Autism Academy 360

 In this episode of Autism Academy 360, host Lisa Holladay shares valuable insights on setting up a structured work area in inclusion classrooms. Drawing from her extensive experience in special education, Lisa explains the importance of creating an organized and accessible environment that meets the needs of both general education and special education students.

Lisa outlines key strategies for establishing a structured worktable, minimizing disruptive transitions, using multipurpose visual supports, implementing efficient storage solutions, and incorporating all-inclusive core boards. With practical examples from her own classroom, Lisa emphasizes the significance of collaboration, flexibility, and thoughtful organization in fostering a productive learning environment.

In this episode of Autism Academy 360, host Lisa Hollady dives into the importance of creating a calm-down corner in classrooms for students who struggle with emotional regulation. Lisa shares 10 practical and easy-to-implement ideas to help students calm down, reset, and return to learning. From comfortable seating to mindfulness tools and personalized calm-down kits, these strategies create a peaceful and supportive environment for all learners. Tune in to discover how to make your classroom safe for emotional growth and regulation.

Resources Mentioned:

1. Mindfulness Apps for Kids:

• Headspace for Kids: Headspace
• Calm: Calm
• Both apps offer guided meditations and mindfulness exercises tailored for children.

1. Fidget Tools and Sensory Items:

• Fidget Tools for Kids: A variety of fidget tools and sensory items can be found at SensoryToolbox.
• Weighted Blankets: Information on the benefits and types of weighted blankets can be found at Weighted Blankets.

1. Reflective Journaling Resources:

• Emotion-Themed Worksheets: Free downloadable worksheets can be found at Teachers Pay Teachers.
• Mindfulness Journals: Printable mindfulness journals can be found at Mindful Schools.

1. Calming Sounds:

• Nature Sounds Playlist: Check out calming nature sounds on YouTube, such as Relaxing Nature Sounds.
• White Noise Machines: Recommendations for white noise machines can be found at Sleep Foundation.

In this episode, Abby dives into responsive behavior strategies and how to repair relationships with students after behavioral incidents. She shares her top tip—always focus on mending the relationship after a behavior, no matter the severity. Abby outlines key steps for post-behavior conversations, including letting students share their side, naming emotions, and discussing alternative actions. She also highlights the importance of timing and self-regulation for teachers.

If you’re looking for practical advice on managing classroom behaviors and building stronger connections with students, this episode is packed with actionable insights

Resources Mentioned:

• Think Sheets

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• Lisa at @chalkboard_superhero
• Abby at @mrs_moes_modifications 

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In this episode of Autism Academy 360, we dive into the essentials of Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs). We explain what FBAs and BIPs are, why they are crucial for understanding and addressing challenging behaviors in children with autism, and how these tools work together to create effective, individualized behavior support strategies. 

Whether you're a teacher or a parent, you'll gain practical tips on participating in the FBA process, developing and implementing BIPs, and fostering consistency between home and school environments. Tune in to learn how these powerful tools can make a difference in your child's or student's behavior and learning experience.

Resources Mentioned:

• ABC Data Sheet

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• Lisa at @chalkboard_superhero
• Abby at @mrs_moes_modifications 

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• Abby’s at Mrs. Moes Speducators
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Episode summary: In this episode, we dive into managing disrespectful behaviors in the classroom and how educators can shift their mindset to better support students. Instead of viewing rude or challenging actions as personal attacks, we explore strategies to understand these behaviors as a form of communication. From fostering empathy and maintaining consistent expectations to using de-escalation strategies and focusing on relationship-building, this episode provides practical tips to create a more positive learning environment and help students navigate their emotions.

Episode Highlights:

• Mindset Shift: Learn how understanding student behavior as communication can reduce stress and improve classroom dynamics.
• Empathy and Consistency: Explore how empathy and consistent expectations can help address challenging behaviors effectively.
• De-escalation Strategies: Discover key techniques to calm tense situations and prevent power struggles.
• Relationship-Building: Understand the importance of building strong connections with students before attempting to correct behavior.

In this episode, we’re breaking down preference assessments—those handy tools that help figure out what really motivates students, especially those with special needs. We chat about different ways to discover what kids love, from simple interviews to observing their choices in real-time. By collecting this info, teachers can create a preference hierarchy, which is just a fancy way of ranking what kids enjoy most so they can use those favorites to encourage positive behavior.

We also share some practical tips for getting the most accurate results, like keeping things consistent and offering a variety of choices. Plus, we tackle common hiccups, like when kids aren’t interested in what’s offered or get overwhelmed by too many options, and how to work around those challenges. This episode is all about making behavior management smoother and more effective by truly understanding what makes each student tick.

