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Support: Sensory challenges are often invisible, so teachers and peers might not realize when a student is struggling.  (Jose, 2025)

Strategy: Sensory-friendly spaces in schools are vital for creating a safe and calming environment for students who might become overstimulated during normal classroom activities.  (Jose, 2025)

Technology: HelpKIDZLearn https://www.helpkidzlearn.com/products/sensory-space/features/

Sensory Space offers fun, interactive online sensory activities specifically designed to support the development of students with special educational needs through sensory exploration, engagement, and cause and effect learning.

Jose, C. (2025, April 08). Strategies to Make SEL Inclusive for Students With Sensory Processing Differences. Retrieved from Edutopia: https://www.edutopia.org/article/sel-strategies-inclusive-sensory-needs/

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Support: Visual supports are an evidence-based practice for students with moderate to severe disabilities that has been tested and proven effective in classroom settings across all ages from preschool through high school. (Teachtown, 2025)

Strategy: 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 is accessible in a visual format. (Teachtown, 2025)

Technology: Visual Choices AAC

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/visual-choices-aac/id6448635588

Visual Choices is NOT a full system for lifelong nonverbal communication. It is a teaching tool for early communicators to get to the next level.

Teachtown. (2025). What Role Do Visual Supports Play in Special Education? Retrieved from Teachtown: https://web.teachtown.com/blog/visual-supports/

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HLP 21: Teach students to maintain and generalize new learning across time and settings.

When students with disabilities learn new information or skills but are unable to apply them to novel situations or settings, the utility of that instruction must be called into question. Educators and IEP teams carefully consider the various times, places, and conditions in which students’ skills and knowledge might be needed, and provide explicit instruction and other opportunities to practice in those situations. Educators use feedback within authentic learning settings to help students develop the capacity to generalize their learning and skills. (High Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities, 2024)

High Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities. (2024, December 30). The Structure (4 Domains/22 HLPs). Retrieved from High Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities: https://highleveragepractices.org/structure-4-domains-22-hlps

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HLP 14: Teach cognitive and metacognitive strategies to support learning and independence.

Teaching cognitive and metacognitive strategies promotes learner self-regulation and independence. Explicit instruction in cognitive and metacognitive strategies begins with the recognition of challenging learning tasks that require a strategic approach and moves to systematic instruction, multiple opportunities for student practice with feedback, and guidance related to using the strategy effectively in multiple settings and situations. Teaching and learning cognitive and metacognitive strategies involve not only understanding content but also using cognitive processes to solve problems, regulate attention, organize thoughts and materials, and monitor one’s own thinking. Cognitive and metacognitive strategy instruction is delivered in stand-alone lessons or integrated into lessons on academic content through modeling and explicit instruction. Students learn to monitor and evaluate their performance in relation to specific goals and make necessary adjustments to improve learning.

High Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities. (2024, December 30). The Structure (4 Domains/22 HLPs). Retrieved from High Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities: https://highleveragepractices.org/structure-4-domains-22-hlps

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Support: Social skills can be defined as the communication and interactive skills that we use on a daily basis. This can be both verbal and non-verbal, including body language, gestures, and personal appearance. (Special Ed Resources.Com, 2025)

Strategy: Social Skills are enormous in today’s society and affect how we interact, perform, and live our lives. Having excellent social skills helps an individual build and maintain many parts of life, such as:

Better communication

Relationships

Efficiency

Careers

Personal happiness

(Special Ed Resources.Com, 2025)

Technology: Breathe, Think, Do! Sesame Street

https://sesameworkshop.org/resources/breathe-think-do/

You can help children to use the “Breathe, Think, Do” strategy to calm down, identify their feelings, and work to solve their problem!

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HLP 9: Teach social behaviors.

