Category: Special Education

As a special education teacher, it’s important to set up your classroom with the right equipment that caters to a wide range of your students’ needs and abilities. Special education teaching materials include tools, devices, equipment and products that enable your students to improve their sensory skills and develop essential fine motor functions like grasping, pressing buttons and using writing utensils.

Whether you’re setting up a new or existing classroom for children with functional needs (commonly referred to as special needs), the possibilities are endless! Enabling Devices offers everything you need with the highest quality, most innovative adapted toys, electronics and communication devices. Explore special education classroom must-haves that can help enable learning, play, communication and independence for students with disabilities.

1. Special Education Classroom Toys

Learning about cause and effect — the relationship between one action, behavior or event to another — is crucial for understanding how things work and navigating the world outside the classroom. Toys that teach cause and effect help children to develop intentionality and a sense of control over their environments, which in turn increases self-esteem.

Understanding cause and effect also helps children in academic pursuits such as reading, math and science. For children with sensory-motor challenges, toys controlled by capability switches are wonderful vehicles for teaching these skills. Enabling Devices has many adapted tabletop toys that can be used with or without switches.

Here are some of our favorite special education materials for teachers:

• Learn & Dance Zoo Activity Center: This interactive toy features four colorful buttons on the base to activate animal sounds and cute animal friends that play short songs. This toy helps teach cause and effect. By maneuvering, pressing and spinning different elements, students can make the animals speak and dance for an exciting safari experience!
• The Drumbourine: This musical toy activates by a switch, causing a striker to hit the tambourine, play a strong steady beat and produce radiant light graphics. When the student releases the switch, the music will stop, helping them learn how their actions lead to the reward of music.
• The Twirling Bead Chain: When a user presses the bright red gumball switch, the carousel will twirl and play lively music while the lights sparkle. Release the switch and the carousel stops. This toy is great for teaching cause and effect and also encourages reaching and provides auditory and tactile experiences.
• Our ATL Bundle: The ultimate way to outfit your special education classroom and teach students about cause and effect is with a bundle of toys with various shapes, sizes and textures for students to manipulate and interact with. Our carefully assembled classroom kit contains five of our newest and most popular adapted toys and five of our bestselling switches.
• Old MacDonald’s Farm: Your students will adore this brightly colored musical toy that sings their favorite nursery rhyme. This teaching toy is equipped with four built-in capability switches that activate different animal sounds and the familiar tune that everyone loves.

2. Communication and Circle Time Tools

Circle time provides students with functional needs the opportunity to bond with each other and encourage listening and communicating in various ways. Circle time also helps children develop their social skills by creating a consistent routine of daily, structured interactions that enhance their sensory-motor skills and language development.

This activity prepares children to learn respect for others’ opinions and build a sense of community and belonging. Over time, your students will strengthen their social competencies as they come together for a shared experience. Using special education materials and devices, children can more effectively and confidently communicate with you and other students regardless of their needs and abilities.

Enabling Devices develops communication devices and adapts many toys that are ideal for facilitating these skills during circle time. Explore these communication tools for special education teachers to enhance students’ experiences with circle time:

• Big Talk Triple Play: Our sequential communicator allows a child to be the day’s leader during circle time. Multiple recordable messages enable the student to introduce the day and date, review the weather and say good morning to everyone in the circle. This communicator is great for encouraging children with speech impairment to participate in classroom activities.
• Lighted Vibrating Mirror: Children love to take turns looking at themselves and then passing this multisensory mirror around the circle. Designed with two handles so it’s easy to grasp, the mirror offers visual and tactile stimulation while helping to encourage grasping and increase hand and finger strength.
• Music Machine: Our Music Machine includes a variety of instruments including cluster bells, castanets, jingle bells and drum sticks. Just attach whatever instrument the class chooses, add a single switch and give each child an opportunity to make beautiful music during circle time. This toy is great for developing auditory skills and teaching cause and effect as well as music appreciation. It’s also ideal for children who cannot grasp instruments on their own for long periods of time.
• Ring Around Bells: Let each child in the circle take a turn making this switch-activated toy’s colorful, precision-tuned bells twirl and play the musical scale while its multicolored LEDs blink. This toy encourages listening and grasping and increases eye-hand coordination, all while teaching children to appreciate music.
• Bongo Drums: When equipped with two capability switches, our Bongo Drums can be played by two children in the circle at once. Pass it around so that every child has the chance to practice sharing, cooperation and listening skills while learning cause and effect and music appreciation.
• Vibrating Animal: Is one child in the circle having a hard day? The Vibrating Animal can help them relax so they can attend to whatever’s being taught during circle time. Alternatively, pass the vibrating plush animal around the circle so that everyone can enjoy the tactile stimulation and calming effect of holding this soft, cuddly friend.

