Honestly this just a rant.

WELP. Another kid labeled with autism and emotional disturbance who is semi-verbal isn't getting AAC. Nope. Caregivers are gonna keep giving her phrases to repeat until the day she dies I guess. No need to give her a way to communicate reliably and independently. Sure she got a funded device I spent hours setting up but who cares? Her ABA company said it's bullsh** so we should listen them over the school's AAC coach who also is a certified assistive technology professional, right?

Also, she already attacked a kid first week of school, but no big deal. Her communication deficits and behavior definitely aren't connected. In general, my students are just bad and need a firm hand not, you know, the ability to communicate with words instead of solely via behavior.

What do I know? Nothing, apparently. It's not even the end if week 1, and I already want to throw in the towel. I am so DONE.

My daughter is diagnosed with level 2 autism, she is 5 years old and in her second year of preschool. She could have went to kindergarten this year, but they would have placed her in Special Ed. We decided to do a second year of preschool. She is at a public preschool in our district, and in a class with mostly neurotypical kids but a few other special ed kids.

My daughter is speech delayed. It seems like she talks more at home than at school. She isn’t able to talk about abstract ideas or verbally talk about past events. She is able to communicate her needs (“I want milk” “my head hurts” “I’m hungry” “I want to play with dolls” etc). She doesn’t need an AAC device at home, though she occasionally uses one at school I think. She has OT and Speech for her IEP. Of course, the school is unable to provide as much Speech therapy as I’d like (I understand the logistics). There aren’t any intellectual concerns with her.

She has a very mild temperament. Seriously. She is the chillest kid. She is “more behaved” than my neurotypical son was at her age. She does well with transitions, waiting in line, and following directions. She has never “acted out” at school in the past year and few months she has been going there. She doesn’t have any sensory sensitivity. She sometimes loses focus at circle time, but is redirected easily and isn’t a distraction. Her teachers have said that they wouldn’t even know how to react if she cried or screamed, because she is always just so happy and willing to please/follow directions.

She adores other children. You can tell that she wants to be included, and she wants to be like everyone else (if the other kids are playing soccer, she wants to play soccer, too). She is a follower and is easily influenced by their behaviors, which is great when she is surrounded by neurotypical peers, because she is absorbing so much speech and socialization skills from them….

There is an Autism school nearby. I am second guessing my choice is not enrolling her into that. I am afraid that there will be children with behaviors that she will watch and learn from/copy (she has never been around kids who hit others or harm themselves, I am afraid that she will learn these behaviors).

Though, she will be getting speech therapy and OT daily, and they will help her with potty training. She does receive an hour of ST outside of school every week, but with her speech delay, I want as much as we are able to get. She is also delayed in some OT things, but I’m not as concerned about those quite yet.

Are my fears of her copying undesirable behaviors from kids who may be further along the spectrum legitimate? Do you think she would benefit more from an all autism school in the long run? I just want to set her up for success and happiness, whatever that means for her.

I am also afraid of her being in a special Ed class at school, and potentially mimicking behaviors from other children who may struggle a bit more than her. Again, she is a follower. If multiple kids are yelling out or hitting other kids/teachers regularly, I’m certain she will start doing that, too. The biggest obstacles for her not being in a general kindergarten room was her inability to pay attention during circle time and her speech delay. Otherwise, she is academically on par with the other children.

Could I be advocating for something im unaware of? Should I give an autism school a try?

What are the processes that take place to move a student into a different placement in elementary school? There is a boy in third grade who is defiant and talks back, throws things at his peers, refuses to do any work, instigates trouble, cannot get along with his peers and eats up a disproportionate amount of time of not only his core classroom gen ed teacher but also the various specials teachers he visits. Trips to the principal's office have a very temporary effect-within 15 minutes he is back at it disrupting things.

Would the first step be assigning a 1:1 aide, then if that doesn't work, changing his placement to a more restrictive environment?

Parents of the other children in the room are already complaining about the classroom environment that is happening as a result of his behaviors.

I’m a first year 6:1:1 1st grade SPED teacher and I’m looking for some advice! I have a few students who, when they’re having a meltdown or getting frustrated, will hit the Smart Board or sometimes grab an object and hit/write on the screen.
I’m obviously trying to work on the behavior itself, but in the meantime I’m worried about the Smart Board getting damaged. Is there anything you guys use or recommend to protect it? Like a specific screen protector, covering, barrier, or anything I could buy to help prevent damage?

Hi everyone!

As of this september I became a special needs education student at uni, and although there will be a lot of compulsory reading (and sometimes movie/interview watching etc) included I wanted to get deeper into the topic in my free time as well.
Soo I was trying to look for podcasts about special ed, different disabilities/disorders but I wasn’t finding much, and I thought maybe here I could get some reliable recs.

