How can I best help my Special Needs student while homeschooling this year?

Question

Need help developing routines, schedule, and curriculum for my special education student who is homeschooling this year due to COVID-19

Answer 1

Hello,

You have asked a very important question, so I am here to provide you with a substantial solution that I hope will help you and your special education this year. Just out of curiosity: are you a parent, tutor, or teacher? All the same, the following information can apply to educators in all three of these categories.

Children who have special needs each have their own unique outlooks which in turn not only dictates the course of their educational output and intake, but also their lifestyles during childhood and going forward as adults. As a teacher and tutor who has worked with special needs students at the elementary, middle, and high school levels for the last 15 years in my academic career, I can honestly say that the more you integrate your special needs student's own individual interests into the picture when teaching him/her, the more receptive he/she will be to the learning at hand because he/she will be able to make an immediate connection between what they are learning and what they hold in high esteem on their own, in tandem with how their brain functions best given their special condition and corresponding thought process.

In terms of a routine: special needs students also respond well to consistency because it helps them focus better and develop a rhythm, pattern, and flow in their everyday business routines when it comes to fulfilling school-related activities and corresponding coursework. Is your special needs student more of a morning person or afternoon-evening person in terms of their functionality? If the former is true, then getting an earlier start in the day will work to their benefit based on their brain wavelengths. If the latter is true, then saving the more challenging academic material for later on in the day after the simpler academic content (for your student, in terms of their skill set) has been covered in full--complete with warmup activities to keep their focus sharp and overall thinking active--will work to their benefit accordingly.

Also, having frequent opportunities for physical movement so that your special needs student is not sitting still in one place the entire time will help them tremendously in terms of maintaining their focus and maintaining their underlying mental alertness active according to their given condition. Even having your special needs student sitting on one of those bouncy ball chairs allows them to physically maintain that essential rhythm and movement while learning in front of a computer screen for distance learning, or when looking straight ahead at you, their teacher, as you are demonstrating a lesson in motion all the while.

In 2015, I wrote and self-published a book titled Tommy Wrought: A Musical Reflection Of Children With Special Needs that discussed in detail how children with special needs and music really connect well--especially when it comes to everyday learning. If your special needs student is a lover of music (or if you are unsure as to whether they are or not), feel free to play music through them throughout the course of every day of learning to help them not only enjoy what they are learning, but so that they can also make connections between what they are learning firsthand to song lyrics that help to reiterate the learning content lyrically and rhythmically in tone. Just hearing another voice (in the form of the singers themselves) and another sound (in the form of the rhythms and melodies constituting the musical compositions being played aloud for your special needs student) can really help to get through to children with special needs (especially if they are nonverbal) when it comes to tackling everyday business tasks and other related odds and ends.

I really hope this helps! Feel free to reach out to me if you have any further questions and are in need of any tutoring assistance for yourself or anybody else whom you know seeking top-notch tutoring. I wish you all the best as you nobly educate your special needs going forward. Keep up the great work!

Answer 2

Here are nine at-home learning strategies that parents or caregivers can use to help their special needs children.

1. Establish an at-home schedule. This is the most important thing caregivers can do. A schedule will provide routine and a sense of normalcy during a very abnormal time. An established routine lets students know what to expect each day. Students with special needs often require and benefit from visual schedules. For students who struggle with time management, incorporating visual timers will help them know when an activity is coming to an end or when it is time to start the next activity on the schedule.
2. Stay positive. There is increased stress for everyone in households now. Parents should try their best to be aware of how they are interacting with their kids. They should stay positive and encouraging.
3. Praise often. Change is hard for everyone; parents should acknowledge that every day. When children are doing something that should be continued, parents should praise them, and the behavior is likely to be repeated.
4. Give breaks. A schedule is essential, but so are breaks. Parents should schedule breaks and time away from work and the computer during the day.
5. Use nonverbal reminders or prompts. Visuals are great for reminding children of expectations without having to tell them what to do. Caregivers should incorporate as many nonverbal cues as possible.
6. Provide incentives. Students will be motivated to complete work and follow the schedule when provided with an incentive. Parents should try to refrain from referring to them as rewards, however.
7. Choose your battles. If getting dressed is going to be the beginning of a downward spiral, parents should let their children spend the day in their pajamas. This time of uncertainty requires flexibility. Focus on the schedule, and choose your battles.
8. Welcome the help of siblings. Siblings can help with communication and technology support.
9. Incorporate physical movement. Physical movement is essential for our brains and our bodies. Ensure that children (and caregivers) are moving by taking walks and being outside when possible.

If the COVID-19 virus continues to keep students out of school, the need for creative approaches to meeting the needs of students with special needs will grow. Providing a universal assemblage of options that can be used by all will significantly benefit students with special needs. Developing a thoughtful approach to serving students with disabilities must be woven into any plan from the onset; we can never treat the most vulnerable students as an afterthought.

Answer 3

I would recommend creating a schedule that is broken down into 30-60 minute intervals, depending on the age of the student. Language should be simplified and clear so that there is no confusion as to what is happening in each time frame. For curriculum, I would recommend asking a teacher what resources they use, or visiting sites such as teacherspayteachers that offer valuable resources in the special education and general fields. The use of break cards, for students who tend to get upset or have emotional regulation issues, can be instrumental in avoiding less desirable behaviors (tantrums, physical aggression, etc.). Try to implement play times in between lessons in your schedules so that learning is less overwhelming for the student.

I hope this helps! My four years as a paraprofessional educator, and my current zoom time with special education students, has taught me a lot about how to work with children with IEP's.