Featured Posts
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...
My Favorite TAH Products to Use as an OT
As we all know, The Autism Helper has some amazing products! The products are not just for teachers, they can be used by a wide variety of people. Today, I am going to highlight a few of my favorite TAH products that I use as an OT working with students from...
Sorry, Not Sorry
During a lunch conversation with a friend the other day I was reminded that typical adults and children need to be aware of individuals with autism just as much as kids with autism need to be taught to function in the world around them. It goes both ways. We get...
Planning Ahead for Next School Year
With the school year winding down, you must reflect on all those great things your students were able to accomplish this year and rethink that Pinterest fail that didn’t go like you hoped. Start planning for next school year to lighten your load when it comes time to...
Ollie’s Year in Review
I figured it was time for a follow up on The Autism Helper’s star member and favorite doggo, Ollie! For those of you that missed my first blog post, Ollie is my loyal pup who I was lucky enough to get therapy certified. This school year was his first year as a working...
ESY Set-Up
Calling All ESY Teachers! Call me crazy, but I can't wait for ESY! We have some pretty spectacular things planned and I can't wait to learn with my students. I've slowly started gathering materials and getting set up. I'm lucky that ESY will be in my classroom this...
My Sensory Life: Touch
I often find it interesting to think about the complexity and design of the human body. Each of your fingertips has over 3,000 tactile receptors that send a message to our brain almost instantaneously to help us interpret the texture of a surface, temperature, and...
Michelle’s Classroom Tour: Math Center
I’m so excited to talk about my math center instruction! For starters, my classroom is a TK-1st grade autism classroom. I structure our day with six different centers, which makes for a nicely structured environment. My centers include various subjects such as...
Practice Life Centers
Community-based instruction is an awesome opportunity for students ready to leave their school site and practice their independent skills in a variety of real-life settings. But, what about your students who need more than the typical classroom environment but are not...
Easy Matching Workbooks with Young Learners
As an Infants & Toddlers special education teacher, I feel so privileged to work as the frontline of young learners first experience with skill acquisition. I really do get to see where it all begins! I love using child-led play, daily routines, and structured...
How To Teach Rule Following
Rules and routines are a large part of classroom functioning. Management of the classroom and instructional control come from clear and concise definitions of rules. Creating rules as a group or individually does not always have to be a lecturing style. Teaching and...