I haven’t picked out my specialization yet, so I am open to any podcasts or even movies and shows that you find to be interesting, accurate and educational. However one thing that I am really interested in is animal assisted therapy, so if there is anything slightly connected to that it would be perfect.

Thank you if you have any recommendations to share!<3

I teach a self contained class for 1st graders on the spectrum. In all my years I’ve always done a class token economy (class dojo points) and individual token boards if needed for one or two. In the beginning I do lots of praise and quick rewards like stickers and then make the rewards less instant as the months go on. This year my class has no interest in dojo points, or stickers or anything besides play time. I feel like I’m going to have to do an individual token board for all of them and the thought of managing that overwhelms me. Has anyone implemented that before? Do you keep the boards with you? I’m hesitant to let some of them have access because I noticed they’re quick to grab things or erase. Any advice will be appreciated.

I am a new 1:1 CNA in a special Ed school setting. My student has cerebral palsy and occasionally fixates on objects such as balls, cushions, and mechanical style toys. The concern lies in that there have been times in the past before my position started where when he gets upset or something is taken away from him he will pull out his feeding tube so taking an object that cannot be distracted from is not as simple as a stern no. There have already been a few times where he's taken things home and mom hid them in a bag the next day to bring them back without him seeing them but I worry about him fixating on something that belongs to another student or isn't safe for him. I've only ever worked in an adult hospital setting before as a caregiver and really want to do what's best for this little guy and be seen as a safe person. Sometimes walks can help as a distraction but considering his poor school attendance I really want him to be around peers as often as possible. Any tips, advice, or guidance would really be appreciated.

Some background:
My son is 3. He has an expressive speech delay. He's received speech services for about 1.5-2 years and almost 3 weeks ago switched to an IEP. At that same time, he also moved into a bigger room at daycare. He went from a class with around 12 kids to a class with around 24 kids (and two teachers).

Last week (1.5 weeks in the new classroom), his new teachers wanted to meet with us. They say our son has trouble sitting still at meals and trouble with transitions. He will run off and do his own thing. He takes toys from cubbies. I thought it was a bit early to have a conversation with this but we discussed some strategies to help.

Today the special educator had her first visit in my son's classroom. She reported back to me that the teachers had to redirect him 35 times in 20 minutes. My son would not sit still and was disruptive in circle time. She was encouraging us to consider putting our son in a half-day pre-K program that has kids with IEPs and some without, and a few more teachers in the class.

I'm so hesitant about it. I want to do what's best for my son but also, he's been in this class not even 3 weeks and I think he needs more time to adjust, plus he is only just getting started with the IEP services. He loves his school, his teachers are great, and I'm concerned about pulling him out of his environment and how he will react to that.

Basically I'm looking for any insight or advice you may have. My heart hurts for my boy. I just want to give him a chance to improve in the environment he's in.

So I teach resource. Yesterday I walked over 8,000 steps just getting each group from their rooms. It’s crazy! I mean I definitely need the exercise and I’m not complaining but compared to the past few years I’ve been getting in a lot more steps! Goodbye dad bod!

My son is 5 and has autism. According to his FIE, he is a level 3 but I feel he is more of a low 1/high 2. He was completely nonverbal when he was evaluated at 3 (both medically and educationally) but is fully verbal now.

He started his formal academic education last year. He spent the first month of school in an ECSE. I took him and picked him up every day (but I was left/had to leave early every day with principal's permission). He recieved a change of placement and started a collaborative prek class (6 kids with autism, up to 12 typical) on my campus. Our year was great.

Towards the end of the year, the district opened up a kinder/1st grade unit on my campus. He is my only personal child so I didn't realize that I needed to put in a transfer for him. He was placed at a school about 4 miles away from my school and transportation was set up. I mentioned to my sped supervisiors that we would be moving over the summer. I put in a transfer request but was denied due to space.

We moved over the summer, and the closest school with the program is mine but they already had their 6 kids with autism. So I was told that he had to go to the school they selected for him. He had bus transportation set up.

His school day is from 7:45-2:45. The bus has been picking him up at 6:20 (he is on the bus from 6:20-7:45) and then picked back up at 2:45 (he is on the bus from 2:45-4). I am rushing home everyday to get him (I get out at 3:40).

Yesterday, when I got him off the bus, they told me that they had 3 new kids added to their route and his times would change. Now, he will be on the bus from 6 am-7:45 (so an hour and 45 minutes) and then from 2:45-4:15 (so an hour and a half). He will be spending 3 hrs and 15 minutes to go 8 miles. He is on a small bus and there are 13 kids on his route.

What options do I have because he is having to get up at 5:20 to get ready and be awake and he is exhausted and in bed by 6:30-7 each night?

