Lois Letchford is a reading specialist who is passionate about teaching struggling students how to read. In this episode, Lois dives into the problems with many traditional literacy approaches and the impact this can have on students. She shares some key strategies for building reading skills by building engagement and focusing on comprehension. Lois shares numerous specific examples that really help listeners visualize the strategies she shares. https://www.loisletchford.com/ Episode Transcript...
Feb 19, 2024•51 min•Season 1Ep. 266
Julia DeNey founded Sense-ational You, an adaptive apparel brand for autistic children who need help regulating so they are empowered to be successful no matter where they are. In this episode, Julia discusses what sensory needs are and how they can impact behavior. She explores the area of tactile sensory needs and how different clothing can be challenging. Website Link: https://shopsenseationalyou.com/ Instagram Link: https://www.instagram.com/senseational_you/ Facebook Link: https://www.faceb...
Feb 12, 2024•18 min•Season 1Ep. 265
Tim Kretchman is the founder of Action Driven Education and a former teacher and administrator. In this episode, Tim shares how to identify “just right” accommodations for students in a range of settings. Tim shares the four key variables that make accommodations work - strengths, needs, degree of need, and fit to the instructional setting. Tim shares action-oriented steps for applying these principles to your classroom immediately. https://actiondriveneducation.com/ Episode Transcription. -----...
Feb 05, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 264
Katherine Saint, Ph.D., LPC, BCBA-D, Katherine has her doctorate in Behavior Analysis and is a Licensed Professional Counselor. In this episode, we discuss the 4 attachment styles from a behavior analytic perspective. Katie shares what learning histories typically lead to each attachment style and what supports we can give to help those individuals be successful. More from Katie @doctorbehaviorboss . Episode Transcription. ---------------------------------------------- Join me live on April 23rd...
Jan 29, 2024•26 min•Season 1Ep. 263
Elizabeth Klein is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Clinical Director of an ABA program that delivers therapy in home, school, clinic, and community settings. She noticed a common challenge with children with autism across settings - eating problems. In this episode, Elizabeth discusses with eating challenges are common for children with autism. Then she dives into how to utilize a data driven tool for selecting goals. She created the Feeding Tool Assessment to determine the current earrin...
Jan 22, 2024•22 min•Season 1Ep. 262
When creating successful inclusion, there can be many obstacles along the way. Rebekah Poe, M. Ed. is an award-winning former special education teacher and a national teaching conference presenter. Rebekah shares what inclusion is and some tips and strategies for making inclusion effective and possible. She shares how to work with reluctant teachers and why inclusion is beneficial for all teachers. Her first book, Blueprint for Inclusion will be released summer of 2024. Connect with her at Rebek...
Jan 15, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 261
Extinction is the process of removing or discontinuing reinforcement for a behavior. This would then reduce or eliminate the behavior. However, this strategy can have some challenges during implementation. In this episode, Dr. Billie Retzlaff breaks down what extinction is and what are some alternatives to reduce problem behaviors. She dives into non-contingent reinforcement, differential reinforcement, and providing sufficient practice when teaching alternative behaviors. Dr. Billie Retzlaff re...
Jan 08, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 260
Independent work is essential to running a successful classroom. This allows small group instruction to happen and builds critical life skills of work endurance and sustained attention. Many independent work systems include task boxes. Task boxes include one activity and often students rotate between assigned task boxes. In this episode, I share 3 dos and 3 don’ts for setting up and running task boxes in a special education classroom. ---------------------------------------------- Join me at my ...
Dec 11, 2023•16 min•Season 1Ep. 259
Dr. Rachel Schwartz, PhD, BCBA-D breaks down sexuality education in special education. She reviews how teachers and related services fit in to providing this conversation. Dr. Schwartz shares what topics are appropriate for what ages and why these are essential life skills for all learners. She tackles tricky topics such as how to work with staff members who disagree on content, how to handle interfering behaviors that are sexual in nature, and what absolutes every teacher should be working on. ...
Dec 04, 2023•36 min•Season 1Ep. 258
Dr. Taylor Day is a licensed child psychologist and parental coach who specializes in autism and neurodivergent affirming care. In this episode, Dr. Tay shares her Whole Family Approach™ which focuses on the needs of parents and siblings of autistic children, as well as the children themselves. We discuss how to provide education and support that values each unique individual as well as acknowledges the emotions of each family member. More from Dr. Taylor Day: Instagram and TikTok: @the.dr.tay E...
