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Using leveled reading books can meet students at their individual reading levels. Check out this list of recommended leveled books for special education.

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Guided Reading

The best collection of leveled books just got better! Based on the work of Dr. Gay Su Pinnell, Scholastic Guided Reading Programs deliver the materials you need to help ALL children become strategic and independent readers who love to read! Joining our best-selling Guided Reading Red: Fiction Focus and Guided Reading Blue: Nonfiction Focus programs are three new Guided Reading programs—Content Areas, en español, and WiggleWorks: Guided Reading Edition!
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READ 180

Efficacy studies demonstrate the particular impact READ 180 can have for special education students. In fact, the academic specialists who developed READ 180 based their original research on students with special needs. As a result, all of the program's key elements support special education students.
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Fluency Formula

Build fluency in just 15 minutes a day. Scholastic's Fluency Formula is based on research by the National Reading Panel indicating that fluency instruction, practice, and assessment are essential for bridging the gap between word recognition and comprehension. Includes an intervention component to meet your students' special needs.
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READ XL

Finally, there's an alternative for students who struggle with middle-school literature programs. READ XL prevents students who are reading below grade level from falling even further behind. Using relevant, high-interest materials and instruction geared toward the individual needs of the student, READ XL captivates students and fosters reading excellence.
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Wiggleworks

WiggleWorks sets the standard for beginning-reading software with an award-winning blend of technology, literature, and teacher support. With WiggleWorks, readers with special needs achieve confidence and control.
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Error processing SSI file Guided Reading The best collection of leveled books just got better! Based on the work of Dr. Gay Su Pinnell, Scholastic Guided Reading Programs deliver the materials you need to help ALL children become strategic and independent readers who love to read!

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Active listening exercises can enhance students' ability to understand and retain information. Explore some effective exercises.

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Introduction Emotions and feelings are an inherent part of our daily experiences, and they can be both positive and negative. Sometimes, we encounter big, negative emotions like anger, frustration, or sadness, which can dominate our thoughts and impact our...

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Active Listening Skills for Special Education Students | Everyday Speech

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Learn effective communication skills for special education students through a no-prep activity, discussion questions, and related skills.

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Incorporate these speech therapy activities to improve students' speaking abilities.

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Browse speech therapy special needs resources on Teachers Pay Teachers, a marketplace trusted by millions of teachers for original educational resources.

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Graphic organizers help students organize their thoughts and improve their writing skills. Explore various types of organizers suitable for special education.

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What is a graphic organizer?

Graphic organizers are visual thinking tools that make pictures of your thoughts. The pictures demonstrate relationships between facts, concepts, or ideas, and guide your thinking as you design the map or diagram.

People who have learning disabilities are often visual learners and thinkers. That means they understand and remember information better when ideas, words, and concepts are associated with pictures, diagrams, charts, and maps.

Why use graphic organizers?

Graphic organizers can help to visualize and construct ideas, organize and/or sequence information, plan what to write, increase reading comprehension, brainstorm, organize problems and solutions, compare and contrast ideas, show cause and effect, and more. The ability to color-code thoughts in a picture can help significantly in understanding and remembering the information.

Graphic organizers can be created for something as simple as a shopping list or as complicated as structuring business components or writing a thesis.

Different types of graphic organizers

There are many different types of graphic organizers. Some are made based on the specific goal, like showing overlapping relationships or visualizing a process. There are literally thousands of free templates available online Ã¢â‚¬" just search for "free graphic organizers." The following are samples of only a few types of graphic organizers.

Venn Diagrams

Venn Diagrams show how different things or ideas can overlap to show a compare/contrast relationship.

Concept Maps

Concept Maps are good for organizing information, brainstorming, visualizing ideas, and planning what you want to write.

Mind Maps

Mind Maps are used to visually represent hierarchical information that includes a central idea surrounded by connected branches of associated topics. They work well for brainstorming ideas, solving problems, and showing relationships and/or components in a process.

