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Ideas for Multi 4

Create 30x30 visuals of real world scenes

Grocery store

Farmers market

Fitness center

Post office

Restaurant (dinning table)

Bedroom or a bed make the bed

Sink with dishes

Dish washer (fill the dish washer)

Clean the dishes laminate dishes get dirty with dry erase markers and students clean them

Laminate them

Have high contrast items on them for students to identify

Items must be relatable and serve a purpose to their everyday life

Implement tactile materials into the scenes

Focus on social scenarios

giving items to people

Saying hello how are you

On topic conversations

Create scenarios in the real world

I am at the doctors office.

I push the handicap access button to open the door and have made it inside the office, but my mom is parking the car.

I see people standing in a line near a desk with a woman behind it.

I also see people sitting in chairs

A nurse just came out of a different room and said a woman’s name

A woman from the sitting area got up and went with the nurse

Should I get in line or should I go sit in the sitting area?

I ordered my food at McDonald’s and paid for it. I’m standing where I paid.

Should I move to the side so the next person can order or stand there until they give me my food ?

I’m at the bank and need money from the atm the line is long. Should I cut the person or wait?

I see someone I know in the hall at school. They see me too. They say hello, do I

Ask them about a song I like or say hello how are you?

I need a drink and I’m so thirsty that I am getting upset. What should I do?

Real life scenarios

Movement breaks intertwined with fine motor skills.

Or movement breaks and using my body to do everyday tasks or move items that are in my way. Create an obstacle course or scenario that the student needs to fix to be comfortable or ready to move on.

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Reconsidering my approach by using puppets while teaching

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Unlock various locks and door knobs

Button pants, shirts

Tie a knot

Buckle a buckle

Pull and put on Velcro

Take out and put in

Category sorting

Setting the table placement with template then fade out

Folding towels

Bagging items

Folding Sox

Sorting silverware

Measuring cup chart choose the right measuring cup to measure the correct amount

Counting

Left or right

Tbe difference between red light green light yellow light walk sign don’t walk sign cross walk etc

Money bills and coins sorting

Sequences visual images 3 images

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Think of an idea of something the students would like to vote on.

Ask them why do we vote in America or in Illinois ?
Who do we vote for ?
- consider if it benefits you
- if it’s something you want or need
- if it’s good for the community as a whole or clsssroom
Explain how we vote
Explain how a solution is made from voting

Purpose: at the age of 18 students can legally vote. They have the right to know this and to participate in voting.

create a fake polling booth with an adaptive version of a voting ballet sheet or it’ll be on an iPad.

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Have a map for students to mark where their family is from. Each thumb tack will either have an image of the student on it or their name. An assignment will be created for them to ask their parents

their cultural background
Did any of their relatives come to America from a different country
Name one tradition your family does that represents their culture.
Example: this can be as simple as you eat a certain type of food that is from your background often for dinner with the family or a holiday celebrated.

In this classroom we all have different backgrounds and will honor every individual to share their family backgrounds to the class. This classroom is proud to represent their culture and learn about other peoples culture as well!

After each student shares I want us to brainstorm ideas of how we can celebrate each students cultural background together as a class. That way we can all gain a better understanding of why each student is proud of their culture and build a connection to our fellow peers and teachers as well.

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Transition Job/Program Idea 💡

Teaching the skill of what I like to call, grow your own groceries is something that could feed an individual, a family, even an entire community! That’s why the transition students here maintain our green house everyday to bring fresh produce to our community. In our controlled environment where we plant and grow produce, herbs,  and fresh flowers all year round our students get the opportunity to understand how much the earths soil can give us and the basic skills to survive by growing your own food and selling it to the community. Every student playes a role in our greenhouse. Here are some of the jobs that our students have,

-Watering
-Trimming
-Harvesting
-cleaning produce
-packaging
-taking orders
-selling produce
-selling flowers
-trimming flowers
-sorting produce
-sorting flowers
-seed planting
-tour guides
-trimming and prepping herbs
-soil mixing
-maintenance
-clock in control
-clean up crew
-baggers
-cashiers
-innovative alternatives
-seasonal gift baskets
-seasonal bouquets

We allow our students to speak their minds and if they have an idea for a different job we always are open to what they have to say. Also, if a student doesn’t seem to find a suitable position for them our entire team will come together to develop a job that meets their needs and abilities. Everyone gets to be a part of the program and nobody goes home hungry.

