Featured Posts
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,...
Using Adapted Books to Work on Color Concepts
Still working on color concepts with your students? I created another adapted book series about colors. This series includes; “What Color is the Food?”, “What Color is the Animal?”, and “What Color is the School Supply?” Many of the students on my caseload are...
Tips for Using Leveled Daily Curriculums In Your Classroom
I adore the Leveled Daily Curriculums. They are at the center of instruction in my classroom. Every student I have uses them, no matter their level. They are simple to use, super effective, and differentiated. Here are a few quick tips for using and organizing Leveled...
It’s Not Always Academic
I am a special education teacher, teaching primary grades TK-1st and all of my students are autistic. The job of a teacher comes with a lot of duties but the one that most of us think about when we think of teachers, is that they teach us, right? Right. However, my...
Reducing Fiction Barriers For Autistic Readers
Teachers know the best way to help students become better readers is for them to practice. At nearly every grade level they require students to read fiction. And the more students interact with books, the more likely they’ll grow into pleasure readers. But reading...
Holiday Lesson Planning and Gift Guide
So much to do, yet so little time. Don’t let this time of the year be stressful or overwhelming. Follow this guide for all things holiday lesson planning and gift ideas!Lesson Planning Making lesson plans for the classroom during the holiday season ranks high as my...
5 Tips For Building Compliance While Homeschooling
I want to reminisce a little bit about the pandemic year. That was my last year teaching special education and I taught virtually. I started my year teaching 16 students, most with autism, on various ends of the spectrum. I had a lot of what I like to call beginning...
OT Approved Holiday Gift Ideas: 2022 Edition
The 2022 holiday season is upon us! It can be hard to find the perfect gift for everyone on your list and sometimes a little inspiration can be helpful. In this post, I will share some fun gift options and why I think it’s great from an OT perspective. I will...
How to Increase Independence in Large Group
I have had experience teaching in a public-school setting, a therapeutic day school setting, and now I am in an ABA clinic setting. In all these settings, I have seen many skills within small and large groups needed for all of my learners. The skill of being able to...
Focus on Five: Setting Up Daily Leveled Curriculum
The Autism Helper’s Daily Leveled Curriculum is an amazing resource for any low-incidence classroom. You can use it in a variety of ways- for independent work, at a teacher-run station, at a paraprofessional run station and more. I started using the Language Arts...
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...
Changes
My daughter Adalyn was diagnosed with autism and sensory processing disorder at age 2. One of the most challenging things about being a special-needs parent is combating problem behaviors and self injurious behaviors. I’ve learned that when you’re doing the same...