Teaching "Same" and "Different" Using a Child's Favorite Characters
So, I just found out that there are several different "versions" of the character "C-3PO" in Star Wars: C-3PO, R-3PO and K-3PO. These droids are gold, red, and silver, respectively. I have a student who loves Star Wars characters (and drawing), so we looked at pictures of these characters in a book, drew them, and wrote descriptions of them. We're working on writing simple descriptions of things, which lends itself really well to incorporating a student's interests into the a
Increasing Independence with Written Prompts
Since most of my students on the spectrum are stronger visual learners (rather than auditory learners), I've been starting to give more written instructions rather than verbal instructions. It seems like a simple idea, but I believe it is a very effective strategy.
I think it helps students to have the extra time to look at the written instructions to process them, as opposed to the spoken word, which is said once and then is "gone." With written notes, instructions, or sch
Teaching Coding to Kids/Teens with Autism
Coding is one of my favorite topics that I teach when I'm doing science tutoring for students with autism. Many of my students love coding and it's so fun to see them excelling at a skill they really enjoy. While coding is a great vocational skill for older students to learn, it's also great for helping younger students with skills like problem-solving, thinking about things in different ways, and persistence. My favorite website for teaching coding to kids is Code.org. It of
Basic Skills Checklists: Teacher-Friendly Assessment for Students with Autism or Special Needs
Since many of us as either teachers or homeschoolers are heading back to school this month, I wanted to share a book that I use to quickly assess my students and create goals. This book is described as "an easy-to-use, informal assessment tool." It includes checklists for many different skill domains, so that you can easily track a child's current skill levels in a variety of areas. I use it for so much more than an assessment tool. I find it really useful for planning IEP go
Some Resources for Using Research in Your Teaching
In working with my college students who are training to become special education teachers, I like to help them find easy ways to use research to evaluate and select teaching strategies. I recently put together a list of some resources to keep up with current research and trends, so I thought I would share them here too. Here are the resources that I share with my classes: 1. Practitioner Journals I’m describing these as journals that publish articles with practical applicatio