Transition Tribe Greenhouse
Let us, “grow your groceries”

Potential support
Navarro farms
Start a fundraiser
Begin small
Teach the process of growing from seed
Small project of planting and growing and maintaining the plants.
Understand the students interest and abilities
The purpose of this is to help students understand that farming isn’t what it seems all the time and that herbs and produce can be grown in your own house or backyard if you have the right tooos and materials. This is a life skill that can help all students maintain a lifestyle that is frugal. It teaches them self advocacy and executive functioning. It also prepares them for the real world with the various job opportunities available. Giving them a choice of where they work best. Whether it’s at the front using their social skills communicating and selling to customers, working with their team, or working in a small group. This will prepare our students to live a life of sustainability and appreciate what this world has to offer us.

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Building Trust with Students-Even Before Class Starts

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Too often, the fear of being wrong or being laughed at can prevent students from participating in class. It is our job as educators to help break down those psychological and social barriers to provide a space where students of any learning ability can try their best. When we do this, we create a sense of trust among students, which has been shown to improve relationships, increase engagement, boost creativity and performance, and help people feel included and respected.

Of course, there are numerous definitions of trust. But, in general, it refers to our confidence in the reliability of another person-usually with respect to reaching a certain outcome. For students to feel comfortable participating in our courses, we need to gain their trust.

In higher education classrooms, our specific outcomes may differ among courses or throughout a semester. But when we can activate trust and positive emotions among our students, we help them foster cooperative relationships, build resilience and persistence, and increase motivation, all skills they'll need to succeed in the workplace after graduation.

Here, I discuss how I build trust and create psychological safety in my own classroom-and offer specific actions you can take to meaningfully do so in yours.

Establish Foundations of Trust for Day One

Classrooms are best managed when we set appropriate expectations, provide engaging and relevant lessons, offer students choices, and celebrate milestones and accomplishments. As instructors, we must be thoughtful in our class preparation to intentionally create opportunities to build trust. Here are some ways to do that.

Learn the strengths and individual passions of your students. This might look like a questionnaire, a meaningful ice breaker activity, or even an anonymous poll with reflection questions early in the semester ( or even before the first class begins). Knowing our audience is essential to successful teaching and learning because it helps us ensure we include relevant and compelling material students can relate to.

Teach on day one. While it's important to use the first day of class to set expectations (e.g., discuss course, classroom, and behavioral guidelines), your initial meeting should also include an introduction to the content and how you'll approach it. Building relationships takes time; teaching a lesson on day one helps hook students on what they'll be learning and show them that this class is a safe space to do so.

"As instructors, we must be thoughtful in our class preparation to intentionally create opportunities to build trust."

Start with smaller assignments that allow you to gauge learners' confidence with the material. Low-stakes assessments early in the semester also provide incremental milestones that you can celebrate with students, building their pride and skills along the way. In my introduction to management course, the first three weeks include journaling; I provide a prompt and ask students to submit no more than 250 words in their responses. Then, I introduce case studies and other larger-effort assignments that build upon what we've learned so far as the semester progresses.

Offer assignment completion options that give students agency over their work. For example, I allow students to submit their homework assignments in writing or as an audio or video recording, based on their individual preferences for communicating what they've learned.

Model Psychological Safety Early On

Remember, psychological safety is having confidence that honesty and openness are welcome in a specific setting; it creates an environment of rewarded vulnerability. There are basic approaches that educators can embrace to foster this sense of psychological safety for learners from the start. Many professors intuitively do some of these, but my experience and research have shown that it requires conscious awareness and effort to do most of them right.

