Autism Classroom Resources Podcast: A Podcast for Special Educators Christine Reeve, Special Education Support

For many of our students, high school graduation is not the end of their educational journey. We certainly have a lot more students who are recognized with autism now who are academically able to go on to secondary education. But how can we begin to help our students prepare for college, and what skills should we focus on? Today, our guest, Dr. Marc Ellison, shares some insight into this and more!
Dr. Marc Ellison is the executive director of the West Virginia Autism Training Center, located at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Dr. Ellison has worked for almost 40 years to provide support to individuals diagnosed with autism, their families, educators, and caregivers. Dr. Ellison came to Marshall University full-time to lead the college support program, which was the first of its kind in the nation.
In this episode, Dr. Marc Ellison shares when to start preparing for college, the challenges students with ASD face in the college setting, what helps students succeed in college, and the importance of community.
04:41 - When to begin planning for the college transition
07:50 - What challenges students with ASD face in the college setting
15:00 - The skills and factors that have helped students with ASD succeed at Marshall University
18:42 - How he has created a community for students with autism on campus and the benefits of creating this community
23:59 - The importance of teachers anticipating student needs and having difficult conversations when needed
Show Notes: http://autismclassroomresources.com/episode217
Resources:
Benchmarks of Successful College SupportsAcademic and Campus Accommodations That Foster Success Join the Autism Classroom Resources' Free Resource Library Get more information about the Special Educator AcademyJoin the Free Facebook Group
If you're enjoying this podcast, could you please take a quick moment to leave your review on Apple Podcasts? It would mean the world to me and will help spread the word to other special educators. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

There are many things that we need to think about when writing IEP goals. We need to look at the present level of performance, curriculum goals, and parent input. However, there are other things we should consider when we write IEP goals, regardless of when we write them during the school year.
When considering what a student’s goals should be, there are questions we should be asking. There, of course, are the standard questions - Is your goal measurable? Is it clear? And is it related to the present level of performance? But there are 5 additional questions I think are key to writing better goals for your students. In this episode, I am diving into what these 5 questions are and how asking them before writing a goal will make your life easier throughout the year.
03:10 - Why it’s important to ask if a goal has been written before
05:42 - What an enabling goal is
07:05 - The importance of looking at what skills a student will need in their next environment
08:45 - Why you should be considering how you will teach the skill 
12:45 - How to write goals that allow you to accurately track and measure them
Show Notes: http://autismclassroomresources.com/episode216
Resources:
Writing Enabling Goals for IEPsHow to Conquer 5 Challenges of Meaningful IEPsJoin the Autism Classroom Resources' Free Resource Library Get more information about the Special Educator AcademyJoin the Free Facebook Group
If you're enjoying this podcast, could you please take a quick moment to leave your review on Apple Podcasts? It would mean the world to me and will help spread the word to other special educators. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

