Help! I've been offered 2 positions in special ed. One as a 2nd grade teacher at a full inclusion school and one as a high school resource teacher?

1st Listen. To yourself, that is.

*What grade level or age group drew you towards working in special ed?
*From the interview, which administrator & school team did you connect with?

2nd Investigate. Ask your potential school sites a few more questions on a site visit. Did the interview team give you a tour of the school? If not, request one. Find out:
*The number of students on your caseload.
*What are the disability codes of the student you would be serving. To over-generalize....developing a plan for a a student with autism, emotional disabilities, or low-incidence disabilities often take more time, teaming & special skills.
*The referral process for special education. Are they "dropped" in and first sign on school struggle, or does the school have strong pre-referral team & strategies?
*What new-teacher mentor programs are in place?
*How many assistants or para-professionals would you be working with? Would you be their supervisor?
*Talk to another special or general education teacher in the building to get a feel for the attitude towards special education, students in general and the administration.

This is a tough decision, but congratulations on having options. Special ed teachers are in high demand and the good special education teachers are in even higher demand! Special ed teacher have an average burn out on 5 years. Do yourself a favor, gather information and choose a good match in a job site for your strengths. I've found out that for myself an extra 20 minute commute to work is worth the time & gas money, because I love my school philosophy, teachers, assistants, administrator, job duties & students. (Why else would I be blogging about school in the summer!) :) Good Luck. There are no wrong decisions.

What can general education teachers do to help students with autism in high school?

Lots! Many, maybe even most, students with autism will be in the general education classes. Because students on the Autism Spectrum have difficulty reading social cues without proper supports they can be be shunned by peers and labeled annoying/troublemakers by their teachers. Employing a "hidden curriculum" strategy by general education teachers can be very effective & helpful for the student. It is also very low prep and easy to implement.

The “hidden curriculum” is the set of rules that are not directly taught, but are assumed to be known. The hidden curriculum can represent many things and is different for each student. Hidden curriculum's are found in social interactions, body language, idioms, metaphors, slang and/or classroom routines. One student with autism may understand that he needs to not talk to a peer when the teacher is talking, but may not understand that he also needs to pay attention to his peers during discussion.

So how do you use the hidden curriculum? First, identify behaviors that are leading students to be shunned, “troublemakers,” or driving you nuts! If you have time interview their parents/other teachers to find the largest areas of need. Talk to their other or past teachers. Make those lunch room gossip sessions useful! (or those oh so valuable staff development classes?)

Then make a visual of “Classroom Guidelines” of rules for the student to follow. They may sound obvious like...when in class, it is appropriate to answer 4 questions during the discussion. Answering more than that is not giving other students a chance to answer.....or when in class keep pokemon cards in your backpack. It is ok to take them out after you have finished the assignment.....

Visually post or present the student with a list as a teaching tool and reminder, it can be hung up in their area or put in their notebook. Reward students with praise when they follow their “hidden” guidelines independently, do not punish when they need visual or verbal reminders.

Read more about low prep strategies for students with autism, hidden curriculum,and autism resources.

Autism & Teacher Help Desk Survey....

Hello all-

I'd like to let you know about my new book, Classroom Strategies that Increase the Success of Students with Autism.

Working with students & people with autism has always been a passion of mine. Last year after seeing a need, I was given the OK to hold social-cognitive groups for my students with autism. Although I advocated for this to happen, it also cut into my prep time and increased the amount of prep I needed to do. The strategies in this book are low prep, easy to start & effective! Even if you don't have specific time for social-cognitive groups, these strategies can be intergrated into the day. Please give it a look if you work with any students with autism.


I am starting a new website (http://http://www.teacherhelpdesk.com/) and I'd like your help. I have a short 1 page survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=hTm2QRU16LSG8YB_2bHbkiqQ_3d_3d I would appreciate your input. As a thank you for your time the survey includes a website where you can view the table of contents & purchase the new book on autism for a discount.



Thank you for your time!
:) Summer's is around the corner!
Rachel