Foster respect and kindness. Treating students with kindness reminds them that they are important and valued. Sincerity can facilitate trust and the communication and absorption of ideas, all of which are critical in higher education classrooms. By assuming positive intent when a student provides an explanation for late work or asks for an extension, we are giving them the benefit of the doubt, which recognizes their willingness to be vulnerable and trusting with us.

Demonstrate vulnerability. When we show our students that we sometimes struggle or that we don't always have all the answers, it reinforces that we are all human. By being authentic, open, and present, we can build more meaningful relationships with students and colleagues.

"When we show our students that we sometimes struggle or that we don't always have all the answers, it reinforces that we are all human."

Regularly show your students that you appreciate their efforts. For example, at the end of a challenging class session, I will thank my students for working hard and bringing their focus and energy to the task. Or when there is low attendance on a given day, I express my sincere gratitude to those who showed up. If students point out something I did wrong or said incorrectly, I praise them for helping me to improve.

Create Meaningful Yet Safe Opportunities for Students to Learn

Whether educators are teaching in front of a physical classroom, preparing asynchronous learning experiences, or facilitating a live virtual class, learners should be able to trust that they can bring their full selves to class. An emotionally supportive and psychologically safe learning environment allows students to build relationships based on trust and open communication with everyone in the space. This helps to strengthen their coping skills, self-regulation, and self-affirmation over time.

Common behaviors of educators who build trust among their students (and peers) often include:

Listening to everyone's voices

Asking questions to gain insight from others

Seeking ways to collaborate

Genuinely wanting others to succeed

Here are ways to embrace these behaviors, continue building trust, and encourage active learning throughout the semester.

Ask open-ended questions and actively listen to students' responses. Doing so will demonstrate that you are interested in and value their thoughts and ideas. It also prompts students to think carefully and more deeply when engaging in classroom dialogue. For example, in my organizational leadership course, I facilitate a lot of discussions during class time. I make a point to ask open-ended questions and listen closely to what is shared. After one student speaks up, I ask other students to share similar examples. This builds connections in a non-threatening way and encourages deeper reflection for everyone.

Find meaningful ways to relate students' past experiences to the material. I find it helpful to add notes throughout my lesson plans to remind me to pause and ask students for their examples, stories, or learnings related to the material. This builds students' confidence in their ability to participate without having to know the answer, and it helps honor what makes each student unique.

For example, when teaching about communication styles as part of being a leader, I ask students to share a time they had to lead a group or a team and how they were successful in getting members to accomplish a task. I stay at that prompt until at least three or four examples are shared by different students. Then, as a class, we evaluate which communication styles were used in each situation to connect their experiences back to the lesson content.

Embrace diversity and create a culture of inclusivity and respect in your classroom. In learning cultures that embrace differences, people feel included, respected, and are more comfortable sharing their ideas. Humans have universal desires for respect, competence, autonomy, and social status; involving students in ways that support these is essential to creating a safe space for learning.

This might include intentionally putting students in groups with peers they have never met before or sending everyone on a scavenger hunt outside the classroom, demonstrating your trust in their ability to behave and return on time. Asking the class about their perspectives on a topic that is outside your wheelhouse is another valuable way to encourage and welcome different voices.

"Asking the class about their perspectives on a topic that is outside your wheelhouse is a valuable way to encourage and welcome different voices."

Set Students Up for Success

Much of the literature about leaders building trust focuses on workplace relationships. But, in the higher ed classroom, there are many similarities between what we ask of our students and what a manager might ask of their employees-attend regularly, engage with the material, ask for clarity when you don't understand something, try your best, and perform well.

If instructors can harness some of the tools and techniques that leaders are given to build trust and psychological safety among their teams, imagine the possibilities for developing productive students and successful future leaders.

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Building Trust with Students-Even Before Class Starts

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Activating positive emotions-including trust-among students helps them foster cooperative relationships, build resilience and persistence, and increase motivation. Here's how to create an environment of psychological safety and trust in your classroom.

