district usually has 1-2 a year and gets flooded with applications.

As for working as a para, I highly recommend it. Again, I can only talk about my district, since that's what I know, but the very few para jobs they have are usually only open to union members. They also frequently hire subs for the year instead of opening up a new position. I've been a sub for the last 3 years and haven't had much trouble finding work. I usually manage to get a long term position for at least half the year (I believe as a substitute teacher you can only be in one classroom for 30 days, or 20 days in a sped class).


As a sub (either para or teacher) you get to work in all kinds of different classrooms and with different age groups, which, if you don't know it already, might help you narrow down which age group you want to work. Working as a substitute para could also help you figure out which type of special ed credential you want to get, if you don't already know. You work in all kinds of different classrooms, and you'll find the kinds of classrooms you like (I was terrified to work BI and I ended up loving it... but middle school+ mod/severe is not a setting I enjoy).

I think it's a great way to get a feel for what your day-to-day in a classroom will be. Depending on the position, you may be dealing with parents to some degree (like, if you end up as a 1:1), and you'll work closely with the teacher so you'll get at least a small understanding of the amount of work that she has to do.

TL;DR: Take the CBEST, the CSET, and get your CTC thing. Find out the rest from the university. And definitely work as an aide, or a sub!

Well, there are the study guides. They are expensive but lots cheaper than taking the test over and over.

The real issue, it sounds like, is that she has not been well prepared for doing reading intervention. Ask her how many sounds are in the word "car" if she says 3, she needs more phonemic awareness knowledge. She definitely needs to make sure she is teaching with blendable sounds as well. That video is from the University of Florida Literacy Initiative. I would highly recommend following them on facebook as they often post very good, up to date information for teachers regarding effective practices and interventions.

More great books: Strategies that Work, CORE Teaching Reading Sourcebook, Words Their Way, Bringing Words to Life and everything else by that author.

Now, this one is much harder, but it changed my life as a teacher. She needs to read this book. It is dense. It is hard. It covers EVERYTHING we know about how people acquire and utilize the ability to read. It also covers what can go wrong. It is fantastic. A buddy to read this with would be great. I have a study guide for this book, I read it in grad school, that I would be happy to email along if you want to pm me an email for her.

If she wants to tell me what kinds of questions she's seeing that she doesn't know, I'd be happy to send along resources or chat with her.

This is a terribly tough spot. The ethical thing to do is to emphasize that dyslexia and dysgraphia are seriously impacting his ability to do grade level work, and that your hourly fee may be better utilized by placing him with a tutor who is experienced in helping dyslexic students, and can deliver an Orton-Gillingham based program with the utmost fidelity. However, what also needs to be considered, is that it takes about 2-3 years to progress through a program like that, and while he is concentrated in a program to become the best reader his disability will allow, his high school years are still going to be happening, and expecting more and more out of him; this seems to be much of a "too little, too late" predicament.

Generally, appropriate instruction is first thing to address, while employing ideal accommodations and modifications. But I can't help but think that A&M should maybe be at the forefront in this scenario because he has so little time left?

If these parents have $$$, and private schooling could be a consideration, that would add another layer to this issue. Would private schooling, specializing in dyslexia, be his best/better option?

So many factors and variables to consider. Tough spot for sure. You've compiled a pretty great list of resources, and I admire your tenacity to learn about dyslexia. You may want to add Ben Foss's "Dyslexia Empowerment Plan" to the list (he also has a website).

I'm just starting my fourth year as a Sped teacher. The first thing you'll probably want to do is get your caseload organized, read their IEPs and use their diagnoses as a starting place for your research. Having a binder for each student to keep their accommodations, goals, parent contact, data and work samples will make your life so much easier when you have to write the IEP.

As far as IEP writing goes, each section is labeled with the general questions it needs to answer, however every school district has their own preferences of length, detail, style, and all the things it should/shouldn't include. Read the IEPs from the previous Sped teacher and you'll get a flavor for what they should look like.

I like this website as a resource for different learning disabilities and possible accommodations: ncld.org

There are lots of books about differeniated instruction on amazon, here's one.

The first year is definitely the hardest, but I've always found that other teachers and administrators enjoyed having me ask questions and were really helpful. Good luck!

(completley unrelated and feel free to downvote and tell me to buzz off but we use this really tale kind of a clip-to-a-desk ipad holder https://www.amazon.com/Cellphone-Flexible-Gooseneck-Bracket-Samsung/dp/B079R4LH7N/ref=sr_1_18?keywords=desk+clip+on+ipad&qid=1555621753&s=gateway&sr=8-18 to get our low muscle guys sitting up straight and sort of defacto "working out" at their desk... and just using all their muscles as the video they're watching motivates them to sit up straight. just a thought. wish I could help... just a t.a.)

I'd teach some metacognitive strategies so he can start interacting with the text as opposed to just decoding, and begin to recognize when he isn't understanding what he's reading. Strategies That Work by Harvey is a great resource that I use all the time. My favorite is Question, Connection, Reaction- you have three different colored stacks of sticky notes and while reading, students need to write down a question they have about the text, any connections they can make (to another story, their life, etc.), or reactions they have to what they are reading. Takes a lot of modeling at first.

Overcoming Dyslexia is the best book on the subject.

edit: dyslexia is not a disease.

I've been a special education teacher for 10 years and I haven't found anything like what you are describing. However, two books that helped me understand what some of my students have to deal with are Overcoming Dyslexia and Look Me in the Eye

Also the Wrightslaw website that deals with Special Education Law. I've used that quite a bit