Resources Mentioned:

• Preference Assessment

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 11: Understanding the Functions of Behavior

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• Lisa at @chalkboard_superhero
• Abby at @mrs_moes_modifications 

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• Abby’s at Mrs. Moes Speducators
• Lisa’s at Special Education Superheroes

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In this episode of Autism Academy 360, Lisa Hollady discusses the powerful role visuals play in both our everyday lives and the classroom. From driving directions to restaurant menus, visuals help guide us through various tasks without overwhelming us. Lisa emphasizes how visuals can support students with Autism and benefit all learners by creating independence and reducing frustration from verbal overload. 

Episode Highlights:

• Visuals help navigate everyday tasks like driving, shopping, and ordering food.
• Over-reliance on verbal directions in the classroom can overwhelm students, leading to frustration and negative behaviors.
• Classroom visuals such as labeled materials, turn-in bins, and task lists promote independence and reduce the need for constant reminders.
• Visual supports can also streamline home routines, with an example of how a bedtime visual schedule drastically reduced negative behavior.

In this episode, we chat about Behavior Skills Training (BST) and its critical role in equipping educational teams to effectively support students with autism. BST is broken down into four key components: Instruction, Modeling, Rehearsal, and Feedback. We start by explaining the significance of BST in developing and maintaining effective teaching strategies. The Instruction phase is highlighted for its importance in providing clear and concise directions, using visuals, and demonstrating materials. The Modeling phase emphasizes showing specific behaviors or techniques with either students or adults.

Next, the Rehearsal phase is defined as the opportunity for team members to practice new skills, with suggestions for creating these practice opportunities. The Feedback phase is discussed for its crucial role in offering constructive and supportive feedback to improve performance. We also address common challenges teams might face, such as time constraints and comfort levels, and provide solutions to these issues. The episode concludes with a summary of the key points, reiterating the importance of each BST phase in fostering a well-trained, cohesive educational team.

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• Lisa at @chalkboard_superhero
• Abby at @mrs_moes_modifications 

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• Abby’s at Mrs. Moes Speducators
• Lisa’s at Special Education Superheroes

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Episode summary: In this episode of Autism Academy 360, Lisa Hollady delves into the importance and implementation of visual supports in special education classrooms. Visual supports play a crucial role in enhancing communication, easing transitions, and creating a smoother daily routine for students. Lisa outlines the benefits of visual supports, particularly for students with Autism, and offers practical tips for effectively using visuals in the classroom. From setting up daily schedules to using choice boards, this episode provides actionable strategies for educators to increase student independence and reduce classroom challenges.

Episode Highlights:

• Benefits of Visual Supports: Visual aids improve communication, provide structure, and help manage transitions, leading to a smoother school day for students with and without disabilities.
• Importance for Autism: Visual supports are especially beneficial for students with Autism. They help decrease transition difficulties, increase independence, and reduce auditory clutter, which can enhance overall classroom behavior and communication.
• Practical Implementation Tips: Lisa shares actionable tips for using visual supports, including starting with a daily schedule, using generic visuals for crises, and providing visual choices to give students a sense of control.
• Supporting Specials with Visuals: Using visual schedules and step-by-step boards during specials like art, music, and PE can help students navigate these challenging transitions and activities more effectively.

Resources Mentioned:

• Task Box Visual Labels for Independent Work Stations
• Visual Schedules
• Visual Aids
• Token Boards

In this episode, we share five essential behavior tips to help teachers support students with autism at the start of the school year. The first tip is to pair yourself with positive reinforcement, a strategy discussed in depth in episode 9. Getting to know the child is the second tip, emphasizing the importance of conducting preference assessments, spending time with the student, and communicating with their parents. The third tip advises against overwhelming students with too many directions and activities at once, recommending a simple and gradual approach with regular breaks.

The fourth tip stresses the importance of using visual aids from day one. Teachers are encouraged to have visual schedules ready and to model their use, rather than waiting to see what the students might need. The final tip is to reinforce good behavior immediately, whether through a token economy, verbal praise, or allowing students to earn rewards. This positive reinforcement should be tailored to each student and evolve throughout the year, but it must begin on the first day.

Resources Mentioned:

• Token Boards
• Visual Schedules
• Visual directions 

Related Podcast Episodes:

•  Episode 9  

Connect with Us:

Instagram

• Lisa at @chalkboard_superhero
• Abby at @mrs_moes_modifications 

Join my our Facebook groups

• Abby’s at Mrs. Moes Speducators
• Lisa’s at Special Education Superheroes

Join our Email Lists

• Join Lisa’s here
• Join Abby’s here

Shop on TPT

• Abby’s store
• Lisa’s store