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Wonderful Resource for Adaptive Learning

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Wonderful Resource for Adaptive Learning

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Schoolyard Blog | Teacher Resources | School Specialty

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Special Needs Cecilia Cruse *

The After School Alliance report entitled America After 3pm shows a sweeping 10 year study that indicates overall participation in afterschool programs (between 3-6pm) has increased by nearly 60%. As part of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 students with special needs are entitled to reasonable accommodations to participate in Out of School Time (OST) programs. Check out these suggestions for a few simple adaptations and/or applications of universal, inclusive afterschool program design:

Benefits of Afterschool Programs for Students with Special Needs

Studies show that students with special needs who participate in after-school activities have:

Elevated self-esteem

Enhanced positive behavior

Improved social competence

Improved school attendance

Greater aspirations

Students benefit from quality after-school programs, but for children with special needs it allows additional opportunities to experience meaningful and genuine belonging. It also offers a chance to engage with their non- disabled peers in a non-classroom setting to promote overall social emotional learning.

Inclusion and Afterschool Program Activities

Physical Activities

Sports and physical activities are a key component of most out of school groups and programming. The Inclusive PE Starter Pack has key components of sports equipment including a guidebook, bell balls for extra auditory input, spot markers for spatial boundary cues, juggling scarves for easy catching/throwing and much more.

Creative Projects

Creative projects can be easily adapted for inclusion. Choose activities that engage basic fine motor skills like the Scratch Art Scratchin' Shapes Classroom Packs or create pictures using pre-cut adhesive Wonderfoam Shapes. Some standby adapted tools like the Abiligrip to build up a pencil or paintbrush handle for easier grasp, the Slantscript Board to position and stabilize, and adapted scissors are helpful to have on hand for individual student needs.

Music & Sensory Experiences

Matching individual skills and sensory preferences is key to success. Children with hearing impairments and/or severe intellectual disabilities may benefit from "feeling" sound through the Somatron Vibroacoustic Furniture line. These pieces have built in speakers which can be plugged into any 10-200w sound system. Simple rhythm band starter kits are also perfect for early childhood students or hands that need simple tools to hold.

STEAM & Hands-On Projects

It's possible to make STEAM and other hands-on projects inclusive as well. Add visual cues (words + pictures) for step by step project instructions. Some students may need even more basic visual cues like " First-Then concept" ( measure, cut, draw etc. cut, glue, assemble etc.). The SchKIDules Magnetic Board provides a template for visual cue headers. then add your own custom images, student names etc.

Task Transitions

To help with task transitions and/or from class to afterschool to home consider using a visual timer. Many children with special needs are challenged by reading/understanding analog or digital time. The Sense of Timer set offers quiet, beautiful color options for showing elapsed time from 30 secs to 5 minutes, while the Time Timer uses a clock format and color to illustrate time remaining.

Read More Out of School

Finding the right modifications for individual students in your afterschool program may take some time and effort. However, the benefits for the children and their experiences in afterschool groups are well worth it.
Out of School Blog
If you'd like to read more from the Out of School category on our blog, be sure to follow the link below.

Leave a comment with any ideas for ways you have modified your afterschool program to make it a welcome place for students with special needs!

Cecilia Cruse

Cecilia Cruse, MS, OTR/L has a BS degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Florida, and her Master's degree in Education from Georgia State University. She is SIPT certified and has over 25 years' experience in pediatrics with school-based services, acute care, and outpatient pediatric settings.
Read more posts by Cecilia Cruse->

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Modifying Afterschool Activities for Children with Special Needs

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The After School Alliance report entitled America After 3pm shows a sweeping 10 year study that indicates overall participation in afterschool programs (between 3-6pm) has increased by nearly 60%. As part of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 students with special needs are entitled to [...]

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Are you conditioned to your students behaviors? 

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Are you conditioned to your students behaviors? 