Flow Charts

Flow charts are graphic organizers that show how steps in a process fit together. This makes them useful tools for communicating how processes work and for clearly documenting how a particular job is done. Mapping a process in a flow chart format can help clarify the process, and show where the process can be improved.

Resources for Graphic Organizers
To learn more about graphic organizers Free graphic organizer websites (not a complete list) Free graphic organizer apps (not a complete list)
Teacher Resources for Further Reading:

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Graphic organizers are visual thinking tools that make pictures of your thoughts. The pictures demonstrate relationships between facts, concepts, or ideas, and guide your thinking as you design the map or diagram. People who have learning disabilities are often visual learners and thinkers.

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Interactive read-alouds engage students and improve comprehension skills. Here is a guide on how to conduct effective read-aloud sessions.

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Browse interactive books special education resources on Teachers Pay Teachers, a marketplace trusted by millions of teachers for original educational resources.

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Improve listening comprehension with these engaging activities designed for special education.

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Browse listening comprehension special education resources on Teachers Pay Teachers, a marketplace trusted by millions of teachers for original educational resources.

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Role-playing can enhance speaking skills and build confidence. Find some role-playing activities perfect for the special education classroom.

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Role play exercises are a great way to teach social skills, communication skills, problem-solving skills, and emotional skills to students with special needs. In this post, we will share 35 teacher role playing ideas that you can use in your special ed classroom. These role-playing activities are suitable for various age groups, from young children to young adults, and for various levels of language skills, from English language learners to native speakers. Hopefully, this will help you find a role-playing scenario that works for you and is also easy to set up and implement, using simple household items, cardboard boxes, pretend food, or cute costumes.

What is Role Playing in the Classroom?

Role playing involves pretending to be someone else in a given situation, and acting out how to behave and respond in a realistic and appropriate way. Role playing can help students with special needs learn how to interact with different roles, such as family members, police officers, or community members. Teacher role playing ideas like these are an effective way to guide a student on how to cope with different situations, such as going to the grocery store, attending a birthday party, or dealing with a fire alarm.

As a teacher, when you incorporate this type of pretend play into the classroom, it's a safe way for students to practice social skills and communication. This is an engaging and fun way for young students with disabilities to improve their functional skills. It is also appropriate for older students who benefit from the safe environment as they work through real life situations and explore various roles and various conflicts. You can also target much needed conversational skills with students of all ages in this type of play.

Role Play Ideas for Special Ed

You can use these any of these teacher role playing ideas and role play scenarios as a whole class activity, in small groups, or with individual students. You can also adapt these role play ideas to fit your curriculum, such as within social studies, emotional learning, or English class.

10 Role Play Activities for Elementary

1. Emotion Charades: Students can act out emotions like happiness, sadness, excitement, or frustration and have their peers guess the emotion.

2. Sensory Exploration: Students can engage in role play activities like "sensory scavenger hunt" where they search for items with different textures, smells, or colors.

3. Social Interaction Scripts: Students can practice greeting others, asking for help, or sharing a toy with a peer through guided role play scenarios.

4. Daily Routine Role Play: Students can act out parts of their daily routine, such as brushing teeth, packing a backpack, or waiting for the school bus.

5. Friendship Scenarios: Students can role play scenarios like inviting a peer to play, sharing a favorite toy, or comforting a friend who is upset.

6. Personal Space and Boundaries: Students can engage in role plays that demonstrate concepts of personal space, such as standing at an appropriate distance during a conversation.

7. Self-Advocacy Role Play: Students can practice asking for help, expressing preferences, or communicating their needs through role play scenarios.

8. Inclusive Play: Students can role play scenarios that promote inclusivity, such as including everyone in a game or activity.

9. Problem-solving Scenarios: Students can engage in role plays focused on problem-solving, such as resolving conflicts with peers or finding solutions to everyday challenges.

