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Original Articles from Education World

 

An I.D.E.A.L. Way to Include Autistic Kids
Children with autism often find social situations stressful, making school and family outings difficult. A process developed by a special educator helps prepare children with autism for such outings, allowing them to go more smoothly.

Sports Offer Autistic Kids Physical, Social Benefits
Participation in individual sports, such as martial arts and track and field, can have many benefits for children with autism, according to one neurologist. Children gain confidence and better awareness of their bodies, which can lead to improved communication skills.

Making Inclusion the Norm
Including special education students in "regular" classes and finding ways to meet their -- and all other students' learning needs -- should be the goal of every school, according to professor Dr. Mara Sapon-Shevin.

Help for Teaching Students With Learning Disabilities
More educators are teaching children with learning disabilities, at the same new regulations and strategies for helping these students are coming out. The National Center for Learning Disabilities has new resources to help all teachers.

Guide Offers Practical Character Education Lessons
With more teachers and parents seeing the need for character education, the not-for-profit Heartwood Institute has released a book of lessons for teachers and counselors to teach children ethics, social, and emotional skills.

Show is Better than Tell
Helping all students learn from computer textbooks means changing how those textbooks are written. At least that's what one Department of Education study discovered. Learn what computer teachers who work with students with special needs had to say about illustration-based classroom materials. Included: Information about how you can participate in a follow-up study.

Building Close-Knit Communities: Knitting Makes a Comeback
Knitting is a great activity for students with ADHD. It makes a great recess activity, and it meshes with the multiple-intelligences philosophy. And it's catching on in schools around the country! Included: Learn why knitting works from teachers at two schools.

Voice of Experience: Teamwork Counts (A Lot!)

Max Fischer draws parallels between his days as a high school football player and his role on a team responsible for creating an IEP that will get to the bottom of a student's learning issues. In both cases, teamwork is key; no room exists for prima donnas.

Principals Solve Inclusion Challenges
Five principals share how they faced -- and overcame -- obstacles to inclusion. In spite of budget and staffing constraints, they are committed to educating kids in the least restrictive setting. Included: Ideas for creating an inclusive environment.

Teaching Self-Control: A Curriculum for Responsible Behavior
Martin Henley has created a curriculum for teaching 20 self-control skills all children need. The Teaching Self-Control curriculum includes role-plays, simulations, learning center activities, and children's literature that can be used to teach those skills.

Yummy Gummy Subtraction
Tori Ledlow, who teaches at Pinson (Alabama) Elementary School, submitted this weeks yummy hands-on lesson, in which gummy bears are used to teach simple subtraction. (Grades PreK-2)

Voice of Experience: Handling Difficult Students -- Lessons from Mrs. G
Educator Perri Gibbons pays tribute to teacher Deb Graudins, whose success with the most challenging students wins respect from students and colleagues alike. Her measured, consistent approach could hold lessons for any teacher who must handle difficult students.

Inclusion Can Work -- Without Too Much Work!
Each week, an educator takes a stand or shares an Aha! moment in the classroom in the Education World Voice of Experience column. This week, educator Janice Robertson shares how she looks forward to integrating special needs students into her sixth grade science classes. That was not always the case, though! The simple modifications she made to her usual teaching practices benefit all the students in her classes.

Prepping Kindergartners for the Future
Faced with a growing immigrant population, a California school district is considering implementing a two-year kindergarten program.

School Psychologists Changing Roles, Responsibilities
An e-interview with Charles R. Deupree, president of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP).

Does Inclusion Help or Hurt Students?
Read what teachers who have done it say about the reality of inclusive education.

California School for the Blind Pioneers Program
Special program prepares students who are blind to make a smooth transition into middle school -- and into the real world beyond.

Special Education Inclusion: (Part 1): Making It Work
How does inclusion benefit kids who have disabilities?

Special Education Inclusion (Part 2): Making It Work
Three models of successful inclusion.

Half-Grade Program Helps Students 'Excel'
Program allows third, fifth, and eighth graders who might otherwise be retained to advance half a grade instead. "Half-graders" get the additional support they need to catch up.

Research Shows Brains of Dyslexics Change as Reading Improves
Is dyslexia brain-based or behavioral? Researchers at the University of Washington are closing in on the answer.

Understanding Kids Who Are Different: Activities for Teaching About Disabilities
The best online resources for teaching students about the special needs -- and unique strengths -- of people with disabilities.

Playground Pass Creates Recess Success!
Built on sound behavior principles, the Playground Pass helps kids make positive choices during free play. Included: Links to the reproducible Playground Pass system.

When It Comes to Volatile Kids, Pick Your Battles
Dr. Ross W. Greene, author of The Explosive Child, offers strategies for working with explosive children in the classroom.

Assistive Devices Help Challenged Kids Get the Most from Learning
Thanks to technology, students with physical and mental challenges have access to thousands of devices to help make learning easier.

Guide To Understanding Financial Aid
Researching and selecting a college that fits your needs can be daunting, but that challenge can be even greater when you’re a student with disabilities. There are many pathways to achieve independence through higher education, and Maryville University has created this helpful FAQ to give you an idea of what to expect.

Guide to Trade Careers for Students With Disabilities
With more adaptive tools and assistive equipment and technology available now than ever before, you can focus more energy on exploring different trades until you find one that is right for you, your goals, and your needs.

Defusing Explosive Children
Included: Tips for preventing explosions in easily frustrated children.

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