The Benefits of Cooking in the Classroom
Did you know that by incorporating cooking into your lesson plans, your students will continue to work on several skills? Cooking is an excellent opportunity to work on academic and functional skills by creating hands-on learning experiences for your students and...
Fall Fun
Fall Fun Once Halloween hits time flies. It's end of first quarter, parent teacher conferences are squeezed in, and IEP season creeps up. It's easy to get lost in the day-to-day and feel like you are drowning. The students feel it too. We keep fall hands-on activities...
Scarecrows, Turkey Cookies & Thanksgiving Plates!
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, my planning has revolved around scarecrows, comfort foods and turkey cookies! I love lessons that target multiple skills, and the following are just some of my top favorites! Check them out!Fall Adapted BooksThere are so many...
Embracing the Magic of Fall in the Classroom
As the leaves turn vibrant shades of red, orange, and yellow, and the air becomes crisp, teachers are presented with an opportunity to infuse the spirit of autumn into their classrooms. In this blog post, we'll explore engaging ways to bring the magic of fall into...
Theme Based Centers
I Love a Good Theme Using themes in my classroom is something I choose to do with intention. My students live for a good theme. It keeps our daily activities fresh, fun and engaging. For the next two weeks we are studying farms. We live in a small, rural town and it's...
From Para to Teacher: My Story
This is my story of going from a para to a teacher. Well, my story is one I have been putting off telling for quite some time now. You see, this story is deeply personal, emotional, and challenging for me to retell but I am proud to be able to share it today because...
Pairing Boxes for the Classroom
With the school year starting in just a few short weeks, it is essential to remember to take the time to build rapport with your students. We want to be a reinforcer to our students to increase the likelihood of them wanting to work with us, especially when demands...
Thanksgiving Class Party Setup Kit
I’m so excited to talk about Thanksgiving in the self-contained classroom! My students and I love holidays in our classroom. Holidays allow us to build lasting memories and they are a GREAT reason to have a party! Holiday parties are fun and exciting, however they...
Turkey Time Activities!
Happy November! As soon as the new month hit, I was ready to go with my November activities! I used to do these same activities in the classroom and now, while I still use them, I’ve modified a few for families. I will be prepping the turkey headbands, schedules,...
Halloween Class Party Setup Kit
Let’s talk about Halloween in my self-contained classroom! I don’t know about you, but I love holidays in my classroom. Holidays are the perfect time to build lasting memories with my students and no holiday is complete without a class party! Although holiday...
Fall Activities!
Fall is by far my most favorite season to plan for! Not only has the hot Eastern Shore humidity started to dissipate, but it feels like there is a palpable shift in the atmosphere in schools and homes. I always rely on the Autism Helper for engaging activities. I...
The Classroom Business Series: Vending Cart
Several years ago, my building principal came to me with the idea of creating a classroom business. The teacher’s lounge had a vending machine with soda, costing the school more money than it could make. Cue the Vending Cart! Setting Up After all the...
Managing New School Year Stress
We are a month or so into the new school year, depending on when your year started, and I don’t know about you, but the stress has arrived. It never fails how fast September ends, and then it seems like October and November bring an enormous amount of stress....
Farm Activities for Fall
Off to the Farm! Even though it's still in the high 80s, it's Fall to me! Once September hits, I am ready for pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin patches, and visits to all of our nearby farms. The best farm in my hometown is Braehead Farm. Located in Fredericksburg,...
Morning Routines and More
Ring the Alarm - School is Back! The kids are going back to school which means it’s time for changing up our schedules and getting used to those early mornings. I returned to work this week and wow, it was hard! I was exhausted, cranky, and depended heavily on...
How to Create an About Me Brochure
If you have a child with exceptional needs, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, and they attend school, daycare, therapy, or spend time with a sitter, it’s a good idea to send a personalized “About Me” brochure to those caregivers. An “About Me” brochure is a brief,...
Basic Learner Skills with TURKEYS!
Well, it’s that time of year again! I love the holidays and different seasonal themes to increase engagement and skill building. You guessed it. It’s turkey time! As I now work with even younger kiddos (sometimes as young as 20 months), I have been stretching myself...
Simple Halloween Activities
Simple Halloween Activities There is nothing that brings more joy to my students than good holiday fun. Halloween is especially a favorite. Halloween activities are incredibly motivating for my students, so I’m sure to squeeze in as much learning fun as I can over...
Turkey Fun in Early Childhood
There’s nothing more comforting (in my eyes at this point) in the midst of a pandemic than the thought of comforting Thanksgiving food. If you’re looking for ways to incorporate some turkey and Thanksgiving fun into your classroom or virtual session, then this post...
Halloween Core and Fringe Boards
Halloween and other themed activities may look a little different this year but as special education teachers, one thing that remains the same is structure and the need for language support! I love creating themed core and fringe language boards so that my students...
Halloween Resources for Virtual or In-Person Learning
I love teaching in October. Students are in a routine, expectations have been set and the real fun and learning can begin. There are so many great fall resources at The Autism Helper! My students this year adore Halloween, and I'm gathering and prepping all of the...