3. Fine Motor Development Tools for Your Classroom

Fine motor skills are small muscle movements in the fingers, thumb and hands that work in coordination with the eyes to perform important tasks such as writing, dressing, eating and toileting. Children with functional needs may need assistance grasping crayons, pressing buttons, using scissors or picking up toys. Fine motor movement improves eye-hand coordination, contributes to physical awareness and assists in the development of communication skills, such as talking, writing, drawing or using touch or switch-enabled devices to communicate.

Helping your students build up their fine motor skills can significantly improve their independence and task performance. Improved fine motor skills can also boost a child’s confidence in their ability to complete daily functions.

Many children with functional needs require extra practice to develop fine motor skills. Fortunately, with the right special education tools and toys on hand, your students can practice and improve their fine motor skills through play and everyday interactions. In fact, the more your students get to play with toys of various shapes and textures, the more attuned their fine motor muscles become.

Enabling Devices designs and adapts many toys and training products that offer fun ways to improve fine motor skills. Here are some of our favorite tools, toys and training products for developing fine motor skills:

• The Pull Ball: Designed like a whiffle ball, the multicolored Pull Ball is perforated with holes that allow a child’s fingers to easily slip in, grasp and pull. The Pull Ball encourages children to practice their finger, hand and wrist movements. Even the gentlest tug activates the toy’s music and lights. Children will be motivated to reach out, grasp and pull again and again.
• Switch-Adapted Tic Tac Toe: This special take on a classic game has LED lights and switches to encourage interaction and teach directionality. It’s ideal for children who have difficulty with fine motor, dexterity or grasping.
• The Five Function Activity Center: Students can learn cause and effect by activating any of this toy’s five functions. Press the bright yellow plate to play its built-in AM/FM radio, the red plate to feel a vibration, the wooden roller to sound a buzzer, a pull ball to turn on the music box, and the orange one to turn on the light. This toy helps develop sensory awareness and improve eye-hand coordination.
• ADL Boards: Activities of daily living (ADL) boards are a must-have for any special education classroom supply list. This product gives students valuable practice with fine motor skills they will need to dress themselves, including lacing, buttoning, zipping and snapping. Strengthening the muscles in their fingers, hands and wrists can also help with many other skills, like grasping and writing.
• Finger Isolation Button: This unique and colorful switch features a recessed button that helps individuals improve their fine motor and finger isolation skills needed to use touchscreen devices and computers.
•  Weighted Hand Writing Glove: Students can perform a variety of fine motor and self-help activities with this weighted compression glove that provides proprioceptive input to help strengthen the response in an individual’s joints and muscles.

Explore more toys and training products that improve fine motor skills.

4. Visual Attention and Tracking Toys and Educational Tools

Visual tracking is a child’s ability to move and control their eye movements. The two types of visual tracking are focusing on an object as it moves across the visual field, and efficiently switching focus between two objects.

In the classroom, children will often have to look up at the board for instructions and learning. However, if they struggle with controlling their eye movements, such as left to right, up and down and in a circular motion, it can be difficult for them to focus and stay visually alert. Some individuals may not be able to move their eyes without moving their heads.

These skills are needed for following both moving and stationary objects and are necessary for reading, body awareness, posture and coordination. Children rely on visual tracking to interact with their environment and know where to look. For instance, a student who has a visual impairment may find it difficult to read without skipping lines or have trouble catching a ball during playtime.

While visual tracking is more challenging for students with a visual impairment, the right toys and activities can help them improve their visual tracking and attention. Enabling Devices offers a range of toys and educational tools designed to develop these skills. Here are some of our favorites:

• Penguin Roller Coaster: Children will develop their visual attention and tracking skills by watching this toy’s adorable little penguins climb to the top of the iceberg and “swoosh” down the slide to the bottom. This toy works with a capability switch, which is sold separately.
• Fubbles Fun-Finiti Bubble Machine: Everyone loves bubble play! This visually entrancing toy offers an infinite amount of fun while teaching students about cause and effect. Students can use a capability switch to activate this toy and watch bubbles soar to the sky, improving eye-hand coordination and visual attention and tracking.
• Tube Tracker: The Tube Tracker provides tons of fun while encouraging visual attention and visual tracking and helping develop students’ switch activation skills. Simply hold down the switch and watch the brightly colored balls move upward on a cushion of air. The Tube Tracker includes six colorful ping pong balls.
• Visual Light Experience Kit: Go for the whole shebang! This huge assortment of toys includes everything you need to help students develop their visual perceptual skills, including visual tracking, scanning and attention. This kit contains 13 items of various shapes and sizes, from musical toys to light-up devices that enhance a child’s visual experience. Keep in mind that this kit should not be used with individuals who are prone to seizures.

