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, students with high functioning autism spectrum disorder receive therapeutic supports to help them work through assignments and learn social and behavior skills. Throughout the last school year, Jennifer Do, … Read More
Do you have a student who needs continuous prompting to do their school work or follow along in class? In today’s Teacher Tips newsletter, learn how to use “Countoons”, a visual tool, to teach your students to self-monitor their behaviors and stay on task. Countoons uses stick figures and picture icons to model the appropriate … Read More
Do you worry about teaching your child with special needs about safety, social awareness and how to interact appropriately with strangers, family and friends? In today’s Teacher Tips newsletter, Watson experts share strategies to teach your child with special needs about safety around strangers and how to navigate social situations. Behavior stories can be an … Read More
Does your child with special needs scream or make loud noises sometimes? In today’s Teacher Tips newsletter, Watson experts share special education strategies to help identify the purpose behind your child’s screams and then substitutions for these loud noises. Figure out why your child is screaming by using an ABC chart. Over the course of … Read More
Do you have a child with sensory sensitivities who does not like to wear long pants? Does this become a concern during the winter months? In today’s Teacher Tips newsletter, learn how to shape your child’s clothing challenge and slowly acclimate him/her to wearing longer pants without discomfort. Start out by purchasing “zip off leg” … Read More
Do you have a student with special needs who struggles to complete math assignments? In today’s Teacher Tips newsletter, learn how to “chunk” math assignments to help your student with special needs approach the task in a more manageable way. To get started, decide what type of visual chunking you will use: visual cues on … Read More
Is your child with special needs sensitive to noise? Do certain noises trigger a negative response from your child? In today’s Teacher Tips newsletter, learn how to prepare an auditory sensitivity toolkit that includes intervention strategies to help your child with special needs cope with auditory sensitivities. Oftentimes, auditory sensitivities are a response to overstimulation … Read More
Do you have a student or multiple students with special needs who act out in class if they become upset? In today’s Teacher Tips newsletter, learn how to teach your students calming skills so rather than crying, yelling, running around or screaming, your students can practice a few techniques to calm down if they become upset. … Read More
Does your child write on or scratch up the walls in your home or in his/her classroom? In today’s Teacher Tips newsletter, learn about various replacement behaviors you can teach your child to prevent him/her writing or drawing on walls. Create or buy a dry erase board with compatible markers and keep it in a … Read More
Does your child with special needs repeat verbal phrases or words? In today’s Teacher Tips newsletter, learn about strategies which will help you address repeated verbal phrases with your child with special needs. There may be a few reasons why your child repeats verbal phrases: to reduce anxiety, and possibly to gain attention and these … Read More