10. Community Role Play: Students can act out roles within a community setting, such as being a friendly cashier at a pretend store, a helpful librarian, or a courteous bus rider.

Role Playing ideas for Secondary Students

1. Historical Debates: Students can role play historical figures and engage in debates on significant events or decisions, encouraging critical thinking and historical understanding.

2. Mock Trials: Students can participate in mock trials, taking on roles of lawyers, witnesses, and jurors to understand legal processes and develop public speaking skills.

3. Literature Character Analysis: Students can act out scenes from literature and analyze characters' motivations, emotions, and conflicts, fostering a deeper understanding of literary works.

4. Career Exploration: Students can role play various career scenarios, such as job interviews, workplace interactions, or problem-solving in a professional setting, to explore potential career paths.

5. Scientific Inquiry Role Play: Students can engage in role plays that simulate scientific experiments or historical scientific discoveries, promoting scientific reasoning and experimentation.

6. Global Diplomacy: Students can role play international diplomatic negotiations, simulating real-world global issues and practicing negotiation and conflict resolution skills.

7. Ethical Dilemmas: Students can act out scenarios involving ethical dilemmas, discussing and debating the moral implications of their choices and actions.

8. Media Literacy Role Play: Students can role play as journalists, editors, and media consumers, exploring the impact of media on society and developing critical media literacy skills.

9. Political Simulations: Students can engage in role plays of political campaigns, elections, or legislative sessions, promoting civic engagement and understanding of political processes.

10. Entrepreneurship Scenarios: Students can role play as entrepreneurs, developing business plans, pitching ideas, and negotiating deals, fostering entrepreneurial skills and business acumen.

Role Playing Ideas for Multi-Language Learners

1. Cultural Exchange Role Play: Multi-language learners can engage in role plays that showcase cultural exchanges, allowing them to act out scenarios that highlight diverse cultural customs and traditions.

2. Everyday Conversations: Students can role play common daily interactions such as ordering food at a restaurant, asking for directions, or making phone calls, to practice language skills in practical contexts.

3. Story Retelling: Students can act out and retell familiar stories or folktales in their native language, promoting language retention and fluency.

4. Language Immersion Scenarios: Students can engage in role plays that immerse them in specific language environments, such as a market, a doctor's office, or a school, to practice language skills in authentic settings.

5. International Travel Scenarios: Students can role play various travel scenarios, such as booking a hotel, navigating an airport, or interacting with locals in a foreign country, to practice language skills in a travel context.

More Ideas for Functional Skills in Special Ed

Dinner Party: A role play activity that helps students practice polite conversation, manners, and sharing.

Grocery Store: A role play activity that helps students practice counting, money, and shopping skills.

Post Office: A role play activity that helps students practice writing, reading, and mailing skills.

Train Conductor: A role play activity that helps students practice directions, time, and transportation skills as they work as a train driver.

Taxi Driver: A role play activity that helps students practice asking and answering questions, giving and following instructions, and navigation skills.

Police Officers and Bad Guys: A role play activity that helps students practice rules, safety, and conflict resolution skills.

Doctor and Patient: A role play activity that helps students practice health, hygiene, and medical skills.

Fire Alarm: A role play activity that helps students practice emergency, calmness, and safety skills.

Birthday Party: A role play activity that helps students practice celebration, gratitude, and friendship skills.

Family Members: A role play activity that helps students practice relationships, emotions, and family dynamics skills.

RECAP: Teacher Role Playing Ideas

We hope you enjoyed these 35 fun role play ideas for your special ed classroom. Role playing is an excellent way to help your students learn and practice various skills in a safe and fun way. By using these role play activities, you can create a great opportunity for your students to have a great time and a better understanding of themselves and others. Happy role playing!

Article Citation: [cite]

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35 Fun Teacher Role Playing Ideas (Perfect for Special Ed)

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Check out these 35 fun teacher role playing ideas for special ed students of all ages and levels. Learn how to use role-playing to teach essential skills.