Find more toys for students with visual impairment on our site.

Get Your Classroom Must-Haves From Enabling Devices Today

As a special education teacher, you are constantly working to ensure your students’ needs are met. One of the most important things you can provide, regardless of a student’s abilities, is the possibility to enable them to do and learn more. At Enabling Devices, it’s our goal to help you make small but meaningful changes to your classroom that allow students to play, grow and learn new skills.

We design and develop tools, toys and products that provide more hands-on learning opportunities so children with disabilities can reach their full potential and feel more confident in their abilities. We offer a wide range of products to help students with functional needs maximize their time in your classroom and meet their individual goals.

Browse our products online to explore toys and devices you can use to enhance your classroom, or contact us today to see if we can create a custom product for your student.

Though the weather outside is frightfully hot, a visit to your local air-conditioned Walmart or Target, where you’ll find aisles of Disney princess and Super Mario-themed lunchboxes and looseleaf notebooks, will remind you that back-to-school season is here.

Back-to-school season engenders a variety of feelings in kids from joy and excitement, to fear and anxiety. For children who face learning challenges, difficulty with transitions, or poor social skills, returning to classrooms may be especially stressful. Foresight and preparation can make all the difference in starting the new school year on a positive note. So, here are some steps you can take to make school year 2023-2024 the best it can be.

1. Adapt your child’s sleep schedule
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “children ages 3-5 years [should] get 10 to 13 hours of sleep including naps, children ages 6-12 years old [should] get 9-12 hours of sleep and children 13-18 years [should] get 8-10 hours of sleep.” During summer vacations, many families are more liberal about their children’s sleep schedules. To give your child the best chance of a successful transition, gradually move his bedtime and wakeup schedules to a school-appropriate schedule. In addition, re-introduce a bedtime routine including bathing, teeth-brushing, and changing into PJs. Limit screen time before bed since lights from a computer screen, phone or TV inhibit sleep. Instead, read to your child, or encourage independent readers to wind down with a book.

2. Communicate with your child’s teacher
If possible, set up a time to meet with, email or talk with your child’s teacher before the first day of school. The teacher will likely appreciate the insight you can provide about your child’s areas of interest, strengths and weaknesses as well as any behavior tips you can share. This conversation is also a good opportunity to make sure that all arrangements and accommodations for your student’s learning needs are in place.

3. Take your child to meet the teacher
If time allows, take your child to visit her teacher prior to the first day of school. This will ease your child’s anxiety about the unknown and make her feel more comfortable about the start of the school year.

4. Tour the school building
Set up a pre-first day visit to the school to help acclimate your student to his surroundings. This is especially important if your child will be in a brand-new environment or if he benefits from repetition.

5. Encourage your child to share feelings about the upcoming school year
Don’t wait for your child to raise anxieties, fears or excitement about the upcoming transition. Instead, explore her feelings whenever the opportunity arises. One good way to start a conversation is by reading books with back-to-school themes.

6. Set up playdates prior to the first day
If you know other children who’ll be attending your child’s school, or even better, who will be among your child’s classmates, set up a playdate prior to the first day. Seeing a familiar face or two on the first day of school can make a world of difference to an anxious student.

7. Shop for back-to-school supplies with your child
Sometimes it seems easiest to purchase your child’s school supplies without her input, but enlisting her involvement is a great way to help prepare your child mentally and physically for returning to school. If your child has physical limitations or sensory needs, take care to find supplies that work for her. For example, check out Enabling Devices’ mounting devices and systems that hold adaptive switches and iPads. If your child is non-verbal, consider investing in a new communicator that aligns with his current language level. Or help your student improve her skills with adaptive tools such as our LED Light Box, ADL board, or Adapted Battery Operated Scissors.

A special education classroom should provide the support students need to successfully engage in learning activities, communicate more effectively and minimize behavioral problems.

With high-quality tools, devices, toys and electronics from Enabling Devices, you’ll have everything you need to support a wide range of functional levels. This guide provides tips for decorating your ideal special education classroom.

Special Education Classroom Setup and Decorating Ideas

The first step to setting up a special education classroom is to carefully consider each piece in the room and how it will fulfill students’ learning needs. Here are some special education classroom decorating ideas to keep in mind.

