Special Education Assistive Technology is Driving Independence

Two educators watch as a student using a power wheelchair drives down the hallway of a school.

Special education assistive technology has paved the way for students with disabilities to expand the ways in which they learn and grow. At the Watson Institute’s Education Center South, eye […]

Autism Peer Mentoring Program at Watson

At the Watson Institute, our special education teachers and staff work to adapt educational programming to best serve our students’ individualized needs. In the WISCA program, autistic students benefit from […]

Educator FAQs about Teaching Sexual Education

In a conversation with Lisa Gooddell, M.A., founder and host of the Help for Special Educators podcast, Dr. Rachel Schwartz, BCBA-D, a Watson Educational Consultant, answers educators’ questions about teaching […]

Teaching Body Autonomy to Children with Special Needs

Child with a physical disability seated in a wheelchair while a nurse wipes down her face.

In a previous article in which we discussed teaching privacy to individuals with special needs, we briefly touched on the topic of body autonomy. In this article, we go into more […]

What is a Positive Behavior Support Plan?

young female educator reviewing school work with a young female student at her desk in a classroom

If your child’s school conducted a Functional Behavior Assessment to help identify and manage interfering behaviors, they may have included a recommendation to develop and implement a Positive Behavior Support […]

What is a Functional Behavior Assessment?

Are you receiving reports from school about your child’s challenging behaviors in class? Have these behaviors begun to interfere with your child’s ability to focus on learning while at school? […]

Prevention Strategies for Contextually Inappropriate Masturbation

Sexual education is important for children as they approach adolescence, especially for individuals with disabilities since they are at a greater risk of victimization [1]. There are numerous topics covered […]

Sexual Education for Children with Disabilities

The topic of sexual education can be uncomfortable for parents to broach with their children or educators to discuss with their students. However, teaching sexual education is important to your […]

Incorporating STEAM Learning into Special Education Curriculum

students work together on model engine project in classroom

Prior to the global pandemic, at the Watson Institute’s WISCA special education school, students with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder learned through a combined approach of in-class instruction and support alongside […]