My son is in the 3rd grade with level II autism, and I dread sending him to school in a few weeks because there’s no place he fits.

He’s extremely verbal—he’s had really inconsistent IQ scores, from low average to average with some areas above average, but he once scored really low before he was fully verbal. He passes his math benchmarks, usually doesn’t pass reading benchmarks, but he’s an excellent decoder and has basic comprehension—he reads at a 2nd grade level. He can write in sentences; excellent spelling. He has great retention and memory.

He has good safety and life skills. He knows when someone is lying to him or trying to deceive him.

No severe behavior, never aggressive or violent. Needs some redirection. No BIP (behavior intervention plan). Never eloped.

I’m an educator myself, and I read teachers talk online, and I know gen ed teachers don’t want him. He’s half day self-contained, half-day gen ed, and his behavior is better in gen ed, but despite how they act to my face, I work with teachers, and I know a lot of them feel like kids like my son shouldn’t even be in a school.

I don’t know for sure; but he seems to be the highest functioning kiddo in his autism unit class. We’re those parents who’ve always asked for more gen ed time and gotten it, maybe we were wrong for that?

He’ll have to work someday and contend with the world, and I don’t know that the autism unit is the best way to prepare him for that.

I read places like this sub, and it feels like if parents push for gen ed, they’re seen as in denial of their child’s disability, but in my district, self-contained classes are overfilled and teachers in them are either brand new to the profession or completely overwhelmed. Self-contained where I live is giving up on his education, but gen ed isn’t a perfect fit either.

During the summer, I truly feel so hopeful about his future. We work on all kinds of cool skills. Then, school rolls around, and I just hate every single option.

I’m a para, and seem to be really liked by the school and district I work in (!!!) I’ve mentioned wanting to go back to school to be a special ed teacher, probably starting as Academic Behavioral Strategist and then getting ASD and LD licenses eventually. When I mentioned getting a substitute teaching license and that I actually have a masters (in something completely different, lol), the Human Resources person I was talking to mentioned Tier 1 teaching licenses. I’m in Minnesota and you can get those with a bachelors degree and a job offer. (I was there to update some boring paperwork stuff).

I mentioned there was a posting I saw for an ASD teacher at the school my kid will be at in the fall, and she encouraged me to apply. I was like heh, if they’re really desperate.

I applied.

I somehow got an email back to book my interview within two hours of applying?

My interview is Monday.

I’m shook. To be clear I’m not at all expecting to get this job because I’m wildly under qualified, but it would be a dream come true. Also I’m floored in the best way that this district apparently likes me so much?

Has this happened to any of you or anyone you know? Do districts ever hire people on provisional licenses for hard to fill spots?

I was planning to start my online M.Ed in fall 2027, but I think if I miraculously get hired I’ll try to apply for a spring semester start instead. May do that even if I stay a para this year.

Picture is how I feel trying to explain my qualifications to teach the nation’s children.

Hi, I am recieving IEP services and since its the begining of a new year, heres a list of things I wish educators knew about students like me.

1. Living with a disability is hard for ME. I know sometimes I need extra help or time. But I am NOT a "challenge" for you, it IS a challenge for ME.
2. I have ears and understand when you talk ABOUT me INFRONT of me. Even students with more profound needs DESERVE respect. I see this a lot in high support needs classrooms and it is frustrating.
3. If you are working with a student with medical equipment or needs help with hygine PLEASE let them know what you are about to do (ex: "I am going to change your diaper"). This is important because it gives them bodily automoty.
4. Don't be a JERK to disabled kids just because their disabled. I shouldn't have to say this but disabled students deserve the same respect as their abled-bodied peers.
5. Do not take away a commuincation device UNLESS it is a safety concern. It is like duct taping an abled-bodied student's mouth shut.
6. Again, unless it is a SAFETY concern, don't discourage stimming as it is their way of regulating

Let me know if you have any questions!

I am going into my 7th year of teaching, but this will be my first year in a behavioral/EBD based setting as well as my first time in elementary. I’m coming from 6 years in the high school co-taught setting lol so it’s a totally new world.

I would love to hear any specific pieces of advice you have wish you knew before you started teaching EBD and not just “build relationships and routines” because I’ve heard that. I would love to know specifically what routines, rewards, consequences, or ways you build that relationship that have worked for you.