• Consider the age range: While many special education teachers have students of varying ages and abilities, you’ll want to find appropriate room decorations for the students in your classroom. If possible, wait until you find out the actual and developmental ages of your students before choosing materials and room décor. Some students may benefit from certain seating arrangements or educational devices.
• Determine the layout: Your special education classroom layout should include separate areas with specific uses, such as a play area or calming area. At the same time, be sure to leave space for children with mobility devices to navigate the room.
• Arrange the classroom to fit your teaching methods: Every teacher has a unique teaching style. Arrange your special education classroom according to your own teaching style. For example, if you prefer for students to work collaboratively, arrange desks closer together. If you prefer them to work individually, space out the desks accordingly.
• Create a fun, comfortable and calming environment: It is critical that your special education classroom is comfortable, accessible and pleasant for students. Consider decorating with bright, fun colors or delineate sections by choosing different color combinations for each section.
• Feel free to brainstorm: Get creative with the themes available. For instance, a camping theme might incorporate different elements of nature, whereas a city theme might include areas that resemble a public park or town hall. Check out our blog post on back-to-school theme ideas for special education teachers to get inspired.

Rules for a Special Education Classroom

Meaningful routines and structure offer consistency and predictability for all children. Knowing what to expect as they enter your classroom will help students to feel relaxed and create an environment that is well-suited for healthy interactions, improved social skills and behavior management.

When creating rules for your classroom, consider the ages, needs and abilities of all students. For example, don’t expect students with certain mobility challenges to raise their hands before speaking. Likewise, being asked to listen when others are speaking will not accommodate a student with a hearing impairment.

Here are examples of special education classroom rules to use as a starting place. When you arrive at a list of rules that appropriately accommodate all students, post them on the board to remind students to follow them.

• Raise your hand or signal the teacher when you have a question.
• Look and listen during instruction.
• Use kind and positive language.
• Stay seated during activities.
• Keep your hands and feet to yourself.
• Bring your homework to school.
• Always try your best.
• Follow directions.
• Use your quiet voice.
• Be respectful to others.

Special Education Tools, Equipment and Materials

Specially made tools, toys and materials can enhance students’ experiences and make it easier for them to focus and absorb new information. Certain equipment can also help them improve their daily living skills, both at home and at school.

The following are special education classroom items you may want to consider:

• Tactile Manipulatives: Squishy, textured toys help students feel more focused and less stressed while strengthening their hands and fingers and enhancing tactile processing.
• ADL Boards: Activities of Daily Living (ADL) boards are beneficial for students of all ages with functional needs, also referred to as special  needs. These tools allow students to enhance fine motor skills that they need to dress, such as zipping, snapping and lacing, which can also help them learn to grasp writing tools or press buttons on communication devices.
• ATL Bundles: These adapted toys with switches can increase students’ visual and auditory attention and teach them about cause and effect.
• Finger Isolation Button: This device is designed with a recessed button to help students learn how to master finger isolation and other fine motor skills needed for using touchscreen devices and computers.
• Weighted Hand Writing Glove: A weighted glove is a must-have for any special education classroom because it offers proprioceptive input and compression that some students may need to perform various activities, like writing and drawing. This glove enhances maximum finger flexibility and wrist mobility and elevates strengthening exercises.

Elementary School Special Education Classroom Tips

Children in elementary school will generally be five to 10 years old. With that in mind, here are some elementary special education classroom tips to try:

• Use alternative aids: For students with visual or hearing impairment, consider using visual or auditory aids that allow them to engage and respond in lessons and activities. Devices for these impairments allow elementary school students to be more interactive when learning.
• Create a predictable schedule: Children with varying needs and abilities can benefit from a predictable routine in the classroom. When you anticipate a change in their routine, such as a field trip, special guest or substitute teacher, it’s best to let your students know in advance so they feel comfortable and prepared when the day comes.
• Provide plenty of opportunities for breaks: Children with special needs develop their skills on different timelines, so it’s important to offer a safe calming area for them in the classroom, such as a sensory space. A sensory space allows them to engage with tools and toys that provide a relaxation break before returning to learning.
• Consider environmental triggers: Look around your classroom and determine if there are any bright lights, extreme temperatures or loud noises. These factors can disrupt a child’s thought process and behavior, potentially leading to an outburst. Decorate your classroom with warm lighting and use soothing music to help keep everyone calm.
• Use discipline gently but effectively: Elementary-age children of all needs and abilities may struggle to stick to certain rules and behaviors. Determine an effective strategy for promoting and supporting good behavior with simple and straightforward language. Be sure to help your students learn what is expected of them and build trust and respect, but be gentle with your tone, volume and body language.
• Make learning easier with tools, toys and devices: You can entice younger children to learn and communicate more effectively with devices that assist them in their daily activities. For example, toys that calm anxiety can help with focus, and communicators make it easier for students to express their needs. These sensory and functional products are great additions for engaging the five senses and promoting relaxation.

