As a special education teacher, I hold any month that celebrates and educates others on students with disabilities. Some  disabilities are easier to understand and accommodate.  Everyone knows about Down Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy, and the fact that they can SEE the disability, but there are a lot of misconceptions about Autism. We need more education in the schools as well as in the community!

Mrs. D's Corner says it so beautifully!  Let me fill you in on a few misconceptions that I hear in the education world.

1). That kid is spoiled, his parents are creating the problems 

Myth:  Children are born with Autism. No parents, educators or kids can cause Autism.

Think about if you were the parent of a child with a disability. You fight for your child ALL the time. You take your child to therapy after therapy as well as make sure he is in school as much as possible. By the time you get home from work and he gets home from school everyone is exhausted! That little kid holds it together all day and when they get into their safe environment they will usually release that frustration and anxiety that they worked every so hard to hold in. The parents are the one's that receive the brunt of the behavior. So what if they give in and turn the TV on for a few hours for their kid to calm themselves down. Don't judge until you have walked a DAY in their shoes!  

2). Why does this kid get rewarded for NEGATIVE behavior

MYTH: We are NOT rewarding negative behavior!
I hear this ALL the time and I don't know how else to explain this so people understand, so let me give it a try again! We are not rewarding the negative behavior we are rewarding the student for the positive behavior and when the student  changes their behavior.

Example: 

A student is refusing to go to class and is laying on the floor. Student has a behavior plan which includes a token economy, earning a certain amount of tokens and then receiving a reward, but staff does not want to give them a token for getting into class.  

We aren't rewarding the laying in the hallway we  are rewarding the child  when they get up and go to class on their own, which is following the direction..

 Our goal is not to do this for the rest of their life, but we need to shape positive behaviors before we can take away a simple token economy. The goal is for the student to work and have to earn a larger amount of tokens before reviving a reward but we have to start small and frequent at first. They need to buy in and know that you are someone they can trust.

3). Just because the child doesn't talk doesn't mean they aren't intelligent. 

MYTH: If we are not getting through to the child academically or socially the question should be "what can I do differently?" 

NOT:

• "What is wrong with this kid"
• "They have no clue what I am saying"
• "How could they know their ABC's they can't even talk"

It is your job as an educator to find ways for that child to show you what they know! If you are not sure how to do this ask the special education teacher in your school or a specialist who works with the child. 

I am trying to raise awareness at my school by educating others on Autism.

I have done presentations, staff meetings, shared information and knowledge with any teacher who has one of my students or any teacher who is willing to learn. 

This year I gave all of my teachers these adorable hair ties I made with a quote or saying about Autism. A great way to get them to hopefully think a little differently or look at a student in a different way!

ENTER TO WIN!

I am giving away a set of the hair ties I made:

A $5 Teachers Pay Teachers Gift Certificate

A set of amazing Autism Color Street Nail set. Color street is 100% nail polish, no dry time, no tools,  just peel and stick to nails!

https://colorstreet.com/

I am not affiliated with this company in any way shape or form and receive no commission from them for this post.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Visuals in the Classroom

Do you use visuals in your classroom? If not what are you waiting for?! Visuals will support all learning types! Here are just a few reasons that you should be using them in your classroom!

Why Should I use Visuals?

 * Reduce anxiety

* Support students with special needs 

* Reduce confusion

* Reduce arguing

* Shows student what is expected of them

* Shows student what is next

*  Teaches independence by teaching them to follow a visual schedule

* Can reduce behavior concerns/problems

* Supports teaching step by step directions without having to talk the student through every step 

Research has shown that all learning styles benefit from visuals as it aides learning and it clarifies what is being taught and makes learning more permanent in the student's memory. 

Have you ever bought a wooden play kitchen without at least looking at the pictures, even if you don't read the directions? I know I haven't! When there are a lot of pieces (or a lot of information) adults and students will revert back to visuals to make sure they know what is expected of them and/or how to complete a task. 

 

I hope you are thinking about adding visuals to your classroom.

All  visuals in my packet are worded in positive language. Example: "quiet hands" instead of "no hitting." Positive language has been shown to decrease negative behavior more effectively. I have included YES and NO as these are great when a student might be trying to argue with you. Showing a student a visual will decrease arguing because you can't argue with a picture!  

 

To help make adding visuals to your classroom easier for you. I have included a total of 97 different pictures and a total of 166 visual cards. You will see a few of the visuals used in different sets as they apply to each situation or setting.

The set of bathroom visuals can be helpful in supporting independence in the area of toileting. These show students the picture rather than always having to tell them what to do at every step.

 

 Keep this ring near the bathroom so it is easy for you or your paraprofessionals to access. 

 

This set includes 13 vials.  A few of the visuals you will find are: pants down, pants up, wash hands, paper towel, etc. 

Here are visuals that you can use in any classroom and throughout your entire day. 

 

This set includes 40 visual pictures. Some of the pictures included are: sit, break, help, all done, help, eye's on teacher, and many more!

This set of visuals Recess  will likely use during playtime and recess. Keep on a separate ring near the door so you or your para's are able to quickly access these before going outside or being playtime. 

 

The pictures of outside activities are a great way to encourage students who may have a hard to deciding what to do or do not know how to play. This gives your students a purpose. 

 

There are 18 visuals. Some of the visuals include: share, slide, four square, help friends, etc.

These schedule visuals will support language and understanding of where a child should be and what activity they will be participating in. 

 

You will receive 24 visuals. Some of the visuals will be: computer, Gym, reading, math, etc. 

I use these visuals during seat work as reminders to keep my students on track. 

 

This is a great way to remind students without having to nag them and repeat, repeat, repeat what they are supposed to do.  

There are 15 visuals. I tried to keep this one small so you will easily be able to find the ones you will need. 

This set are visuals that I use on a daily basis. They are connected to my lanyard break away of course, so if a student pulls on my lanyard it will not chock or hurt me in anyway. The only reason that I use these seven is because I am not in a classroom of my own. I support teachers as a consultant so I am always on the go. I do carry plenty of all of these sets to leave and give to teachers in need! 

 You will find four different cover options. Using a cover is your choice.  This just helps me know what pack of visuals is what before quickly handing them out to a teacher.

 

While using visuals you can continue on with your daily lesson and quietly, while not stopping your instruction, show a child a visual as a reminder of what they should be doing and continue on. 

 

This pack is in my Teachers Pay Teachers store for purchase.  You can click here or on any of the pictures and it will take you directly to my link.

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