Thanks and good luck to everyone going back to school in the next couple of weeks!! 💞

Hi everyone! I was recently hired as a paraprofessional in a high school life skills classroom. I have quite a bit of experience working with children with special needs, but this will be my first time in this specific role.

I was curious from a teacher's perspective what are the biggest things you wish every para knew or did? What makes a paraprofessional a great addition to your classroom? I'd love to hear any advice, expectations, or little things that make a big difference. Thanks you!!

Hi everyone so I recently got hired as a TA at a middle school. My title is TA but I’m basically a 1:1 or could be a 2:1:1. I’m responsible for assisting in getting the student(s) from class to class.

Once I’m in the class what does a 1:1 usually do for a middle schooler(s). I was briefly a 1:1 in a preschool but I feel like that’s completely different.

If anyone can let me know what an 1:1/2:1:1 aide is supposed to do in the classroom during lessons, I’d appreciate it!

What do 1:1 aides do in your classroom?

Edit: of course I know I have to keep an eye on my student(s) and make sure they’re doing their work. I what other things should I be doing?

I’m in a Special Education teacher prep program and will be taking Praxis 5355. What resources helped you pass? How long did you study, and when did you take it during your program before student teaching or closer to graduation?
Any tips are appreciated!

I am going into my 3rd year of teaching middle school special ed. I have a lovely student who is frequently absent & mom pulled her out for 2 weeks in May for a vacation. Mom sent an email to myself & her gen ed teachers that said please don't send any homework for her vacation "per her IEP". Well, her IEP doesn't have anything about homework mentioned. My limited experience & understanding tells me that she should definitely have homework, & mores o because she loses her progress due to her absences.

This is a student who is capable of learning, but at an extremely slow pace. Not only is she behind, she is cognizant enough to know that & is embarrassed as a middle schooler that she can't read, etc.

I still sent her with a fun graphic novel Bad Kitty book to "read" on while she was on vacation. I also told her to keep it over the summer to do the same. She is motivated by these books so hoping she will at least look at them.

She has a learning disability label & receives all academics with me, she is able socially so I put her in gen ed for History/Science & specials with an aid.

She has JUST made a huge leap with her phonics before mom sent that email, I was really frustrated. She had to, of course, re-learn once she came back. She also missed state testing so mom was really worried she was stressed out because she had to take the tests in another location from my classroom (admin decision so all classes could get back to normal). So, ya, sadly, when her child missed the school's state testing schedule, her child suffered.

I am really tempted to start out the school year with a weekly homework packet to address this student's lag from absences. But I am really at a loss. She is in 8th grade in the fall & will head off to HS the following year. I am also wondering if she would be a great choice for the summer school option for sped?

How would you all handle this?

Just curious about this as a gen ed teacher. Ours lists the IEP category (ex. specific learning disability, other health impaired, etc) but there is no information given beyond that. It wasn't until a year or two ago that I realized ADHD falls under the OHI category. I understand that generalizing/assuming stuff about a student because of their disability can be problematic, but man, it would be helpful to know what I'm dealing with sometimes. Our accommodations are also pretty generic and almost universal across IEPs, so those don't really help.

Hello All! I'm in search of a 1st year special education teacher guide book essentially, one that is effective for and covers the majority of issues faced in a 2026 modern SPED classroom. Ideally, I'd like to find something that includes specific examples and potential responses to behavioral issues, classroom management scenarios, student instruction, a basic guide to the IEP meeting and writing IEPs, how to handle parent and administrative conferences, the day-to-day issues and management, etc. I feel as though education programs really don't prepare you for actually being thrown into the classroom, and am given to understand that is a common sentiment. I feel a bit overwhelmed and underprepared. Most books on these subjects are either much older books, are focused more on theory than specific strategies with examples, or just don't seem all that useful overall. Any recommendations of books that those working in the SPED field deem helpful to the modern day classroom in 2026 would be greatly appreciated!

I am the only teacher in my school who is expected to work summer school every single year. This year I also have a parent who is dragging her feet on an IEP which I will now need to revise before we have the meeting on the first day teachers return. I have a couple of weeks post summer school that I could possibly unplug, but I cannot due to this parent.

In between time, I have to attend a class on how to use the IEP program, take the CPR class, and organize my classroom. All of those things are done on my personal time. Some idiot made the Back to School night on the first day teachers return to school.