Nov 27, 2023•33 min•Season 1Ep. 257
Effective leadership is imperative for both BCBAs and classroom teachers. Within a clinic or in-home setting, BCBAs manage and lead Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs). Janelle Upthegrove is the owner of Grover Behavioral Services and shares her insight and strategies for creating a positive and effective work environment. Janelle discusses using decentralized leadership to empower her team members. She shares her use of Kim Scott’s Radical Candor to effectively share constructive feedback an...
Nov 20, 2023•29 min•Season 1Ep. 256
Training teams on behavior plans and strategies is essential to successful implementation. In today’s episode, school-based BCBA and former special ed teacher, Meghan Edwards is breaking down how to approach team training from start to finish. She covers how to get started with a new plan or team, how to find training time, ways to build buy in, and go-to strategies for reluctant staff. More from Meghan: Instagram @school_based_bcba Episode Transcription. ----------------------------------------...
Nov 13, 2023•23 min•Season 1Ep. 255
Dr. Norrine Russell is the founder of Russell Coaching for Students, which uses an innovative method of coaching for complex students. In this episode, Dr. Russell dives into the complicated skill of problem-solving. She shares why problem-solving is such an important yet difficult skill for students to learn. She gives specific examples and strategies of ways to build independence through giving waiting time, asking questions, and modeling the process. More from Dr. Russell: https://russellcoac...
Nov 06, 2023•36 min•Season 1Ep. 254
Practical Functional Assessment and the Skills Based Treatment Approach is a proven effective and applicable approach to severe problem behavior. In this episode, special educator and behavior consultant, Erica Vogt, shares her experience with PFA-SBT in a school setting. Erica breaks down the PFA-SBT process, gives some real-world examples, and discusses the potential challenges of this process. For more information on PFA and SBT: https://practicalfunctionalassessment.com/ https://ftfbc.com/pf...
Oct 30, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 253
Whether your students are engaging in off-task behaviors or more extreme and dangerous problem behaviors, there are some universal key strategies you need for positive behavior change. These mindsets and frameworks are imperative for decreasing problem behavior and teaching positive, prosocial responses. In this episode, I share the 5 key strategies as well as discuss how these can be taught to your teams that you work with. For more on Positive Behavior Change, check out our complete course. Fr...
Oct 23, 2023•18 min•Season 1Ep. 252
Gina Russell is a former preschool special education teacher and currently works in early intervention. Gina is a blogger on The Autism Helper team sharing best practices for early childhood. In this episode, Gina shares 5 ways to foster early language development. These strategies are all actionable ways to build awareness, interest, and curiosity. She shares many examples of what these strategies look like in action. More from Gina: https://www.createtinysparks.com/ Episode Transcription. ----...
Oct 16, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 251
Lupe Castaneda is a BCBA with over 20 years of experience in both the public and private setting. In this episode, Lupe shares some key strategies for successful consultations and relationships with teachers and staff. Lupe discusses how to overcome the challenges of finding time and getting buy-in when training teams on behavior plans. We also discuss compassionate treatment, what that looks like, and how we can move our behavior plans in that direction. Lupe Castaneda on LinkedIn Lupe’s Websit...
Oct 09, 2023•40 min•Season 1Ep. 250
Liliana Diaz-Vazquez is a certified licensed bilingual speech-language pathologist. In this episode, she shares best practices for supporting bilingual students in the classroom. Liliana explores common misconceptions regarding multilingual students with language delays such as speaking multiple languages will cause regression or confusion. She gives examples and supporting research on how to utilize both languages within a classroom or therapy setting. More from Liliana: Instagram: @bilingualsp...
Oct 02, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 249
Running small groups allows you to provide differentiated and individualized instruction to your students. But the process of setting up centers can be overwhelming. In this episode, we go through the steps for getting started with centers. We review situations such as having low or no staff and students that aren’t able to work independently yet. We also explore which types of centers paraprofessionals can run within the classroom. ---------------------------------------------- Enrollment for o...
Sep 25, 2023•9 min•Season 1Ep. 248
Managing and leading your team is an essential role in being a special education teacher however it’s something we are not prepared for. In this episode, I review the most frequently asked questions I get about staff training and collaborating with paraprofessionals. I discuss how to find the time for staff training, how to get buy in, and how to establish effective boundaries ---------------------------------------------- Shop and get 25% off for our Black Friday Cyber Monday sale happening 11/...