Middle and High School Special Education Classroom Tips

Middle and high school special education students may be aware of their different needs and abilities when around their peers, so it’s critical to ensure your classroom is a place for them to feel supported, empowered and engaged in learning. Here are some ways to make older students feel at ease:

• Use a mix of learning materials and tools: Your students will have a variety of proficiency levels and abilities in the classroom, so having a mix of books and resources can provide students with manageable assignments and activities. You can also modify or adjust assignments to minimize frustration and maximize confidence.
• Discuss disabilities openly and reduce stigma: Some middle and high school students with special needs may feel ashamed of their symptoms and functional differences. As a special education teacher, it’s important to help students understand disability. Talking openly about students’ needs and abilities can help them capitalize on their strengths and feel motivated to learn more about themselves.
• Use assistive tools and technologies: There are plenty of assistive technologies and products to aid students in learning, such as special education classroom kits for students who have sensory processing disorder, speech or visual impairment, autism or cerebral palsy.
• Create a responsive classroom environment: Learn how each of your students can and prefers to communicate. Whether a student is verbal or uses augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices, speaking their language can help them build trust with you and feel more confident in participating.

How to Create an Inclusive Special Education Classroom

Teachers and educators play a valuable role in promoting inclusivity in special education classrooms and throughout the entire school. Here are some ways you can support inclusivity among students:

• Develop lessons to accommodate everyone’s needs: It’s important for teachers to educate themselves on each student’s needs, limitations and boundaries to better understand how to build inclusive lessons and make alterations to assignments. You may also modify seating arrangements or develop creative ways to meet your students where they are.
• Keep a positive perspective: Modeling a positive attitude while teaching special education in the classroom is an effective way to help your students feel more confident in themselves and their ability to succeed in school. Keep in mind that some students may not always meet learning outcomes as expected. Focus on the big picture, such as the fact that they are engaging in your classroom and learning something new.
• Avoid showing a preference or comparing students: In any educational setting, showing preference or favoritism toward certain students can make others feel that they are not doing enough, which can create a divisive classroom. A special education inclusive classroom starts with eliminating exclusion, comparison and stereotypes, which allows children to grow and learn regardless of their abilities.
• Have adaptive equipment and assistive technology available: Your students may have varying needs and abilities when it comes to speech, vision, hearing or mobility. Providing appropriate adaptive and assistive devices helps promote inclusion and allows all students to engage in activities. Some of these devices might include adaptive switches, capability switches, communicators and boards.
• Emphasize respect in all interactions: Part of maintaining an inclusive and positive environment is reminding students to humanize their peers who might have different abilities from them. Encourage students to introduce themselves and remind children to be respectful of others’ feelings, even if they don’t know at first how to speak to or include an individual with disabilities.

Teaching children how to include peers with disabilities can be challenging for some parents and teachers. Find out more about how to help kids learn to include and understand classmates with different needs.

Teaching Strategies for a Special Education Classroom

Your teaching methods may vary depending on the age group and special needs of your students. Explore these general teaching strategies you can practice in your special education classroom:

• Group students according to their abilities: Form small groups of students according to their needs, abilities and skill levels. This structure can help your students avoid comparing themselves to others and instead focus on their group and their assigned activity.
• Create specialized areas around the classroom: Designate certain areas of the classroom for specific activities and instruction. Ensure that each space specializes in one level or subject for your students to focus on at a time and include various learning materials for them to engage with.
• Review the previous lesson: Once you’ve covered a new subject or lesson in class, review it before jumping into the next one to determine if every student is ready to move on. Emphasize key points of the lesson and check in with your students to ensure they understand.
• Provide follow-up directions: After instruction, it’s always best to repeat yourself or provide additional directions so your students are confident in what they need to do. Remind students to ask for help if they do not understand your directions.

Teaching Strategies for Students With ADHD

Students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may present an impaired ability to listen, focus or finish a task. This disorder may sometimes cause students to fidget or display disruptive behaviors in class. Here are some special education classroom ideas for teaching students with ADHD:

• Personalize their learning: Students do not learn in the same way. Some may show strengths in different areas than others, such as the ability to sit still or stay organized. Consider hands-on, interactive activities with manipulatives to help keep students with ADHD focused and engaged.
• Offer choices: Some assignments with many steps can be overwhelming for students with ADHD, so try offering several ways for them to finish an assignment. When learning math, for example, allow them the choice of using a calculator, writing problems on the board or working quietly on a worksheet to complete their assignment.
• Accommodate their attention span: Students with ADHD will perform tasks more effectively without distractions. Give them a quiet area to work, allow them extra time to finish or split up the assignment in separate stages rather than all at once.
• Reward students for good behavior: Many children with ADHD may become accustomed to constant correction or scolding for their behavior. You can make a huge difference in their learning by focusing on their positive behaviors. Offering praise for even minor accomplishments can motivate them to continue these behaviors.