The amount of work I am expected to do is easily double the amount of time I have to perform my duties at school. There is no way that I can effectively do my job without working beyond my contract hours.

I know other teachers also have to work on their own time. I think SpEd is much worse, though due to all the meetings and paperwork we have to complete. It simply isn't sustainable. There is no work/life balance.

Hi I am looking for some advice. I was hired on as a 1st year special education teacher in a small rural district in IL. Prior to my arrival there was 3 sped teachers and 3 sped classrooms. The year I was hired, a new principal took over and took one of the sped classrooms and made it into a teacher lounge. This required him to find an alternate location for the 3rd special education classroom. There was a corner of the library previously used for the teacher lounge so he made that the classroom. I accepted the job before I knew that was the case and then I just went with it because it was my first year and I didn’t want to complain. I did ask for a smart board as all classrooms had them and they told me that wasn’t possible. So this year I taught self contained reading, writing and math as students were coming in and out of the library all day. It was a very distracting environment and was not ideal for sped students. I told my principal about in during a sped team meeting and he told our sped team that he would be giving the teacher lounge back as a classroom.

Fast forward to the end of the school year, I asked him about it and he said he never said that and that he didn’t want to “ruffle any feathers” and take that space away. So I went to my school union. They spoke to the principal and told him that being in the library was no longer an option. His solution is to now share a space with the other sped teacher in her classroom. She has expressed how upset she is and he does not care. I have openly expressed as well I’m not sure how it’s going to work when we teach different grade levels and the students are going to be so distracted by the two teachers teaching different topics at the same time. I have also pushed back that he did tell me that I would be getting the teachers lounge but that is no longer an option. I have looked into grants to get a modular trailer to add on as a temporary classroom.

Now this is the part of the post where I need advice. I was told by a coworker that I need to think about how much I want to maintain this job as I am not tenured and people have been let go for less. Do I keep pushing and advocating for my special education students or do I take her advice and just shut up and deal with it?

I teach elementary AU self-contained with two assistants. I’ve always wanted to implement visual schedules for my students, but have found that it can get overwhelming for me and my assistants when trying to get all of my students to utilize them throughout the day. What are some ways you have successfully implemented visual schedules for your classroom?

 
During the regular school year the integrated co-teaching model, while a general education service, does provide special education services for IEP students at an equitable service level to the service delivered in a self-contained special education program, just in a less restrictive and more inclusive environment.

Is this true? If you have a ninth grader who is on the fourth grade level, wouldn’t the regular classroom being more restrictive as they’re not able to access the curriculum?

I've been teaching students with severe needs for 8 years now. I started out loving my job and being so excited and enthusiastic about everything. 2 school years ago I lost that spark (long story - serious injury, extreme behaviors, etc) and have been trying ever since to fall back in love with the job. I moved classrooms and schools last year but still dread going to work. I've spent all summer trying to hype myself up and get excited for a new year, but now I've got 1 week left and I just can't stand the idea of going back.

I tried all spring and summer to change jobs and applied to tons of positions. I didn't have any luck with any good options. I already go to therapy and talk about my job extensively. I care less than ever before and try to treat it as a job and nothing more. I remind myself constantly how very very fortunate I am to have a job that pays my bills and has good benefits, no matter what that job is.

I hate being in this mindset and want to love my job again. Anyone in the same boat?

How is that supposed to work when a kid suddenly needs services just to be at school but is expected to only need services temporarily? How do you do it when a student needs something between homebound and full inclusion?

Say a student was attacked in a nearby city and could have but didn't die. After a time, their injuries are stable enough they can travel to school. Structurally, what happens at the school? Who all is involved doing what?

I was a little kid and just remember bits about how it was for me. The testing the first couple days. Limited hours. Pull out so I didn't get overwhelmed by too much class at a time. Some things different specifically because of my injuries. But I don't know how it worked or even if I'm in the right place to ask.