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Writing prompts can spark creativity and improve writing skills. Here are some prompts specifically designed for special education students.

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Browse writing prompts for special education resources on Teachers Pay Teachers, a marketplace trusted by millions of teachers for original educational resources.

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Interactive tools can make listening activities more engaging. Discover some tools that can be used in the classroom.

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Table of Contents

Special education teachers use a range of tools to help their learners. This article examines five of the most useful technologies designed for students with special needs.

Teachers working in special education face a host of challenges. These challenges range from a lack of support from their schools to increasing paperwork relating to students and their disabilities.

Add to this the need to manage a wide range of conditions, and the problem can stack up quickly. For example, students with autism have different educational needs from those with other impairments, such as dyslexia or ADHD.

With so many challenges, teachers and learners benefit significantly from using assistive technology. This article examines five tools that aid in developing the life skills that those with learning disabilities need.

The assistive technology that aids special education

The tools presented in this list aren't normally used in general education. Instead, they're often used as part of individual education plans (IEPs) taught in special education classrooms. Let's look at some special education learning tools.

On the surface, text to speech ( TTS) software is pretty simple. A student copies text into a textbox. The software then reads the text aloud to the student.

The tool meets the student's needs by reading the text in plain English language. Naturally, this helps special education students who have issues with reading comprehension. For example, a student with dyslexia is more likely to understand the contents of worksheets if fed through TTS tools.

On the more advanced level, text to speech can help students in each grade level with their language skills. These technology tools often come with multiple language options, making them ideal for teaching foreign languages.

Finally, text to speech is a valuable piece of edtech for those with a visual impairment. Instead of struggling to read text, those with visual problems can have it read to them. This reading allows them to focus on their work instead of wasting time on a difficult task.

Graphic organizers

A graphic organizer is a visual thinking tool commonly used in special education programs. They work by allowing people in special ed classes to make pictures of what they're thinking.

Visual learners, such as dyslexic students, can benefit from using pictures in their graphic organizers. You can download free vector icons - which look like little pictures on a computer screen - and use them to visualize relationships between facts or ideas. Or you can use clip art that comes with Microsoft Office (it's called "Picture Tool") and has already been created for you by other people. Think of them as maps that lead the learner toward what they need to understand.

Many who have learning disabilities understand information better when it's presented visually rather than in pure text form. Graphic organizers create the visual learning environment these students need. Use these tools in any public school that has special education classrooms.

There are several types of graphic organizers you may use in the classroom:

Venn diagrams

Concept maps

Flow charts

Mind maps

Using fidgets

Fidgeting is often a habit that teachers try to drum out of their students. However, fidgets can be a valuable part of a special education teacher's toolkit.

How?

The brain needs to stay alert during lessons. This alertness is a challenge for many students with special needs. Their brains may become alert but then struggle to sustain that alertness.

Movement can help with this problem.

Fidgets keep the brain engaged while keeping the student calm. Little fidgets with the hands and legs, such as tapping feet or doodling, ensures the brain keeps sending signals to the body. As a result, the brain stays alert.

Simply put, allow children with special needs to fidget. Of course, there are limits. Fidgeting should not get in the way of learning. Remember that a little fidget often helps somebody with special needs stay engaged in a lesson.

FM listening systems

Frequency modulation (FM) listening systems are adaptive tools created for people who have auditory processing issues. They reduce background noise in the classroom. Many also amplify the teacher's voice.

The effect is that the teacher's voice becomes front and center. Students pay more attention because the voice is all they can hear.

The concept is simple.

Teachers wear small microphones that broadcast their speech. Students often wear personal receivers that pipe the teacher's speaking directly to their ears. Concentration improves as the student can focus on the teacher's words.

This assistive technology is handy for teaching those with hearing impairments, language issues, and students on the autism spectrum.

