Think about a student who can properly retell every tiny detail of a story you just read to her, yet becomes totally blank when asked to read the same story all by herself. Another student refuses to read altogether, takes twice as long as her friends to decipher unfamiliar words,
If you've worked in special education for any length of time, you've likely encountered phrases that sound convincing but aren't necessarily accurate. "IEP students should just stay in a separate classroom." "Accommodations are about making it easier." "Progress monitoring
A typical math lesson is moving along smoothly when a student suddenly knocks books and pencils onto the floor. A few minutes later, another student kicks a paraprofessional during a transition. At the same time, a child escapes through the door because she can’t stand the hallway noise. For
An SLP records a student at 85% accuracy on an articulation goal. A paraprofessional logs 60% later that week. The special education teacher reports that the student is nearly independent. Same student. Same goal. Three very different data points. So what happened? Was someone collecting data incorrectly? Not necessarily. Such
A student loses their planner for the third time this month. Another starts every assignment but finishes none. Someone else knows the answer but blurts it out before the question is even finished! If you've worked with students with ADHD, you've probably seen all these scenarios
Challenging behaviours can seem pretty loud. A student suddenly stops participating. They push their work away, put their head down, or walk away from the activity. The lesson is interrupted, the teacher steps in, and everyone is left wondering what triggered the reaction. However, for a student with autism, behaviour
Self-contained or inclusion? At first glance, it can sound like a relatively easy either-or decision. In real IEP meetings, however, it is rarely that neat. One student may need quiet space, more repetition during instruction, and close support to wrap up reading tasks. Another may benefit from longer time to
What “Inclusive Classrooms” Really Mean 'Inclusive classrooms' are classrooms where students with and without disabilities learn together and receive the supports they need to actively interact in their instructional environment (with routines, resources and peers). Inclusion is not just about placement. A student may be sitting in the
Sometimes, the IEP goal isn't about reading more words or solving more problems. Sometimes it is about getting to the reading group. Staying seated long enough to participate. Walking to the cafeteria without getting too tired. Using the playground without avoiding every piece of equipment. That is where
OT activities have a funny way of appearing ordinary. When everyone else only sees a kid playing with bubbles, climbing, scribbling, or pretending to feed a stuffed animal, the OT sees all the layers. Grip. Coordination. Regulation. Motor planning. Attention. Visual tracking. Independence. Confidence. That's the true beauty
Every good IEP has one "quiet hero": the PLAAFP. It isn't really flashy and doesn’t draw the dramatic meeting-table attention like goals, services, or accommodations do. However, if the present levels section is written poorly, the rest of the IEP begins to wobble, just like
Not every student who struggles with a particular subject is struggling with the skill itself. Sometimes the issue is the path between the child and the task. Too much reading to find an answer. Too many words to demonstrate understanding. Too much motor effort, language demand, memory load, or stimuli