Prepare Your Special Education Classroom With Help From Enabling Devices

As a special education teacher, you know how important it is to ensure every child has access to learning regardless of their needs and abilities. To create an inclusive and accessible classroom, start by introducing adaptive devices and assistive technology from Enabling Devices. We’re proud to create exceptional products to help individuals with disabilities achieve their goals, from communication to learning to play.

We understand that each student is unique, and it’s our goal to create products that align with those needs. We’re passionate about enabling possibility and unlocking potential in all students. Contact us today to learn more about how our devices can help enhance learning for your students.

All too often, students with disabilities are subjected to cruel and unusual punishments by school staff and faculty members who lack the training, patience and resources to manage their behavioral challenges.

Take for example, the case of a 13-year-old boy with autism in California, whose face-down restraint by three school employees resulted in his death in 2018; or the 2022 case of a nonverbal first grader in Texas who was being physically abused by his teacher and teacher’s aide for months.

Equally heinous is when school boards cover up the mistreatment of disabled students. For example, earlier this year, the Bedford Central School District Board of Education failed to notify the parents of nonverbal disabled high school students that their naked photos (taken by other students in school bathrooms) were being circulated on social media.

As the 2022-2023 school year looms, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) have established new guidelines for elementary and secondary schools to “support students with disabilities and avoid discriminatory use of discipline.”

According to a press release by the Department of Education, “the newly released resources are the most comprehensive guidance on the civil rights of students with disabilities concerning student discipline and build on the Department’s continued efforts to support students and schools through pandemic recovery.”

Included in the guidelines are the following resources for educators, school administrators, parents and students:

• Supporting Students with Disabilities and Avoiding the Discriminatory Use of Student Discipline under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and an accompanying Fact Sheet.
• Questions and Answers Addressing the Needs of Children with Disabilities and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act’s (IDEA’s) Discipline Provisions.
• Positive, Proactive Approaches to Supporting the Needs of Children with Disabilities: A Guide for Stakeholders.
• A letter from Secretary Cardona to our nation’s educators, school leaders, parents, and students about the importance of supporting the needs of students with disabilities.

“All students deserve to have their rights protected, and schools deserve greater clarity on how they can avoid the discriminatory use of discipline,” said Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “The guidance we’re releasing today will help ensure that students with disabilities are treated fairly and have access to supports and services to meet their needs—including their disability-based behavior. … These resources will also help schools live up to their legal obligations, support an equitable recovery for all our students, and make sure that students with disabilities get the behavioral supports and special education services they need to thrive.”

In some parts of the United States, school has already begun. Elsewhere, teachers, parents and students are preparing to head back to their classrooms.

If you’re a parent with a child in occupational, speech or physical therapy or a teacher or clinician working with students who learn differently, you’re probably thinking about how to create the best educational environment for your child, student or client this year. Enabling Devices is thinking about that too. We’ve updated our Adapted Therapeutic Learning—Skills Development Chart to reflect new products as well as tried-and-true toys and educational products, designed to help children find success in school.

The chart comprises 19 areas of skill development and shows which of those skills different Enabling Devices products address. It also defines learning skills for customers who aren’t teachers and therapists and may not be familiar with terms related to skill development. For example, the chart explains that toys that address directionality teach children about moving forward, backward, right, left, up or down, while toys that address cause-and-effect, teach children that particular actions create particular responses. In sum, this resource takes the guesswork out of choosing toys and educational products for children with special learning needs.

For example, if you’re looking for something to help children learn about simple cause-and-effect, increase eye hand coordination, and improve fine motor coordination, then our Sound Puzzles would be a good choice. Like all our toys, it’s also entertaining, so kids will enjoy learning.

Or if you are looking for something that increases visual attention and tracking, sensory awareness, auditory development, and listening skills, our Tic-Tac-Toe game might be exactly what you need.

The Compact Activity Center is a popular choice for parents, teachers and clinicians looking for a device that helps with finger isolation, increases tactile stimulation, and encourages reaching, swiping and grasping.

Planning to create a sensory space in your home or classroom? The chart includes many of the toys and devices you will need, including Somatosensory Tubes; Twirling Bead Chain; and our Disco Ball.