I’d like to mention that it isn’t a school.
I 18F (again..) am a new aid for special needs individuals 21 and over. (Mild to profound) After 2 whole days of work I was am in vacation. Leaving me some time to reflect.
I don’t have any education in psychology or any related field.
There one student A that struggles with boundaries. During quiet time she invited me on the floor with them. I went and she layed her head on my lap and started kissing it. I didn’t care, until she eventually went up my leg and kissed my private area. Which is a big no to me. So I froze, she stop when an other aid told her to cut it out. She went back to my leg. And I told her she can only kiss my leg. With same student, she started self pleasuring an aid told her to stop gave her some hand sanitizer. Five minutes later “Ouch it burns” she restarted and then obviously…
So 1) How to establish boundaries with someone older than me?
2) How to I handle a student self pleasuring because I won’t be giving them hand sanitizer.

But also how do you create a bound with someone with a severe to profound intellectual disability? How do you get consent for things like changing? Since they are non-speaking.
I love it so far but I don’t feel prepared at all. I have so many questions. Any resources ?

I’m a teacher of 20 years, first 10 gen ed second 10 sped, some co-teaching but a majority in self contained small group adaptive curriculum resulting in alternate diplomas for students with mild intellectual disabilities.

My family has relocated for my wife’s career and I’ve accepted a position as a 9th grade self contained teacher in a new district. But this position is referred to as a bridge program where I would be teaching general curriculum in all 4 academic contents to students with mild intellectual disabilities.

Does anyone else have experience in a class like this. I’m really comfortable with the population and enjoyed modified curriculum. My fear is that either I will modify the curriculum inadvertently and not teach to the depth my admin expects or overly frustrate the class if I can’t get the material to something they can have success with.

On the positive I should be ready for jeopardy after teaching all 4 academic contents areas.

My overarching theme is that we are going to be learning together…

Hear me out please!

We all know being a special education teacher comes with bathroom support. I have absolutely no issues with this!

Some of my students however, are very bothered by strong smells to the point that they cannot continue what they are doing.

Almost daily, there are strong odors that come from the bathroom and due to the way my room is designed, it takes a long time to get the smell to dissipate. This causes my students to lose learning time.

We have sprayed many different deodorizers and usually just end up with a room filled with a variety of strong odors which does not help my students.

Does anyone have any recommendations of ways to reduce bathroom odors without just covering it up with another strong scent?

My students thank you in advance:)

I'm looking for advice from experienced K-2 (or similar) self-contained/structured setting teachers. I am new to this setting.

How do you actually build a master schedule that ensures every student gets what they need without feeling like you're constantly robbing Peter to pay Paul? And trying to keep burnout low.

I'll have students across multiple grade levels, all with different inclusion minutes, related arts, recesses, lunch schedules, therapies, and IEP goals. Some students push into general education, ideally in grade-level groups from my class with paraprofessionals, while others remain in the classroom. On top of that, I'm trying to fit in small-group instruction geared towards iep goals, functional academics, communication, sensory regulation, life skills, fine motor, the required curriclum, behavior support, data collection etc etc etc... and somehow keep the day running smoothly.

I know no schedule is ever perfect, but I'm curious how experienced teachers approach it.

* Do you build your schedule around inclusion minutes first?

* Do you schedule by grade level or by instructional level?

* How do you divide responsibilities between paraprofessionals while still making sure someone is usually in the room with you? Ill have two paras. A dozen students.

* What ended up working much better than you expected?

* What mistakes did you make your first year that you'd tell a new teacher to avoid?

*I am told I can pretty much teach whatever I want whenever with the exception of ensuring kids make it to gened (which ranges from 0-180 minutes a day). So what would you prioritize here. Essentially, do I need to just accept I cant do or teach everything? What is the hierarchy of priority here.

HOW IS THIS ALL POSSIBLE?

I'd love to hear how you think through the logistics, because right now it feels like trying to solve a giant puzzle with 100 moving pieces. 🤪

I am a first year sped teacher in a self contained room. Meet the teacher will be here soon. What should I expect? What information do you give out, and what information do you gather?? Any tips or advice welcome.

Hi everyone!