Sip-and-puff systems

Many students in special education have mobility challenges. Some struggle with fine motor skills, while others may have limb paralysis.

Sip-and-puff systems help these students to communicate and work using their mouths.

For example, a student can use their mouth to move a controller in any direction on a computer. They can also use sips and puffs to click on navigational icons. Some versions of these systems also allow students to use mobile devices like smartphones and tablets.

As switch devices, sip-and-puff systems are replacements for a keyboard and mouse. The student's sips and puffs replace the movement and clicking of the mouse. Similar devices include buttons and any other object a student can push, pull, or interact with to use a computer.

Introducing Speechify - the TTS reader for the classroom

With text to speech apps being so valuable in helping students with speech-language challenges, you naturally want to start your search for one. Though there are many on the market, Speechify offers the features required for special education classes.

The app is available on several platforms, including iOS, macOS, and Android. It's also available as a Google Chrome extension.

Speechify offers many narrator voices, allowing students to pick the voice with which they're most comfortable. It can also read text in 14 languages, including English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.

With Speechify, you add valuable software to your special education toolkit. Best of all, you can try it for free on the Speechify website to see if it's suitable for your classroom.

FAQ

What tools are used in the classroom?

Many tools are used in classrooms, ranging from traditional whiteboards to tools created for special education. This article presents a list of five designed for students with special needs.

What technology is used in special education?

Beyond the tools in the article, many other technologies are used in special education. Examples include math simulators and proofreaders.

What are educational tools?

An educational tool is anything a teacher uses to help learners.

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Special education teachers use a range of tools to help their learners. This article examines five of the most useful technologies designed for students with special needs.

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Communication boards are essential for non-verbal students. Learn how to create and use them effectively.

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Communication board for special education

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Browse communication board for special education resources on Teachers Pay Teachers, a marketplace trusted by millions of teachers for original educational resources.

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Assistive technology tools can support students' writing processes. Discover some useful tools that can be integrated into the classroom.

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Assistive technology (AT) can help kids with different types of writing challenges. AT tools can make the physical act of writing easier, as well as help kids who have trouble with spelling and grammar, and with organizing and expressing their thoughts. This guide provides an introduction to AT writing tools and where to find them.

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Visual supports can aid in the understanding of text for students who struggle with reading. Here are some visual support strategies.

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When you're working as an educator within the field of special education, it's important to implement lesson plans that are grounded in evidence-based practices. With evidence-based practices in play, you have consistent evidence from reliable reviews of research showing that the practice produces positive outcomes with students with moderate to severe disabilities.

Visual supports are one evidence-based practice for students identified with moderate to severe disabilities that have been vetted and found effective in classroom settings across all ages from preschool through high school. They have been used effectively to teach academic content and social skills, as well as ease transitions between tasks and increase participation, task engagement and independence allowing students to complete tasks and decrease the need for assistance from adults and peers in the classroom.

As much as possible, make the auditory world of teaching as visual as possible - pair auditory information with a visual.

Use picture schedules, calendars, environmental picture cues or labeling, visual instructions, visual rules, graphic organizers, checklists and break cards so that everything you expect the student to do can be accessed in a visual format.

Visual supports help to visually communicate what is supposed to happen.

Visual supports can include:

Picture schedules and calendars: Use objects, photographs, line drawings, and words to build a schedule and put events and activities in order. Daily schedules can be used to represent a part of the day or the entire day. Mini-schedules can be used to represent key components of routine activities (e.g., steps taken when entering a classroom). They allow a student to anticipate what will happen next and reduce anxiety during transitions by providing the student with a structure of what to expect.

Lists and checklists: Present instructions that are typically provided verbally or steps in common routines (steps of getting lunch at the cafeteria). They can consist of photographs, line drawings, or written words of the correct procedure for accomplishing tasks, such as the necessary steps to complete a cut and paste activity. They provide a permanent reminder of task expectations for students who have difficulty remembering information.

