Structuring your day is important, especially as a special education teacher or working with children with disabilities. This means schedules and behavior charts are both key in keeping that structure. This broken down schedule is one teacher’s favorite and she calls it “a life saver” since it is small, compact, and easy to carry around. The easier something is to use and bring around we all know the more it will be used and that’s why I love this product too! Other types of schedules are also important to be placed around the room like the one below. With this easy to use daily visual schedule, the day can be broken down by am/pm and then each activity has its own dedicated picture. It really gets the job done and looks good while doing it!
Laying out choices is a great way to set up questions for students. Using alternative questioning means that students are given options to chose from. This strategy is very practical with lower functioning or less verbal students. Since they are given options using straightforward pictures, everyone can more easily express their wants, needs, and feelings. So “Choice Time” it is! Grab a choice board like this one here – Choice Board System.
Providing structure to conversations is also a vital tool to use in the classroom. The teacher using these conversation starters said that they struggle with avoiding scripted conversation (or having the same conversation over and over). In order to help work on this, they use the conversation starters for additional questions to ask someone about a preferred topic and it has made a big difference in their conversation times!
Contingency behavior maps are great ways to structure and promote good behavior. They show a visual representation of engaging in appropriate and inappropriate behaviors and the consequences the behaviors result in. This contingency map is for a student who was misbehaving on the bus. If he sits nicely, he comes to class with his friends and if he gets up, he goes and talks to the administrator.
His teacher says it has had a big impact on his choice, which is great to hear!
I know that if I don’t have my schedule written down I would lose my head so I like to remember that it’s the same for my students. Structure is important for all of us so check out more of my products at: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Sasha-Hallagan/
Make sure to check out all my products at:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Sasha-Hallagan/
And send us how you use TAH in your classroom at:
https://theautismhelper.com/join/
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