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Food for thought:

All behaviors are a form of communication. When a student displays a behavior that is continuous and happens regularly. Then the student must be understood and heard. It is easy to become condition to typical behaviors for students with special needs or even regular students. I believe that observing and collecting data on a behavior that me and my team is unsure of is vital for my students to lead to success. Therefore, we need to seek out what it is they need in order for them to be there, most productive self while they’re in their learning environment.

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1. Functional Reading
2. Functional Math
3. Functional Writing
4. Eating & Dinning
5. Home Safety
6. Grooming
7. Clothing
8. Money
9. Cooking
10. Cleaning

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Schedules & Lesson Plans in an Adult Transition Classroom

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The creator of this website is AMAZING!! She literally saved me to prepare prior to student teaching with her free resources! I will most def be purchasing resources from her moving forward too!

https://www.spedadulting.com/

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Let me start out by saying every classroom and school is different, and this is just one perspective on what works for my adult transition classroom. There are so many components to making schedules and lesson plans run as smooth as possible in a special education classroom. Please also keep in mind, your school or administration may require you to uphold a certain criteria or structure for your lesson plans and classroom.

What My Class Typically Looks Like

My classroom is considered a self-contained classroom, although my whole school is dedicated to moderate/severe special education. With that being said, my school may be able to provide different types of supports versus a self-contained classroom in a public school/general education setting. I teach adult transition ages 18-22. I typically have anywhere from 10-12 students & 4-8 staff (depending on how many students have a one-on-one aide) each year. My students display a wide range of academic levels, which makes it very hard to teach the same lesson to my whole class.

You can read more about how I handle managing different levels of IEP goals and data collection on a regular basis here . My classroom lessons are mainly focused on functional academics, life skills, and vocational skills. Most of my students receive a lot of services (Speech, APE, OT, PT...etc) and participate in ON and OFF campus jobs, so it is rare that I have all of my students participating in a classroom lesson at once. My students and staff are constantly in and out of the classroom all day/week.

Being an adult transition classroom, my students are constantly in and out of the classroom all day. On any given day, I typically do not have my whole class in the classroom attending to a lesson except for our morning routine. This makes it hard to reach all of my students with a particular lesson! With special education, repetition is pretty much necessary for all students to be successful in retaining what they've learned. I am able to (and should) repeat the same lesson several times throughout the year. I am able to do a rotation of lessons in order to reach all of my students and their learning levels!

Now I know some of you probably want to see my lesson plans, but I'm sorry I'm not going to share them with you today. The reason I am not going to share them is because I believe lesson plans should be shaped and molded to each of your students, and no one student or classroom is alike. Each of my students also has completely different IEP goals. What I AM going to share with you though, is how I organize and rotate my lessons, as well as the every day routines we have part of our day!

CURRENT EVENTS WEBSITES: https://www.spedadulting.com//currentevents/

As I have mentioned earlier, just because this system works for me now, it might not necessarily work for me in the future, and it might not work for you. Assess the type of classroom you have and your students needs, and make adjustments from there. I do hope you are at least able to take a little something that you can utilize to make your life easier!

Here are some FREE scope and sequence plans to get you get organized and started!

Thanks for reading!

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Schedules & Lesson Plans in an Adult Transition Classroom

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Let me start out by saying every classroom and school is different, and this is just one perspective on what works for my adult transition classroom. There are so many components to making schedules and lesson plans run as smooth as possible in a special education classroom.

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Could Digitability Benefit Students with Disabilities? 

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Could Digitability Benefit Students with Disabilities? 

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https://digitability.com/overview/

Bankability and the Social Economy

Work Simulations in the classroom

Computer Skills : knowing your personal information in order to accurately fill out forms online or in person on a touch screen device.

Personal information includes,

Name: First / Middle / Last

Birthday: month/date/year

Address:

State:

City:

Zip Code:

Last 4 of Social Security #:

Social Security #:

Parents first and last names:

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When students with disabilities age out at 22 is this the end of growth for them? Absolutely not!

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When students with disabilities age out at 22 is this the end of growth for them? Absolutely not!

