There’s a lot of concern over special education going online. This is partly due to the fact that special education ranges across all ages and all abilities. From three all the way to twenty-one, from academics all the way to vocational training, from completely self-contained to students in general education with some support, teachers are…
Read MoreOnline Learning: #wereallinthistogether
Teachers are amazing people. In very little time and with little to no training they are transitioning to online learning. Are they questioning how they are going to teach things like Algebra II completely online? Yes. Are they getting it done? Also yes. Here are some tips to make your switch easier: Recorded Lectures: ScreenCastify…
Read MoreOnline Learning: Google Classroom
As many schools are looking to move their teaching from in-person to online platforms to help stop the spread of COVID-19, Google Classroom is emerging as a potential option. Google Classroom allows you to create a virtual classroom where you can post YouTube videos, quizzes, discussion questions, articles, whole websites for your students to go…
Read MoreI Consent: A Story from the Classroom
Yesterday, I covered a coworker’s lunch. I went into a class of adults who have “moderate to severe” autism. This usually means that they have low/no verbal behavior, limited self-regulation and self-help skills, and a higher probability to engage in aggression when frustrated. I used this opportunity to teach one of the students about consent….
Read MoreDon’t Reinvent the Wheel
It was a beautiful Sunday and I was inside creating a 5 Token Toke Chart system when this saying floated through my head. I immediately thought “What the heck am I doing! Someone has already made this and it’s probably FREE!” one quick internet search later and I had what I needed. Since sharing is…
Read MoreBehavior Analysis IRL: The Business of Behavior
You sit down at a restaurant with your family and you notice on the menu there is a small insert that says “download our app for a free appetizer!” so you download the app. Who doesn’t like a free order of fried pickles, right? While you are in the app, you notice some perks only…
Read MoreHelp! I think I’m part of the problem…
Once during a particularly hard melt-down and long before I ever took a class on behavior analysis, I was called into the office. The student was in the corner of the office screaming obscenities. Around him were 6 adults. I stepped into the middle of the circle of adults, held out my hand and asked…
Read MoreHelp! My Student’s Hate Eachother!: A Question from a Reader
***But first! A disclaimer. I have not assessed the situation personally. I am not giving a specific intervention based on a specific case/student. I am only answering from my perspective and what I have done in the past.*** Student A and Student B are in the same class. Both students have the same disability. Student…
Read MoreBehavior Resources: YouTube Channels
When people are curious about Applied Behavior Analysis, want to know what it is a BCBA does, need classroom resources or just want to go down a rabbit hole of knowledge, they will sometimes ask me about YouTube channels. Here are some of my favorites (in no particular order): PsychCore: For those studying ABA or…
Read MoreSocial Skills Emoji Lesson: Teaching Others to Understand the Differences of Those with Disabilities
I got an email from a parent recently and they were concerned because their higher functioning AU son has no understanding of his lower functioning classmates. Mom said he often lashes out at the other students, asks why they get to keep their IPads with them during class and will tell everyone that he, too,…
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