Social Skills & Interactions for Children with Special Needs

I have a student who tends to make comments to classmates and teachers that result in hurt feelings, confusion, and ultimately avoidance (i.e. “Your shirt is ugly”, “This is stupid”, etc.) He seems to want to make friends and be liked by his teachers and classmates but these comments are really bothering the people around him. How can I help this student understand how his behavior affects others?

I’m a special education teacher and a few of my 5th grade students are getting nervous about moving to the Middle School in the fall.  We always visit the new school towards the end of the year, but I don’t think it’s enough to calm their anxiety.  Any ideas to help make the transition smoother?

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 son will not sit when we go out to a restaurant. He continually tries to crawl under the table or run away from the table. What can we do to make going out to eat easier?

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?

I have a 4th grade student who is developing rapidly.  Her mother is not sure how to talk to her and teach her about menstruation and how her body is changing.  I’m not sure how to address this either.  Do you have any ideas to help?

One of my students has great difficulty sharing playground equipment with his classmates. He tends to push them away when they try to climb up beside him or yell at them if they’re ahead of him in line for the slide. He’s not making any friends this way. How can I help him share his space?

My students often imitate and I want to avoid reinforcing “wrong” or poor skills and behaviors. How can I teach and reinforce positive skills and behaviors?

I have a student in my elementary school classroom who sometimes hits when he is on the playground. We are currently working on a Positive Behavior Support Plan. He has been suspended for this behavior before and I’m hoping we can come up with another alternative when the behavior does occur. I don’t think he should be suspended! What consequence might be appropriate and satisfy the team?