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"The goal of educating children with disabilities is the same as that of educating children without disabilities: to support children in reaching their full potential and leading productive lives as active members of their communities."

So, what do students with multiple disabilities do after the age of 22? What do these students do when they are no longer eligible for the Transition program available through their school district they attended from K-12?

Here are some local programs within the Will and Cook County area of Illinois. Please view the link attached to this post.

This is to show parents that you are not alone! After your child turns 22, you may be thinking, they are not prepared to live on their own or seek out social activities independently.  As a parent you may fear that this is now your full time job, which is to now care for them.

IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THIS WAY!

It shouldn't be this way for the parents and for your children too!

There are still options and communities where your child can continue to grow, socialize, and learn! Again, view the link attached here to look into various programs in Will and Cook County areas of Illinois.

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In order to provide more service choice for our customers, the Division of Developmental Disabilities (Division) is providing the list below, including contact information.
Contact your Independent Service Coordination Agency (ISC) agency to discuss potential service providers and current service options.
Please report any errors on the list to DHS.DDDMedProv@illinois.gov

Last Updated: 8/12023

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IDHS: Community Day Services Providers for Developmental Disabilities

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In order to provide more service choice for our customers, the Division of Developmental Disabilities (Division) is providing the list below, including contact information. Contact your Independent Service Coordination Agency (ISC) agency to discuss potential service providers and current service options.

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Teaching Light Reflections & Refractions to The Blind 

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Teaching Light Reflections & Refractions to The Blind 

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"Introduction
Traditionally, specialized schools were responsible for the education of students with special needs. However, the current view is that students with special needs should be educated together with their peers in regular education. This new system should, however, be prepared to receive such students and take into account their needs. Regarding students with visual impairments, they need strategic teaching, adapted instructional materials, and modications in the regular curriculum to emphasize the skills of touch, hearing and communication. One of the difculties encountered by visually impaired students is in performing experiments, and in the particular case of optics, in constructing a mental representation of light. In a previous work [1], we focused on the difcul-ties that visually impaired students have when dealing with graphics and diagrams in their study of geometrical optics. In this paper, we establish practical alternatives for experimental work, as well as a contribution to building a conceptual representation of light. This is based on the assumption that our information on nature originates via our senses. Much of our knowledge on the nature of many physics concepts relies on the various senses we employ in our inquiry about it. For the blind, the sense of sight is replaced by the senses of hearing and touch. Teaching optics to students with visual impairment has usually been addressed by presenting tactile visual artefacts [1–3]. However, the information that can be received by the visually impaired becomes limited by its lack of vision. To overcome this difficulty, it is necessary to use practical instruction methods as close as possible to a real experience. Most of the experiments in optics that have sensorial meaning must be visually observed. Thus, the experiments must be adapted to convert light signals into signals perceived by the blind student. One of the main senses used by the blind is touch, and in this work we discuss how the tactile sensation created by light can be explore in optic experiences."

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Shadows and outlines: life with a visual impairment

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A Day in The Life with a Visually Impaired Individual

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A Day in The Life with a Visually Impaired Individual

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With goals and needs just like you.

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As most of us know it, the world is a visual feast. For Keisha Anderson, a tourism management major and theatre minor, living in a sight-centric world with a visual impairment has her navigating places, spaces and situations with a strong sense of determination and a will to succeed.

The former Study Abroad ambassador has an appetite for adventure and experience that fortifies her. That hunger took her to Australia, where she learned to surf. "I wasn't afraid of drowning or getting attacked by a shark. What scared me was that the surf instructor would focus on my impairment first," she says.

"When it comes to being a person with exceptionalities, there are always unexpected obstacles. Sometimes you end up writing the book on how to do some things because no one else has done it before. It can be exhilarating and empowering, but at other times it's like - can someone give me the manual already? When you're the first person to attempt something, you can't just Google the answer to your questions. That's why I want to share my story; to show people that it's OK to be the first."

