(Part 2) Best products from r/specialed

From a fellow Sped Teacher, this book has been amazing. [pre-referral intervention manual](Pre-Referral Intervention Manual-Fourth Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HNHNVY0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_wrECybQ6GE7Q4) I bought a used copy after borrowing a coworkers and it is phenomenal. Essentially it lists various problems you may encounter with a student and lists possible interventions.

It has been helpful both to come up with new ideas and to have a legitimate source for things I was already doing in my classroom. I used it as a resource to support my evaluation last year and my principal loved it. She bought a few for the schools library this year.

Buy her a couple of these. If I have any scratchers or pinchers in my room, all the staff wear them. I also tell the staff that if they get frustrated to step away for a second. If they are getting the crap kicked out of them or I can tell they are at a 10, I tell them that I don't care where they go but I don't want to see them for 10 minutes because they need a break from the class. I usually hand them a soda from my lunch and tell them to enjoy.

He needs a better behavior plan. If she has union, talk to them. I would go to personnel and talk to personnel. I would also talk to the department chair of SPED at the school (as long as its not that teacher).

This kid could be taught not to do this, its just a very involved process that many teachers are not trained for. They need a behaviorist or psychologist to step in.

At this point, I would suggest that she go to personnel and ask if she can transfer to another class next year.

It is possible to do some modified CBT work with this population if they will write. They could start with a book such as The Anxiety Workbook for Teens. I've also had kids who, as long as they can identify the problem they're having, can make progress toward fighting anxiety in a functional way. I had a student with SM who would freeze and refuse to engage in any part of gym class, which they had daily. It followed the same structure each day (line up, change, warm up, activity, cool down, change), and the activity changed weekly. We broke it down where I asked how anxious he was on a scale of 1-5 about each step of the class, and all he had to do was hold up his fingers to give a number. Turned out, he was totally fine with most steps except for changing in front of others, which was an easy fix (allowed him to change in the bathroom) and the actual performing of the activity. Through lots of yes/no questioning we figured out that he was worried because the activity changed and he didn't feel like he knew what to expect and was afraid he would make a mistake. By working through that, he was able to start participating in everything (changing, warm-ups, cool-down), and when it came time for the activity he would watch the first and second day, and try to participate the last few days. It didn't always work, but it often did. The problem is, this approach takes a LOT of intensive work, and most school-based mental health personnel either aren't trained or don't have the time to put in this kind of work.

I also had some success with a lower functioning teenage student with SM and anxiety who wasn't great with writing. We created a simple worksheet where he would circle how he felt that week out of a bunch of Boardmaker faces, write down something he did like and something he didn't like from that week (with a separate sheet with prompts for location, people, and other things that could help him find the words, and sometimes he'd just point to one and I'd write it for him), and then circle a strategy that could make him feel better in a situation like that.

To tag on, check out:


http://www.amazon.com/Essentials-Cross-Battery-Assessment-Dawn-Flanagan/dp/0470621958


It has scoring software that modifies average ranges for ELL students taking into consideration individual backgrounds and rates of English acquisition. It's indispensable to my district's ELL psychs. Would make a great gift for any school psychologist in your life!

The first two books I typically recommend for teachers are The First Days of School and Teach Like a Champion. Harry Wong, especially, is a leader in teacher development.

There's often a myth that kids with mild-moderate special needs should be taught differently than non-disabled kids, but the literature doesn't really bear that out. They just are less resilient than their peers to poor teaching techniques, so evidence-based techniques become more important for their success.

If your kids have moderate-severe impairments, I would suggest some different reading materials.

I bought this to record my IEP meetings and it works well.

Sony ICDPX370 Mono Digital Voice Recorder with Built-in USB, black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XFTWCBJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_IMC8CrpkbOGG5

Good luck.

At one of our P.A. Days were were highly recommended this:

https://www.amazon.com/reader/1885477910?_encoding=UTF8&page=random

It has pictures of the right way and the wrong way on a variety of things. Kind of quick social stories about things like interrupting, asking someone to play, taking turns, keeping calm etc. This is for school-aged kids. There is another one for high school and up.

I haven't bought it yet, but I've been eyeing it. I'm an E.A. and buy entirely too many things for my kids. I don't make nearly what teachers do, lol.

I am so sorry, that sounds incredibly tough. Just for reference, they do make kevlar gloves, if you want them.

It sounds like you've done a lot for a month. If they won't let you do CPI training my honest suggestion is to bring in a pillow or even a gym/nap mat that you can hold in front of you and safely block yourself. Obviously never use it to push him, but as long as you're merely protecting yourself it can serve as a stand-in until they correct that rule. You should have a right to be safe in your own room.

Are you in the Toronto area?

I didn't count how many books there are... 2 or 3 dozen maybe? If you want them, it's kind of an all or nothing deal. Most of them are bundled together with twine in small stacks. I'm not going to undo them.

Here are a few examples based on whatever book was on the top of some of the stacks. You'll notice none of these are particularly recent.

• Home is a Learning Place
  
  
• 100 Ways to Enhance Self-Concept in the Classroom
  
  
• Children with Exceptionalities in Canadian Classrooms
  
  
• I Need a JOB! Straight Talk About Working
  
  
• Inclusion of Exceptional Learners in Canadian Schools
  
  
• Yes, They Can!
  
  
• Complete Learning Disabilities Handbook
  
  
• No More Teachers, No More Books
  
  
• Autism Spectrum Disorders
  
  
• Teaching Students with Special Needs in Inclusive Settings

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