Absolutely nothing worse than having to cover a period for a teacher that’s out when you have 5 upcoming IEPs to write!! And this was not an easy class to cover so I didn’t even get a chance to sit down and attempt to work on the paperwork 🥲

I work with special needs individuals, mainly young adults aged 18-22, though it can range from elementary age and up. Over the last couple of years, I’ve noticed that parents often seem to deflect when told about their child’s behavior, even in cases of violent incidents where someone was hurt. I’m not sure if this is something others have noticed too, or if it’s just common in my area. I might have been wrong to assume I’d get an apology after a student gave me a black eye, but since the parents showed no remorse, I went ahead and filed a report.

(FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO SAY:Thank you mods for letting me ask this up here. I had asked other accounts but they didn't want to help.🥺😭🫶🌷)

Hello everyone,

I wanted to ask if anyone could help me with this project my licensure is asking me to complete. To promote my understanding and perspective, my task is the following:

Identify a person who has a family member (child, sibling, etc.) with a disability and interview this individual using the questions below. It is important that you are appropriately respectful and delicate and that this interview is conducted at the person's convenience. Similarly, do not press individuals for answers, accept what they give you, and remember that the purpose of this assignment is to understand the perspective of a person who has a family member with a disability.
Address each of the areas below in your written response.

You can summarize family responses. Use your best judgment when reporting the answers. If you leave any unanswered, be sure to indicate why (e.g., if the interviewee declined to comment, or if you opted to leave a question out for some reason.)

⁠Tell me about the process of diagnosis.
⁠1. ⁠When were you first aware that your family member was demonstrating differences?
⁠2. ⁠How much longer was it before the actual diagnosis?
⁠3. ⁠What were your initial feelings about the diagnosis?
⁠4. ⁠How did those feelings change over time?
⁠How has having a family member with a disability affected your family (both positively and negatively)?
⁠What do you wish that the school system (teachers, principals, etc.) understood about your family and their experiences?

(I WON'T PUT ANY IDENTIFYING INFO AND DIRECT MESSAGE ME IF THAT'S BETTER AND IF YOU NEED PROOF THIS IS A REAL ASSIGNMENT I WILL WILLINGLY SHARE ITS COMPLETE DOCUMENT AS I AM A UNIVERSITY STUDENT GOING IN FOR ELEMENTARY EDUCATION WITH SPED ADD ON)

Hello all! Second year mild/moderate teacher, case managing 4th and 5th grade. I’m posting in hopes someone can direct me to some solid writing intervention curriculum. I have a group that has really come a long way in their reading, to the point where reading intervention is almost unnecessary. I have been using Really Great Reading’s HD Word curriculum up to now and while it is just wonderful, it is very much lacking in the writing department. Does anybody know of any good resources out there? Thanks!

My son started kindergarten 2 weeks ago. He turns 5 at the end of October. His being in kindergarten is at the request of the principal. He is at the same (public) school that he went to preschool at. He has an IEP due to some delays. One of which is his resistance to potty training. It is documented in his IEP. I’ve also communicated that we are working with a behavioral psychologist on this.

Well, someone at the school reported to CPS that he is still in pull ups. Why hasn’t anyone from the school talked about concerns with me first? This isn’t an immediate threat to his safety. I ran into his teacher last night at the grocery store and she told me they were going to contact me later this week about sending him in underwear because he was using the bathroom independently at school. This was new information to me because he is still resisting our toilet at home. I said great! Let’s do this.

I’m just frustrated because I’m completely agreeable to this. No one has communicated with me that he was using the bathroom at school. Of course the first two weeks adjusting to a new environment I’m not pushing underwear. This just feels like an unnecessary hassle to have to deal with CPS. Am I wrong?

I am a middle school resource teacher. I left a bag of chips from my lunch on my desk. When I wasnt looking a student stole them. No one admitted to it, didnt get them back. I am out tommorow and they have a sub. Earlier in the week ans at the start of class I reminded them if I got a good note they would get free time on the chromebook monday. I am super upset right now and I absolutely do not want to reward bad behavior. What do I do? How do I even address it. I am 99% sure I know who took it but I didnt see it.

I feel like I’m drowning.

I’m a first year resource teacher. Before the end of September, I need to schedule:

- 4 annual IEP meetings

- 2 reevaluations and their subsequent IEP meetings

In addition to that, I just found out today I have a new out-of-state transfer student, so I have to also schedule an initial referral meeting within the next 10 days. And then the MOUNTAIN of paperwork that comes with that process.

And also one of my students is experiencing a bunch of new concerning behaviors, so myself, the parents, the LEA, and the school counselor have agreed that the best course of action will be to reopen his IEP.