Teachers should explicitly teach appropriate social (how to interact with others), emotional (how to regulate and express thoughts and emotions), and behavioral (how to manage myself) skills and behaviors. Skills should ideally be aligned with classroom and school-wide expectations. Similar to explicit instruction in academic skills, social, emotional, and behavior skills are taught through a tell (when to use the skills), show (provide examples and non-examples of the skill under specific social contexts), and practice (students engage in role plays) format. As highlighted throughout the HLPs, cultural inclusive pedagogies and practices (CIPP) is especially key when teaching social, emotional, and behavioral skills as students often learn these skills under different contexts. Students who master key social behaviors are ready to function within organized, consistent, and responsive learning environments.

High Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities. (2024, December 30).

The Structure (4 Domains/22 HLPs). Retrieved from High Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities: https://highleveragepractices.org/structure-4-domains-22-hlps

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Support: Social-emotional learning is a part of education and development that helps students better recognize, understand, and manage their emotions. Additionally, SEL teaches students skills to start empathizing with their peers, families, friends, and others. (Teachtown, 2025)

Strategies:

Social perception: Understanding, identifying, and interpreting social situations through social cues.

Perspective taking: Having the ability to relate to others based on an experience or through the application of general knowledge.

Tolerance for social unpredictability: Having the capacity to adjust to certain social situations that do not unfold as expected. (Teachtown, 2025)

Technology: ChoiceWords

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/choiceworks/id486210964

The Choiceworks app provides support for students with autism and other disabilities in maintaining a daily schedule, routines, and telling time. The app is customizable, allowing teachers to use their own images or choose from those provided.

Teachtown. (2025). What Role Do Visual Supports Play in Special Education? Retrieved from Teachtown: https://web.teachtown.com/blog/visual-supports/

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HLP 9: Teach social behaviors.

Teachers should explicitly teach appropriate social (how to interact with others), emotional (how to regulate and express thoughts and emotions), and behavioral (how to manage myself) skills and behaviors. Skills should ideally be aligned with classroom and school-wide expectations. Similar to explicit instruction in academic skills, social, emotional, and behavior skills are taught through a tell (when to use the skills), show (provide examples and non-examples of the skill under specific social contexts), and practice (students engage in role plays) format. As highlighted throughout the HLPs, cultural inclusive pedagogies and practices (CIPP) is especially key when teaching social, emotional, and behavioral skills as students often learn these skills under different contexts. Students who master key social behaviors are ready to function within organized, consistent, and responsive learning environments.

High Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities. (2024, December 30). The Structure (4 Domains/22 HLPs). Retrieved from High Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities: https://highleveragepractices.org/structure-4-domains-22-hlps

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Support: Life skills in special education are essential abilities that individuals with disabilities need to function effectively in their daily lives. These skills are practical and important for personal, social, and vocational growth.  (Cacioppo, 2025)

Strategies: You should start teaching life skills early, as soon as a child shows interest and readiness to learn. It is crucial to introduce basic life skills at a young age to encourage independence, boost self-confidence, and lay a solid foundation for future growth and learning.  (Cacioppo, 2025)

Technology: GoNoodle

https://www.gonoodle.com/

Relationship and teamwork skills

Practice being a good friend in and out of school.

Cacioppo, H. (2025). Teaching Life Skills in Special Ed Classroom. Retrieved from Transition Abilities: https://transitionabilities.com/teaching-life-skills-in-special-ed-classrooms-from-elementary-on/?srsltid=AfmBOopi3MrJeousInSbeDnQl5tBRP35bhhH4s0Snu1V75lhpOWJquuG

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HLP 9: Teach social behaviors.

Teachers should explicitly teach appropriate social (how to interact with others), emotional (how to regulate and express thoughts and emotions), and behavioral (how to manage myself) skills and behaviors. Skills should ideally be aligned with classroom and school-wide expectations. Similar to explicit instruction in academic skills, social, emotional, and behavior skills are taught through a tell (when to use the skills), show (provide examples and non-examples of the skill under specific social contexts), and practice (students engage in role plays) format. As highlighted throughout the HLPs, cultural inclusive pedagogies and practices (CIPP) is especially key when teaching social, emotional, and behavioral skills as students often learn these skills under different contexts. Students who master key social behaviors are ready to function within organized, consistent, and responsive learning environments.

High Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities. (2024, December 30). The Structure (4 Domains/22 HLPs). Retrieved from High Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities: https://highleveragepractices.org/structure-4-domains-22-hlps

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Support: Living independently requires some skills which are considered academic, even if they do not lead to higher education or the completion of a diploma. (Webster, 2025)

Strategies:

Math Skills - The functional math skills include telling time, counting and using money, balancing a checkbook, measurement, and understanding volume.

Language Arts - Reading begins as recognizing symbols, progressing to reading signs (stop, push), and moves on to reading directions. (Webster, 2025)

Technology: ABC Kids – Tracing & Phonics

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/abc-kids-tracing-phonics/id1112482869

Ideal for early elementary school children, ABC Kids – Tracing & Phonics is a free Apple app that helps children learn to identify and sound out letters from A to Z.

Webster, J. (2025, April 29). Functional Skills: Skills to Help Special Education Students Gain Independence. Retrieved from ThoughtCo: https://www.thoughtco.com/functional-skills-for-students-independence-3110835

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HLP 14: Teach cognitive and metacognitive strategies to support learning and independence.

Teaching cognitive and metacognitive strategies promotes learner self-regulation and independence. Explicit instruction in cognitive and metacognitive strategies begins with the recognition of challenging learning tasks that require a strategic approach and moves to systematic instruction, multiple opportunities for student practice with feedback, and guidance related to using the strategy effectively in multiple settings and situations. Teaching and learning cognitive and metacognitive strategies involve not only understanding content but also using cognitive processes to solve problems, regulate attention, organize thoughts and materials, and monitor one’s own thinking. Cognitive and metacognitive strategy instruction is delivered in stand-alone lessons or integrated into lessons on academic content through modeling and explicit instruction. Students learn to monitor and evaluate their performance in relation to specific goals and make necessary adjustments to improve learning.

High Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities. (2024, December 30). The Structure (4 Domains/22 HLPs). Retrieved from High Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities: https://highleveragepractices.org/structure-4-domains-22-hlps

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Support: Adaptive development is the technical term that refers to acquiring these skills. Unlike academic skills or physical milestones, adaptive skills focus on the practical aspects of daily living.

Self-care self self-direction, Home/school living, Health and safety. (Brighton Center, 2025)

Strategies: Parents Can Help Children Gain Adaptive Skills

·       Create a supportive environment.

·       Encourage independence.

·       Provide practice opportunities.

·       Break tasks into manageable steps.

·       Incorporate adaptive development skills into daily routines.

·        Use positive reinforcement.

(Brighton Center, 2025)

Technology: Learn With Rufus.

http://www.rufusrobot.com/app.php?article=emotions

Learn With Rufus. Learn With Rufus is a series of special education apps for young learners and special needs students

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HLP 19: Use assistive and instructional technologies.

Assistive and instructional technology are everywhere in our world – especially within the field of education. Every IEP is required to have a statement of needed assistive technology supports and these can also be included amongst the list of formal accommodations or modifications. Instructional technology can also be useful for supporting student learning. Guided by the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) instructional design framework and equity lens, educators select and implement assistive (AT) and instructional technologies (IT) to support the needs of students with disabilities. The process of AT selection and evaluation should follow the Student-Environment-Task-Tool (SETT; Zabala, 2005) approach. Educators, in collaboration with AT specialists, select and use augmentative and alternative communication devices and assistive and instructional technology products to promote student learning and independence. They evaluate new technology options given student needs; make informed instructional decisions grounded in evidence, professional wisdom and experience, and students’ IEP goals; and advocate for administrative support in technology implementation.

High Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities. (2024, December 30). The Structure (4 Domains/22 HLPs). Retrieved from High Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities: https://highleveragepractices.org/structure-4-domains-22-hlps