Academic barriers and creative support

As a person with a visual impairment, Anderson finds the average task always includes additional steps or considerations. When she accesses supports needed to thrive in a post-secondary environment, even buying a textbook requires multiple steps.

"I contact my instructors well in advance to confirm what textbooks will be assigned. Sometimes they don't even know what textbook they will be using yet. I then need to go through the Centre for Accessible Post-Secondary Education Resources (CAPER-BC) to order the textbooks in an alternate format."

The pandemic and remote delivery have further augmented the difficulties in acquiring textbooks. "Visual lessons are always a challenge as I need support to visualize things or someone to describe visual information to me. I still want to learn visual aspects, so as not to limit my employment opportunities."

Before choosing tourism management, Anderson dabbled in the sciences. She found that there were complexities in learning numerical and visual sciences, but chemistry professor Eric Villeneuve was supportive during those studies.

"Eric would help me to visualize things. During office hours, we would brainstorm alternative ways for me to learn the content. Because chemistry lessons are often supplemented with diagrams and visual aids, we would have to get creative in figuring out how I was going to acquire the same understanding as my peers."

Aside from the obstacles that Anderson navigates, university life has been fulfilling. She's had many opportunities to feel challenged and motivated, and credits her family's support in helping her gain the confidence to approach new challenges with curiosity.

The role of self advocacy

Anderson's self advocacy efforts are driven by collaboration, determination, curiosity and forethought. She previously connected with students at other universities who have visual impairments to discuss obstacles and accommodations.

"I usually try to predict issues and solutions before others even notice a problem. Discovering a new obstacle can be nerve-wracking, and sometimes I second guess my capabilities, but I often realize that I know what to do more than I think I do. I am always striving to gain expertise and suggestions from others."

The most important aspect of accommodation access is assistive technology, as well as grants and other funding opportunities that ensure she gets the services and materials she needs to be successful.

It is her passion for self-advocacy that has led to one of Anderson's biggest accomplishments: being cast in some significant roles in TRU's Actors Workshop Theatre productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream, Concord Floral and Drinking in America.

Social life and stigma

When it comes to a social life, Anderson prioritizes spending time with close friends. Those in her circle know her capabilities, but strangers or acquaintances often make incorrect assumptions.

"Bias usually shows itself in two ways. People either think I am so amazing for doing everyday things, or they assume I'm incapable of doing simple, everyday things. These interactions happen every day and it can be really exhausting," she says.

"It can wear on people too. It might make them want to prove themselves more and overcompensate all the time, or it might make them start to believe the narrative of otherness or a mixture of the two. It can lead to some pretty unhealthy feelings of victimization."

Anderson would like to see more empowering images of people with disabilities and health conditions. She said it is as simple as believing in people and not expecting more or less of individuals with exceptionalities. She also shared some advice for others with barriers to their learning.

"Try not to let yourself be victimized. Remind yourself that you are not your disability and don't spend too much time thinking about it. Most importantly, though, surround yourself with people who really see you."

Learn more about Accessibility Services, and the supports available for students here.

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Shadows and outlines: life with a visual impairment

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As most of us know it, the world is a visual feast. For Keisha Anderson, a tourism management major and theatre minor, living in a sight-centric world with a visual impairment has her navigating places, spaces and situations with a strong sense of determination and a will to succeed.

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Iconic representation within signs make it easy for anyone to understand what you’re trying to say!

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Every person deserves the opportunity to have a voice or a way to communicate.

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Everyone does things their own way! Even signing with ASL!

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Whether your students communicate with sign language or not. Using it in class when explaining a directive or what you expect a student to do can help them understand by using ASL! This helps create a visual especially when you get the chance to use Iconic Signs.

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Core Clicks | Close Reading Resource for Grades K-5

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Literacy may be one of the most important areas of instruction to enhance quality of life for all students. As Copeland and Keefe (2007) describe, literacy provides students with skills to increase their community partic- ipation, to become less dependent on others, to gain new knowledge, to explore new ideas, to participate in leisure pursuits, to make individual choices about learning, and to increase opportunities for employment.