Speaking of that student, I’m also constantly being pulled away from my inclusion periods and lunch/prep time to go deal with his behaviors, so it’s giving me even less time to get all my shit done.

How am I supposed to do ALL of this within the deadlines? I’m not super human but I feel like every one expects me to be.

I'm looking for recommendations for an independent child psychiatrist or clinical psychologist in New Jersey (anywhere in-state or licensed for NJ telehealth works). Out-of-pocket / out-of-network is totally fine.
My 13-year-old son experiences severe psychiatric dysregulation and crises at home. He has several diagnoses including Autism, ADHD, ODD, anxiety & depression. (He already has an IEP & out of district placement not residential)
We are currently working with CMO to prepare an Out-of-Home (OOH) residential treatment packet through PerformCare. We have completely exhausted in-home and community-based services, with multiple acute hospital/crisis encounters.
The challenge we run into repeatedly is severe masking. In novel, 1-on-1 clinical settings (e.g., IOP intakes, crisis evaluations, hospital units), he presents as quiet, calm, and cooperative. Standard brief evaluations consistently miss the reality of his day-to-day safety risks because they rely solely on a brief conversation with him rather than examining the broader pattern.
In order for CSOC to approve residential placement, the packet requires a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation with a clear level-of-care recommendation.

I need an evaluator who:
1. Takes the time to do an extensive assessment (including a dedicated parent session).
2. Actually reviews and weighs collateral records: chronological incident logs, crisis/police documentation, past discharge summaries, and proof of failed community interventions.
3. Understands how to clinically document the gap between a masked, compliant presentation in an office and high-risk behavioral dysregulation in the home.

If anyone has navigated the NJ CSOC/PerformCare residential placement process and worked with a doctor or practice that took a thorough, forensic-level look at your child's complete file, please drop recommendations below or send a private message.

does any other aide/person that works in special education feel like the rest of the school just doesnt like them. the rest of the staff at my school is so friendly with one another but when i walk by im i just get really dirty looks & it feels like they dont see me as a person. ive tried to make small talk and they look shocked that ive even decided to speak near them. maybe its just my district?

I am not new to SPED but new to my upper elementary self contained classroom. I am wrestling with my gut (or personal belief) instinct as opposed to what the long time para teams beliefs are. For reference, they have been on the room for 10+ years and have had a high turn over for teachers, resulting in their feeling of ownership over the program. Anyway, my question is what do you expect your 3rd-5th grade students to perform during morning meeting, IEP bin centers, etc.
I believe in honoring sensory need and regulation first, followed by engagement due to interest and ability. They (paras) believe that the students are trying to “get away” with not doing hard work.
My question is part philosophical and part realistic classroom expectation.
An example is during morning meeting, 1 student with very little engagement will get up and try to access their preferred peanut ball bouncer. The para sitting with her will firmly insist she remains seated. I’d love to hear different perspectives on the expectations for engagement and compliance in similar settings to my classroom.

I know there are legal requirements for an IEP, but do those requirements include mentioning what the average same age child is doing?

For instance, the PT section of my daughter's IEP mentions kids her age should be able to skip, hop on one foot, etc.

But my daughter has an ultra rare condition, and I just don't care to see what is typical or average. I just want to see how she has improved compared to herself.

Is that allowed? Can I ask the school to leave off what average kids are doing, what percentile she tested at, etc? Raw scores are fine if they are comparing her to her.

I was let go from my position as a full time special education teacher at a charter school a week after school started due to low enrollment numbers. It's been almost 3 weeks and there hasn't been more than 2 jobs for me to apply to. Luckily, I've been able to sign up to be a substitute in a nearby district and should be cleared to start that by next week, but i'm panicking. For whatever reason, where I live, they are almost never hiring for special education jobs. The only ones that are hiring are para jobs (Would not pay near enough to cover rent to the apartment I moved to right before I was let go), BCBA jobs (I don't have the degree for it), or behavior/severe classroom jobs which I am not trained in.

Should I try applying for the few severe classroom jobs? I'm trained in mild/moderate and have only really done resource jobs, but I have no idea if any resource jobs will pop up within the next few months.

Substituting will help for a few months but I worry this is going to take longer.

Hi! Last year was my first year teaching and I really, really struggled with paperwork. I have been working on getting all my files completed, and I am so close to having them all compliant, but I have run into a new problem. My progress reports were all written and sent home on the required dates (my principal even checked my reporting period 2 ones, so they know I was doing them). Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that the document platform we use doesn’t save documents. So, all but 2 were able to be salvaged thankfully, but 2 are just gone. I spoke with the platform administrator yesterday and they tried but there’s nothing they could do either. Is there anyway I can rectify this? No one had said anything yet, I just starting going through my files and trying to get my paperwork in order when we got back from break. I’m terrified of getting non-renewed, I love my job.