There are many unspoken rules and expectations that neurotypical individuals pick up on and learn in their everyday lives. But for some people, understanding these unspoken norms of behavior and social interactions can be difficult. That is why it is incredibly important, especially as special education teachers, that we understand what the hidden curriculum is and how we can help our students be more successful with it. Dr. Brenda Smith Myles, Ph.D., is joining us today to talk all about the hidden curriculum.
Brenda Smith Myles, Ph.D., formerly a professor at the University of Kansas, is the recipient of the Autism Society of America’s Outstanding Professional Award, the Princeton Fellowship Award, The Global and Regional Asperger Syndrome (GRASP) Divine Neurotypical Award, and the American Academy of Pediatrics Autism Champion. Brenda has made over 3000 presentations all over the world and has written more than 300 articles and books on ASD. In addition, she collaborated with the three organization who identified evidenced-based practices in autism. Further, in a survey conducted by the University of Texas, she was acknowledged as the second most productive applied researcher in ASD in the world.
Brenda is sharing some incredible insight on the hidden curriculum meaning, how we can teach it, why it’s beneficial for everyone to be taught it, and how not understanding it can negatively impact our students with autism.
03:21 - The hidden curriculum meaning and what exactly it is
07:56 - How we can teach the hidden curriculum and help our literal learners be successful with it
11:00 - Examples of how not understanding the hidden curriculum can have a negative impact on autistic individuals when interacting with the community
16:06 - How not understanding the environment they're in and how it differs from another environment can affect autistic individuals
21:45 - The challenges experienced by individuals who are unable to observe the environment in a way that allows them to absorb information
Show Notes: http://autismclassroomresources.com/episode215
Resources:
The Hidden Curriculum 25th Anniversary Revised Edition: Understanding Unstated Rules in Social SituationsJoin the Autism Classroom Resources' Free Resource Library Get more information about the Special Educator AcademyJoin the Free Facebook Group
If you're enjoying this podcast, could you please take a quick moment to leave your review on Apple Podcasts? It would mean the world to me and will help spread the word to other special educators. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As special education teachers, we know how important it is to have solid teacher-parent relationships. Strong teacher-parent relationships help us best serve our students by creating a collaborative team approach that helps create a supportive environment for the students both at home and at school. But understanding how we as educators can develop these solid relationships can be challenging. That is why I am so grateful that Kelley Coleman is joining us today to provide us with some incredible insight from a parent’s perspective.
Kelley Coleman is a feature film development executive turned author and advocate for parent caregivers and individuals with disabilities. Her book Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child: Your Guide to the Essential Systems, Services, and Supports draws upon over a decade of experience, including her own experience parenting a child with multiple disabilities. Kelley lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two boys, and her son’s trusty service dog.
In this episode, Kelley shares her experience with ableism and what it means, what parents find important when meeting teachers, and how teachers can help foster a strong teacher-parent relationship.
02:56 - Kelley’s journey and experience parenting a child with multiple disabilities
11:12 - What ableism is and how teachers and parents can be respectful of a child’s privacy in terms of their disability
22:15 - What educators should know about meeting parents for the first time and what is really important to parents
25:05 - How both parents and schools can foster strong, positive teacher-parent relationships
35:05 - Why teachers and parents should be in ongoing communication throughout the school year, not just at IEP meetings
Show Notes: http://autismclassroomresources.com/episode214
Resources:
Visit Kelley’s websiteFollow Kelley on Instagram @hellokelleycolemanAdd Kelley on FacebookJoin the Autism Classroom Resources' Free Resource Library Get more information about the Special Educator AcademyJoin the Free Facebook Group
If you're enjoying this podcast, could you please take a quick moment to leave your review on Apple Podcasts? It would mean the world to me and will help spread the word to other special educators. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Behavior is not a one-way street. There is an interconnectedness between student behavior and teacher behavior, which we can sometimes miss. It is so important that we recognize the impact special education teachers and special education paraprofessionals have on student behaviors to avoid any unintentional reinforcement of challenging behaviors.
In this episode, I’m breaking down the research behind how children’s behavior drives the behavior of adults without the adults realizing it. I share why understanding that behavior has reciprocal impacts is so important, how to ensure we aren’t fading out the demands on a student based on their behavior, and the importance of observing other adults in the classroom.
02:40 - The research behind how student behavior impacts teacher behavior in an educational setting
05:52 - Why being aware that behavior has reciprocal impacts within the classroom helps prevent fading out demands without a plan in place
07:15 - How being aware of the reciprocal behavior cycle can help us stop it
08:04 - Why we must create a team culture where everyone can watch each other’s backs because everyone’s behavior impacts others
Show Notes: http://autismclassroomresources.com/episode213
Resources:
Follow me on TikTokJoin the Autism Classroom Resources' Free Resource Library Get more information about the Special Educator AcademyJoin the Free Facebook Group
If you're enjoying this podcast, could you please take a quick moment to leave your review on Apple Podcasts? It would mean the world to me and will help spread the word to other special educators. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When a student’s challenging behavior is a result of a sensory function, knowing how to address it can be difficult. We want to help our students cope with sensory experiences in an effective and safe way so that their needs are met and they are not harming themselves or others. 
Whether students are looking to escape a situation that is causing them sensory distress or if they are seeking internal reinforcement from a sensory experience, we can help students find appropriate replacement behaviors. In this episode, I am sharing ways you can help students request breaks, teach self-regulation strategies, and help students find replacement sensory experiences to reduce challenging behavior. 
01:45 - Why teaching students to request a break when the sensory distress is causing them to have a challenging behavior is important
06:23 - Ideas for how to teach self-regulation 
10:36 - How to help students when challenging behavior is caused by an internal reinforcer or  sensory function
Show Notes: http://autismclassroomresources.com/episode212
Resources:
How to Help Reduce Anxiety in Students Who Don’t Want to Stand OutHow To Help Your Students Manage Anxiety EffectivelyHow to Keep Students’ Anxiety From Overflowing: Identifying Anxious FeelingsThe Incredible 5-Point Scale To Teach Self-Regulation: Review and ToolsGrab the Free Square Breathing VisualGet the Calm Down Toolkit for Self-RegulationCheck out the Teaching Self-Regulation Strategies and Anxiety Coping Skills with Social StoriesJoin the Autism Classroom Resources' Free Resource Library Get more information about the Special Educator AcademyJoin the Free Facebook Group
If you're enjoying this podcast, could you please take a quick moment to leave your review on Apple Podcasts? It would mean the world to me and will help spread the word to other special educators. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️