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Core Clicks is the yearlong digital reading program from the creators of Scholastic News and Weekly Reader. Designed for grades K-5, Core Clicks combines highly engaging nonfiction with powerful interactive instruction to build close-reading skills. Through multiple encounters with each incredible text, your students will develop the nonfiction reading skills required by Common Core and other higher academic standards. Best of all, this digital instructional program was built to work with your school's existing technology, whether you use interactive whiteboards, computers, or tablets!

Highly Engaging Nonfiction
Core Clicks features 120 captivating informational texts on curriculum-connected science and social studies topics. Each text features a dynamic video, amazing photos, and meaningful interactive tasks that keep kids engaged while they develop crucial reading skills.

Learn more about the skills covered by Core Clicks

Highly Effective Instruction
Each complex text forms the basis of an interactive "Text Study." These 120 robust instructional units (20 per grade) guide students through each text three times. With each textual encounter, students deepen comprehension as they focus on a key language arts skill such as main idea, cause & effect, or author's purpose.

Learn more about our Three Read System

Higher-Level Assessment
Each question in the Core Clicks program has been meticulously designed to meet standards and familiarize students with the kinds of questions they will encounter on higher-level assessments. Additionally, Core Clicks includes Reading Checkpoints, which provide trackable, performance-based assessments where students answer questions on unfamiliar texts, just as they will be required to do on standardized tests.

Learn more about our Assessment features

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Core Clicks | Close Reading Resource for Grades K-5

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Core Clicks is the yearlong digital reading program from the creators of Scholastic News and Weekly Reader. Designed for grades K-5, Core Clicks combines highly engaging nonfiction with powerful interactive instruction to build close-reading skills. Through multiple encounters with each incredible text, your students will develop the nonfiction reading skills required by Common Core and other higher academic standards.

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Scholastic Book’s Campaign for Multi Needs Students at AERO SPED COOP!

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Scholastic Book’s Campaign for Multi Needs Students at AERO SPED COOP!

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Please view link to read our mission and purpose for this donation! Thank you!

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Hello, my name is Olivia, I am a multi-needs teacher at AERO Special Education Cooperative. I teach students at the high school level and I continue to have students coming into my classroom who are ELL and I have little to no media resources or books that represent their cultural backgrounds. As a…

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What Is A Shadow? Art For Kids // Learning From Home

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What is a shadow and how can we use shadows for adaptive learning?

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What Is A Shadow? Art For Kids // Learning From Home

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La Princesa Campesina - Aprende español con subtítulos - Historia para niños y adultos "BookBox.com"

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La Princesa Campesina - Aprende español con subtítulos - Historia para niños y adultos "BookBox.com"

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Le Vent et le Soleil: Bilingual - Apprendre le Français avec sous-titres - Histoire pour enfants

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https://youtu.be/RyhKMx5orFs

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Le Vent et le Soleil: Bilingual - Apprendre le Français avec sous-titres - Histoire pour enfants

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El chacal azul: Aprende español con subtítulos - Historia para niños y adultos "BookBox.Com"

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More Spanish Stories on YouTube for ELL Students 

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More Spanish Stories on YouTube for ELL Students 

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https://youtu.be/U36_u9nxIwI

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El chacal azul: Aprende español con subtítulos - Historia para niños y adultos "BookBox.Com"

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El Pájaro y la Ballena - 'The Bird and the Whale' in Spanish (with English subtitles)

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ELL Home Language is not English, culturally appropriate activities to break up the day for individual students. 

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ELL Home Language is not English, culturally appropriate activities to break up the day for individual students. 

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One of my students families speaks Spanish at home. This student is wheel chair bond and their vision is uncertain, but their hearing functions just fine. When this student seems uncomfortable or while the student gets to lay out and stretch out of their wheelchair. Playing a short story in Spanish is something the student enjoys and can connect with!

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El Pájaro y la Ballena - 'The Bird and the Whale' in Spanish (with English subtitles)