Do you care that your neighbor’s son just did the CUTEST thing? Or that your grandmother needs more fiber in her diet? Or that your best friends cat has learned to fetch? Probably not. But do all these people matter to you in some way? Probably so. You’ve learned what Michelle Garcia Winner over at…
Read MoreVisual Schedules: Spoiler Alert! Everybody Uses Them
As I was typing up an IEP the feedback from the general education teacher was “I don’t think he needs a schedule, but he does need to learn how to keep a planner.” A planner is a type of schedule, Karen. There are all kinds of visual schedules. There are visual schedules that use objects…
Read MoreLet Them Eat Cake! (or stim, rather)
Recently someone asked me about stimming. More specifically, the person was asking if it’s ever appropriate to reduce stimming behavior for children/adults with autism. Stimming is defined as “behavior consisting of repetitive actions or movements of a type that may be displayed by people with developmental disorders, most typically autistic spectrum disorders; self-stimulation.” My answer…
Read MoreEvidence-Based vs. Research-Based: What’s the difference?
This question came up recently when someone questioned the curriculum I use to teach Social Skills. It’s research-based but is it evidence-based, they had asked. People often use research-based and evidence-based interchangeably so I wondered, is there a difference? Yes, there is. Let’s say I get a non-verbal student with autism. I go into research…
Read MoreIt’s All A Matter of Perspective
Life Skills or Academics? Which comes first and which is more important? I teach adults 18-22 and recently asked them this question. Academics, they all agreed. Academics will get you the job. People care if you’re smart, they told me. I then showed them this clip from The Middle. Sue and Axl have a life…
Read MoreThe Ethics of Being an Adult: Can You Do What You Want When You Want?
Recently, I started teaching adults with disabilities. As part of my new position, I was sent to training on helping adults create a life they value. The trick is to help adults create a life they want but also help them create a life their support system will, well, support. The trainer advised that we…
Read MoreI Love Lucy (and Social Skills)!
Recently I started teaching adults. While plenty of adults watch Pixar and Disney movies, I started searching for something a little more relatable with human characters. I came up with I Love Lucy, Spiderman, anything Avengers, Friends, Harry Potter, and Seinfeld. Lucy came off the clear winner with the adults. I used the “Zones in…
Read MoreMands, Tacts, and Intraverbals, Oh My!
The first time I heard these words I was in a VB-MAPP training surrounded by (gasp!) special education teachers. That’s right! The district BCBA was teaching a room full of special education teachers how to conduct the VB-MAPP (shocking, I know). There is a huge debate about whether teachers SHOULD be allowed to conduct the…
Read MoreSelf-Determination & Social Skills: Using Goals to Help Students Analyze Behavior
Last year I was sent to Self-Determination (ones ability to make choices and control their own life) for Students with Disabilities training. The presenter discussed how it’s never to soon to ask your child (with or without disabilities) what their goals are and help them create a plan to get there. Your 3 year old…
Read MoreThe Good Behavior Game: What is it, how does it work and what’s the science?
The Good Behavior Game is a PBIS practice that has been around since 1969. It is considered a whole group, tier-one intervention in the PBIS process (meaning it is meant to be used with a whole class). To play the Good Behavior Game, the teacher splits the class into two teams. When a team member…
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