Teaching Independence for Children with Special Needs

The Watson Institute has received a number of questions from parents searching for resources to teach their child how to complete various tasks with greater independence or how to set routines for their child. For example, one parent noted that her daughter had difficulty staying focused while getting ready for bed in the evenings. She was looking for a resource to help her stay focused and be more independent. Another parent asked about teaching their son to brush his teeth before bedtime and incorporate that into his daily morning and evening routines.

We’ve also heard from educators looking for ways to support their students with exceptionalities who may have difficulty following along during activities or particular classes.

I don’t think my students are ready to be toilet trained but I’d like to begin the process. Which students might be appropriate and when do you begin to try?

Several students in my Learning Support class become very upset when I make corrections on their papers.  I’ve tried calling them up to my desk for a private review of their errors, and they still cry, protest, or shut down.  How can I get them to fix their mistakes without the negative reactions?

The students in my Life Skills class need more practice with social skills, but they always seem to clam up in those unstructured times like lunch and in between classes.  Is there something I can do to help them have more opportunities to interact?

My older middle school Life Skills students need some community-based work experiences, but our school is located in a rural area without many opportunities nearby.  What can I do to help them learn some beneficial work skills?

My son has autism and recently has be removed from his father’s house to go live with his grandmother. He may experience another change soon as I am hoping to get full custody of him.   In this case, he will move in with me. I realize this amount of change is difficult, and I would like some ideas to make his next move (hopefully with me) less stressful.   In addition, the move in with me would require a trip in a plane. How can I best prepare him for upcoming changes?

I teach high school math to life skills students. I have one student who continually calls out phrases in a perseverative manner. She also intermittently claps her hands. The other students in the class get upset and yell for her to “cut it out”. She is a good and caring student.  However, her behaviors interfere with the class and result in negative interactions with her peers. Additionally, she frequently asks for adult help or to have her work checked. All of these behaviors can be exhausting for the adults in the room by the end of the period.  Any suggestions?

I have a very bright student with Asperger Syndrome included in my general education math class who never turns in his homework.  When I talked with his mother about the situation, she insisted he always completes his homework and puts it in his backpack to bring to school the next day.  Sure enough, when I checked his bag, there was a bunch of homework assignments, completed but never turned in!  He wasn’t able to explain why he never gave me the homework and questioning him just upset him further.  The students know to drop their homework on my desk as they enter the class but I always remind them as they come in anyway.  What can I do to help him remember to give me his completed work?

One of the students in my Learning Support class requires prompting and reassurance for every problem on his math worksheet.  I want him to complete tasks more independently but he is constantly asking me for help or if his answer is correct.  I can’t work with other students who also need my help with all of these interruptions.  Do you have any suggestions?

My child’s team tells me that he is very dependent on a paraprofessional to transition in the lunch room, from recess, and in the classroom. How can they help him to be more independent and not just wait for the adult to tell him when to come and go?