We hope the updated chart will help you to choose the best products for your special learners. Yet as always, Enabling Devices staff members are more than happy to speak with you about your students and their individual learning needs. We are available to provide advice about creating a sensory learning space, and to provide counsel from a dedicated occupational therapy consultant. We can also provide advice for classroom bundles such as our kit for the visually impaired; and our autism spectrum disorder kit. Please don’t hesitate to reach out for help. Talking with parents, teachers, and clinicians is one of the best parts of our job!

It’s been nearly a year since schools shut down and students, teachers and parents began the challenging transition to online learning. While most experts agree that re-opening schools is critical for students and their parents, many believe that online learning in some form is here to stay.

According to research by the Rand Corporation, “About two in ten districts have already adopted, plan to adopt, or are considering adopting virtual school as part of their district portfolio after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

So, what will that mean for students with special needs? That depends.

Here are some of the pros and cons of virtual and hybrid learning models:

 Pros

1. Safety First
Having an online learning option may benefit children who are medically fragile, especially until the threat of infection from COVID-19 is completely eradicated.

2. Flexibility
Online learning offers a level of flexibility that may benefit families and students with frequent medical and therapy appointments and those for whom traveling back and forth to school is stressful and/or time-consuming.

3. Therapeutic benefit
Some therapists see value in remote treatment because it gives them the opportunity to observe students in their home environments. Likewise, students can benefit from the opportunity to practice activities of daily living at home where they may need to use them the most.

4. Greater awareness about educational inequities
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the many inequities that exist in our education system. Those hit hardest by these inequities tend to be the poor and the disabled. “But some families and their advocates are hopeful that the pandemic could prompt a reckoning and systemic change,” writes Cayla Bamberger for the Hechinger Report. “During distance learning, educators have needed to get creative to reach all their students, leading to new ways of collaborating with parents and approaches to instruction that education experts say could be integrated into how schools operate going forward.” Now that many of us have become more aware of the systemic problems, there are opportunities to make positive change.   

Cons

1. Learning is less individualized
Individual attention can be hard to come by in Zoom classes. As special education teacher Avam Rips told Today.com, “Part of what makes special education unique is that teachers create individualized education plans for each student. That’s harder to do when classes are held virtually; teachers have no choice but to turn to a “one-size-fits-all” model.”

2. Delivery of therapy services is challenging
During the pandemic, many children with disabilities missed out on the therapeutic services they need to thrive. According to Education Week, “Some special education students have gone months without occupational, physical, and speech therapy services and other supports. In districts that provided virtual therapy, parents were pressed into duty, forced to try to replicate the therapy that trained specialists would normally provide in school.” Hopefully, these issues will be resolved post-pandemic when schools are again able to provide in-person therapies.

3. Social skills development suffers
Children with social skills deficits may lose out on opportunities to practice social skills when they are learning remotely. Due to school closures, many parents of children with special needs are concerned that their social skills have regressed in the past year.

4. Remote and hybrid education models lack consistency
For many students with special needs, structure is key. Remote and hybrid schedules can be too disorganizing for children who require schedules and routine to feel safe and comfortable.

5. Stress on parents
Remote and hybrid education can be extremely stressful for parents, especially working parents and parents of children with special needs. To provide their children with the best care, parents of special needs kids need time to refuel while their children are in school.

It’s not unusual for parents and teachers to have concerns about “summer slide” — the academic regression that occurs for some students during the months when they are out of school. This year, since schools closed months early due to COVID-19, their concerns are magnified. Though most school systems provided online learning, statistics show that teachers and parents don’t feel especially satisfied with the way this went.

According to a May 26 USA Today survey, “Sixty percent of parents and 86 percent of teachers were concerned about children and 46 percent of parents and 76 percent of teachers say distance learning is causing the children to fall behind. Seventy-three percent of parents and 64 percent of teachers say the children will eventually be able to make up any lost ground.”

And concerns are greater for students with disabilities. “For students with special needs—roughly 7 million in the U.S. ages 3 to 21—the coronavirus pandemic, and its attendant school closures, can be especially scary,” writes Faith Hill for The Atlantic.

“At school, they get individualized attention from professionals who are trained in, and deeply familiar with, their unique ways of thinking, perceiving, and processing. But no amount of love and care at home can turn the average parent into a special-education teacher overnight. Nor can it enable them to practice occupational, speech, or physical therapy—services that are provided in many schools, but aren’t always covered by insurance and can therefore be otherwise out of reach.”

In late May, ParentsTogether, a nonprofit organization that provides news and information to parents, released the results of  a survey of 1,500 members across the United States. The survey revealed that families with children in special education are “facing major challenges.”