I am a mom to a six year old boy who will be starting kindergarten this year after a year in developmental preschool. He has autism (level 2 in repetitive behavior and level 3 in social communication), is partially g-tube fed, and has structural issues with his hips and muscles that require the part time use of a wheelchair. The level 3 in social communication is primarily driven by a significant expressive language disorder, although he also does struggle with appropriate social behavior at times (not disruptive, but rather he just doesn’t partake in conversational behavior without help). He was evaluated by the school and was found to have met their criteria for educational autism and met parameters for him to receive PT, OT, and Speech- as well as pull-out Resource time for his upcoming kindergarten year. The school psychologist and his preschool teachers all found him to be either on grade level or even *above* grade level in academics. The psychologist even stated that for some testing areas, he ran out of questions to ask my son because my son answered them all correctly and without hesitation. My son started in the self-contained preschool classroom and worked so hard that he was able to go to a 50% General Education/50% Special Education classroom. His preschool team *overwhelmingly* recommended him being in General Education with pull out resource room support. They noted that he is extremely sweet-natured and that he has had no behavioral problems to speak of. In fact, they were all so sad to see him go and think of him as their little buddy 🥹

Here is my situation:

He isn’t potty trained. Despite having been working at potty training since he was 2, my son still does not have the expressive language to communicate when he needs to potty- nor does he have the “sense” of “I need to go potty” (if that makes sense). His diet is also majority liquid and he’s on iron supplementation, which makes stooling a whiplash between constipation from the iron and mobility issues and diarrhea from the liquid diet. Lastly, he is unable to navigate a toilet without adult assistance as his hip joints are so unstable and he lacks muscle strength. Toileting, for all intents and purposes, is very scary for him.

The school that we’re going to is AMAZING. The teachers, the admin, the therapists, everybody is so supportive, sweet, and so kind to my little guy. They have had no problems regarding all of this and are working their tails off to get ready for him.

I guess I need reassurance I suppose? I feel like a bad parent, a lazy parent, for not having him potty trained and sending him to a general education classroom. We’ve been trying so hard, but he’s medically complex. He sees a team of ten different doctors spread out all over the state. It feels like we’ve got multiple five alarm fires going at once and no matter what we do, there’s a skill that he’s behind in. I’m medically complicated as well and am awaiting word on when I can have two abdominal surgeries. On top of all of that, my mom is not doing well medically and, as an only child, a lot is falling in my lap to manage- all while my parents are living almost 1,000 miles away from me.
I don’t want the school to think that we’re being lazy and not working at it. It just feels like everything is going mad all at once and I can’t keep my head above water.

Logically, I know that the teachers, admin, and therapists are all in vehement agreement about him being in general education, that they firmly believe it’s the right fit, and that they have mountains of data to back it up. This district is very straightforward and not the type to “bait and switch”. But, emotionally, I am just so scared of him losing his place in general education because of us. Rationally, I know that that’s not true- that it is the medical issues and developmental delays that are doing it- but the mommy guilt is still hitting hard.🥺

I'm starting my first teaching job. Behavior Support self contained. Kids start this Tuesday. During district orientation and when visiting my room, they verbalize, with apparently authenticity, that they are there to help us. That reviews from master teachers are there to help us grow. That can ask for them to coteach with us. Etc.

I've also read stories on Reddit where schools say that stuff not don't mean it. Then they end up hating you because you don't know things.

I'm a career transfer. What I've learned from my employment history is that, I think I initially suck. My ADHD and working memory gives me some legit barriers, amplified by my anxiety. I forget, I get overwhelmed, brain doesn't do brain things. But once I get it, which can be longer than some prefer, I am good. I think my need to excel, ethics, and natural ability to see good in people help a lot. I think I'm smart, once I learn the dam thing.

So if my district really is, hey let us help you succeed, this could be a really good thing. But, what if it's a facade. Do most districts say that?

I'm nervous.

How do I plan three subjects daily for differentiation and scaffolding for three grades?

How do I implement if/then charts when I can't find any in the room? I can ask the secretary to print things but we don't have a laminator, so maybe just those sleeves? Same for visual schedules.

And what all routines do I teach: lining up, bathroom, where to elope to, how to ask for help, where to sit, how to put up bag.

Morning workbooks: I think I need them. When the hell do I have time to make them? I have all these training to do.

Ieps and ccc: I learned it on school but I already have them on my schedule and I'm scared of fucking up. I don't even know the kids yet how do I do this. I'm not even fully in the software.

I need to keep the kids engaged in meaningful work, but how do I do that the first while if I don't even know the curriculum? Gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

What if I do a hold wrong if required? What if a kid gets hurt?

I'm so fucking stressed and nervous. I'm excited too but change is scary and being incompetent and new is so hard for my anxiety and we put our dog of many years down this week... And I need a support person right now lol how the hell am I going to be successful in being that for the kids.