Choice boards. Depict visually two or more choices of activities a student may choose from at a given time. Use pictures, symbols, text or objects to create the board. Some students will need large icons to look at while other students will want to grab symbol cards adhered using Velcro. Show the student the choice board, and if needed, read the choices and ask the student to make a choice.

Environmental picture cues and labeling: Indicate specific areas of the classroom designated for certain activities, such an art table, book table, or work table, using photographs, line drawings, icons, and labels with words. They can also be used to indicate what and where to find things and where to return them. Label shelves, drawers, cupboards, and closet doors. Signs, lists, and charts can use these labels and picture cues to teach students expectations, procedures, and routines.

Picture cues: Teachers can show a picture cue in combination with a verbal script to indicate when the occurrence of a behavior is unacceptable. In one study, a teacher used a picture cue made-up of a line drawing depicting a face with an index finger in front of the mouth indicating "Shhh" to address repetitive verbal interactions between peers that were disruptive. Further, a picture cue card depicting "Can I play?" has been used to increase engagement in inclusive environments and decreased disruptive behavior.

Visual classroom rules: photographs or icons coupled with words act as a reminder for behavior expectations and classroom rules.

Break card: A physical card that provides a visual reminder that a student can request a break when they are in a challenging situation and need a moment to calm down (the student may be overwhelmed, angry, sad, or overstimulated). They help students learn and practice relaxation strategies and other appropriate ways to self-regulate and help avoid anxiety and outbursts of aggression or self-injurious behavior. Place the cards so the student can easily access the break card.

Timers and audio alerts: A visual representation of time, with auditory alarm functions to help students transition between activities. They visually show the passage of time making the concept of time more concrete, giving students control over their environment, and avoiding frustration when it is time to transition.

Graphic organizers: A pedagogical tool that organizes content material about a topic in a way that makes it easier to understand. They include Venn diagrams, semantic maps, outlines, If Then charts and KWL charts.

Teachers can decide the level of visual representation (object, photo, line drawing, word) based on what is best understood by the student accessing the visual support.

If you are looking for a special education curriculum or solution for your district that is rooted in evidence-based practices, TeachTown has got you covered. enCORE, Social Skills, Transition to Adulthood and BE SAFE all include the use of visual supports.

Backed by the science of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), all of TeachTown's education solutions are built on evidence-based practices, helping to alleviate the burden of a legal liability, should it arise, while also producing top-notch outcomes for your kiddos.

Head over to our site and review our suite of solutions. You can request a demo for a one-on-one walkthrough of the solutions, where you'll see how visual supports are implemented throughout.
References
Cannella-Malone, Dueker, S. A., Barczak, M. A., & Brock, M. E. (2021). Teaching academic skills to students with significant intellectual disabilities: A systematic review of the single-case design literature. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 25(3), 387-404. https://doi.org/10.1177/1744629519895387

Ganz, J. B., Kaylor, M., Bourgeois, B., & Hadden, K. (2008). The impact of social scripts and visual cues on verbal communication in three children with autism spectrum disorders. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 23, 79-94.

Johnston, S., Nelson, C., Evans, J., & Palazolo, K. (2003). The use of visual supports in teaching young children with autism spectrum disorder to initiate interactions. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 19, 86-103.

Sam, A., & AFIRM Team. (2015). Visual supports. Chapel Hill, NC: National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder, FPG Child Development Center, University of North Carolina. Retrieved from https://afirm.fpg.unc.edu/visual-supports

Steinbrenner, J. R., Hume, K., Odom, S. L., Morin, K. L., Nowell, S. W., Tomaszewski, B., Szendrey, S., McIntyre, N. S., Yücesoy-Özkan, S., & Savage, M. N. (2020). Evidence-based practices for children, youth, and young adults with Autism. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice Review Team.

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What Role Do Visual Supports Play in Special Education? | Blog

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Visual supports are one one form of evidence-based practices for students identified with moderate to severe disabilities.