Sep 18, 2023•19 min•Season 1Ep. 247
In this episode, we delve into frequently asked questions on behavior. We start off by reviewing the question I get asked the most; How do I handle _____ behavior? There is one answer I give to every question that references a specific behavior - whether kicking, hitting, scratching, running! Then we cover how to handle taking away preferred items, dealing with defiance and control issues, and working with parents who struggle to follow through on established boundaries within behavior plans. En...
Sep 11, 2023•23 min•Season 1Ep. 248
Answering frequently asked questions about schedules! In this episode we dive into why schedules are essential, the schedule continuum, and how different schedules can be set up. I walk through how to select a schedule type for each student and how to get your team on board! ---------------------------------------------- Enter our "Seasons of Giving" giveaway now through 11/15/23 here! https://forms.gle/VsNH5Y3yz1bL5hZx5 Interested in our Year-Long Curriculum Access Subscription? Learn more abou...
Sep 04, 2023•14 min•Season 1Ep. 247
Sometimes I get asked, “When should I switch from academic skills to functional skills?” This is implying that at some point in junior high or high school, we should move away from academic instruction. My answer to this question is - never. We should never move away from teaching academics because academic skills are functional skills. As our students get older, we should be teaching academics in a functional and real-world-based way. ---------------------------------------------- Interested in...
Aug 28, 2023•6 min•Season 1Ep. 244
Paraprofessionals in a special education classroom should be working as educators - providing instruction and taking academic data. Teachers should lead their team and provide training so all staff members can work collaboratively and effectively. The goal for staff training should be for the teacher to replicate herself so the paraprofessionals are working just like the teacher would. ---------------------------------------------- For more on Positive Behavior Change, check out our complete cou...
Aug 21, 2023•6 min•Season 1Ep. 243
In a highly differentiated special education classroom, it should be mostly focused on small group instruction over whole group instruction. When you do whole group instruction for students with a very wide range of skills, it will be too hard or too easy for much of the group and that’s when problem behaviors happen. ---------------------------------------------- Register up for my free, live webinar happening on October 24th, 2023: The 3 Biggest Mistakes in Behavior Plans and How to Fix Them !...
Aug 14, 2023•6 min•Season 1Ep. 242
When you get into a power struggle with a student, there is no winner. You will never walk away from a power struggle having deepened rapport or trust with a student. It typically does the opposite and breaks down your relationship with the student. When it comes to the power struggle, it’s best to avoid it before it starts. ---------------------------------------------- Register up for my free, live webinar happening on October 24th, 2023: The 3 Biggest Mistakes in Behavior Plans and How to Fix...
Aug 07, 2023•6 min•Season 1Ep. 241
Running a self-contained classroom requires a high degree of organization. When things are a mess and disorganized, there is less instructional time and likely to be more problem behaviors. A hot mess of a classroom will lead to a hot mess with the students. ---------------------------------------------- Register up for my free, live webinar happening on October 24th, 2023: The 3 Biggest Mistakes in Behavior Plans and How to Fix Them ! https://event.webinarjam.com/register/86/9vkpyuw4 Interested...
Jul 31, 2023•8 min•Season 1Ep. 240
Reverse inclusion is when students from the general education come into the special education classroom for opportunities for peer modeling and creating friendships. For some students, their level of needs may not allow for inclusion in the general ed setting. Reverse inclusion is a good option for these students to receive the benefits of inclusion in a safe and comfortable setting. ---------------------------------------------- Interested in our Year-Long Curriculum Access Subscription? Learn ...
Jul 24, 2023•7 min•Season 1Ep. 239
Venting in the teachers’ lounge can have a negative impact on the culture and community in your school. When we only spread negative stories about our students we perpetuate often untrue stereotypes. As special education teachers, we need to be publicists for our students and spread some good PR! ---------------------------------------------- Interested in our Year-Long Curriculum Access Subscription? Learn more about it here: https://theautismhelper.com/tah-curriculum-access/ Join the waitlist ...
Jul 17, 2023•6 min•Season 1Ep. 238
The start of the year is all about two things: routines and reinforcement. You need to establish your schedule, centers, and systems in the classroom and teach that to your students. That also needs to be paired with lots of reinforcement. The start of the year is not about data - it’s about being the chocolate chip cookie! ---------------------------------------------- Interested in our Year-Long Curriculum Access Subscription? Learn more about it here: https://theautismhelper.com/tah-curriculu...
Jul 10, 2023•6 min•Season 1Ep. 237