• Just 20% of parents whose children have an Individualized Educational Program (IEP) or are entitled to other special education services say that they are receiving those services.
• 39% are not receiving any support at all.
• Children who qualify for individual learning plans are also:
  • Twice as likely as their peers to be doing little or no remote learning (35% vs. 17%).
  • Twice as likely to say that distance learning is going poorly (40% vs. 19% for those without IEPs).
  • Almost twice as concerned about their kids’ mental health (40% vs. 23% for those without IEPs).

So, what can be done to help these 7 million or so students? There’s no easy answer. Though some parents and teachers want to see children back in school ASAP, others say health concerns eclipse everything else. Returning to school before the virus is fully contained, and/or a vaccine or cure is discovered, is especially worrisome for parents of children who are medically fragile.

Yet, in a piece for the Global Partnership for Education, Charlotte McClain-Nhlapo, Global Disability Advisor of the World Bank Group writes that the pandemic may provide us with an opportunity to rethink the way special education services are delivered and to make global education “truly disability inclusive.”

McClain-Nhlapo recommends the following measures:

• Providing support to education systems to ensure that distance learning is accessible, teachers are trained and supported to remotely teach children with disabilities and ensuring that caregivers are supported as well.
• Providing the right mechanisms for inclusive wash, nutrition, mental health, and psychosocial support for children with disabilities and their families.
• Reallocating and targeting resources towards more inclusive health, social and educational services.
• Supporting the collection of disaggregate data by disability for emergency response and/or monitoring to help with tailored interventions, leading to improved support for children with disabilities in their learning environment.

It’s that time of year again. Time to think about heading back to school. While some children greet the beginning of a new school year with excitement, others, especially those who face academic, behavioral and social challenges, are typically more anxious about returning to school. While you can’t promise your child or yourself that everything will go perfectly this year, there are strategies you can use to make the transition go more smoothly. We’ve compiled a list of tips to get the new school year off to a positive start.

1. Create a social story

Help your child be better prepared for school and the situations that are likely to arise there by creating a social story.  According to the Head Start Center for Inclusion, “Social Stories are short stories, often with pictures, describing a situation from the child’s point of view… Social Stories are designed to help children to gain a better understanding and have consistent reminders of the expectations in challenging social situations.”

Typically, social stories focus on an activity such as walking down the hall in school, having appropriate manners while eating lunch with peers, sharing or being a good sport. For more information, visit Carol Gray Social Stories. You can find sample social stories on Autism Parenting Magazine’s website..

2. Take your child for a school visit

If at all possible, arrange to visit your child’s school and teacher at least once before the beginning of the school year. Having a chance to talk with his teacher, see his classroom, and walk the halls will go a long way toward making him feel less anxious about the first day. This is particularly true if your child will be attending a new school in the fall.

3. Talk with the teacher about your child

Make an effort to talk with your child’s teacher before the school year begins.

Carly Anderson, a teacher and blogger for the Friendship Circle, has found that when parents provide information about their children in advance, the students’ transitions are usually smoother.

Anderson recommends parents share information about their child’s interests and motivations, any changes that may have occurred over the summer, what the child’s summer routine was like, their priorities for their child’s school year and whether they have time to be involved in their child’s classroom.

4. Back to school shopping

Do your best to accommodate your child’s wishes when it comes to back-to-school clothes and supplies. Having special needs can make it more difficult for your child to fit in with peers, and her social life may be less treacherous if she adheres to the latest fashion trends. If your child isn’t aware of the trends, pay attention on her behalf. Kids can be cruel, and there’s no point in making her an easy target for teasing.

5. Organizational tools

Nowadays, there are many tools you can use to help your child with his executive functioning difficulties. Having the right school supplies is a good start. Writing for Understood, Amanda Morin, a mother and teacher suggests buying a backpack with enough, but not too many compartments and zipper pockets. Then says Morin, “Help your child sort school supplies into clearly defined categories. For instance, put pens, pencils and highlighters together. Match up notebooks with folders and textbooks.” Try color-coding notebooks and folders to help your child keep supplies in order. Make use of the many apps that help students keep track of assignments, manage their time and stay focused.

6. Communication tools

If your child has communication challenges that interfere with her ability to talk with her peers and teachers, electronic communication devices can make a tremendous difference in the way she learns and the quality of her school experience.  Enabling Devices has many AAC device options. Shop Communicators  here.

7. iPad Products

iPads have revolutionized education for all students but perhaps even more so for children with disabilities. Regardless of mobility challenges, your child will be able to find a switch that enables him to access any app that has been programmed for switch access. See our list of switch-enabled apps here.

8. Fidgets

Don’t forget the fidgets! These little tools can be lifesavers for children who need help with self-regulation, and staying calm and focused in the classroom. They also help to increase tactile awareness. Why not splurge and get them for the whole class?