How often are you guys calling home about behaviors? I have 1 class period a day that is hard, I teach middle school resource classes. I have contacted home for kids. But I dont keep calling home and document the behavior. Then I have documentation and submit referrals. Most of the behaviors are minor but they do disptrupt class. Today in the first 5 minutes of my hardest class, one kid was bouncing around the room, laying on the floor instead going to his seat. Then another kid told me to shut the fuck up. And another one just argued cause he wanted to get his shoes from his locker and I said no cause class had started. All 3 removed but admin said I needed to be calling home more.

Where my NEW to special ed teachers at? Any fellow non-certified special Ed teachers here? Vet teacher, background teaching ESL.

Took this job because of ESL budget cuts and obviously have to work…

You okay out there?

It’s been a wild ride. I may be one and done with special ed. No other teaching job in the building is as difficult.

Some craziness…
My mentor is out, have an interim mentor and picked up part of my mentors caseload.

Coteacher is a ct leader and does not lead. Emotionally unstable and no emotional regulation.

Endless mounds of progress reports because English teacher.

Moonlighting as a Science teacher too (not certed in
Science).

Loud annoying coworker constantly calling me cute and young (I’m mid 40s). He calls women coworkers cute, mostly in a weird joking condescending way not necessarily flirtatious. Weird sense of humor, roasts me in front of students in a “joking way” but weird. He’s hyperactive too.

Working 7 days a week because paperwork.

Screwed up some progress reports, no biggie, they can be corrected. It’s so annoying

Not be trained on our IEP software

I enjoy teaching and helping the students. Everything else in special ed is endless headaches you can’t see hiding at the bottom of the desk.

Deciding whether to start the licensure program
to teach special education and having a week left to apply, it’s required to earn it to staying in a special ed role and deciding whether to throw down $5500 for it.

Hint, I don’t want it but don’t have a magic ball to know how the job market will be next school year :(

I’m an assistant teacher who was placed at a school for visually impaired students. My usual students have low vision, so we can use large print and adapt the games we play in class.

However, my next lesson is for a class of braille users (I can’t use visuals, but I can make braille versions of handouts) and I need to plan some fun things to do for Halloween. They’re high school students, so it can’t be anything too childish. Does anyone know of activities or games that we can play for this lesson?

For context my daughter had an IEP right before turning 3 as she aged out of early steps (Florida's early intervention services) with help from them in getting the IEP done.

She didnt enroll in ESE pre k because she had some medical issues going on and instead went to a PPEC (medical daycare)

Right now shes still in PPEC but due to start Kinder next year.

Our state has a scholarship that gives funding based off their matrix score. When they did her first IEP she didnt have anything to score in the health domain. Now that she does and would need daily nursing needs this would change the matrix health domain score from 1 to 5, bringing her matrix score up for more funding from the scholarship for a special needs private school assuming her other domain scores remain the same.

My question is how do I get an IEP reevaluation without her being enrolled in school? FL statute says parent has Right to request IEP and have one in 30 days if they are under the FES UA scholarship, which she is.

However I can't seem to figure out how to request one without getting the run around.

My second question is how will the evaluate her? Last time they didnt really test her they more so had evaluations from early steps/early intervention and therapy notes and asked me questions.

What paperwork and forms do I need to prepare for the IEP update/re evaluation. And should I expect as to how it is done?

Thank you.

Hello! I'm not sure if it's right sub to ask but I know nothing about reddit and I decided to try. I'm working with disabled adults living in mental institutions (I'm not sure what would be a correct term in English). Most of my chargers are either deeply intellectually disabled but in other ways fine, or in some way paralyzed or has other type of body disability, but have light intellectual disability or no at all. I know what to do with them, but some of my charges have what I see in English called Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities. I'm trying my best with them, and currently await to start some courses that should provide me with information, but in meantime I would've like to read something myself. There's literally one book in my language tho, so I wanted to ask if there's more resources in English? Books (I'll try to find pdfs), articles, webinars, anything will do. Preferably about adults but about children will do too! I'm sure I can do much more with my guys if I'll do some research. If I'm not in a right place can you direct me somewhere else to ask? Thanks in advance!

I’ve been in a behavior technician in general for 2 years, but I want that money to go up if I can help it :)

I’ve done it multiple times at this point. I’ve always worked full time as a behavior technician but can’t this semester due to school and subbing as a behavior technician is actually honestly easier in some ways even though I’ve had a full time case before that I really enjoyed. The kiddo I’m with today is in TK and has more behaviors than the others I’ve worked with but even then it’s easy.

I teach special ed. in a small rural school district in the U.S. So, today I forgot to attend a mandatory CRT (Certified De-Escalation & Restraint Training) refresher. I know this because 24 of us in the district just got an email from the Director of Special Ed. stating that we forgot to go to this training. Also, she kindly cc'd our principals to let them know, too. Isn't that sweet? I'm sorry; just fucking let us know we missed it and that we need to make it up and call it a day. You didn't have to fucking cc the principals. $#@!@$%^&%$$#@ By the way, this is a new thing they're doing this year, and this is the first one, so, nice that they give us a grace period.

My daughter(3yrs old) is on her way to being diagnosed with autism(waiting list, but already been told the dr is confident she'll have the diagnosis). She started school in the special ed program (TX), she's speech delayed and developmentally delayed, and not potty trained. I had an ARD meeting today and was told she didn't qualify for any services after her school evaluation. But her doctor has told me she's just not developmentally there for using the bathroom independently, and has also told me she should be qualified for services. Right now she has integrated time in general ed, with the class that she'll be moved to once she's "fully potty trained". i have until thanksgiving for her to be fully independently potty trained, with no help on any type of wiping or getting on the toilet, otherwise i will have to go to the school to change her. please tell me what i can do, because i don't see it happening at all between now and then for to be fully potty trained to the level they want her to be. We've been potty training for coming up on a year now and i have no idea what to do at this point. i feel like she's being written off. please help

Hey everyone! 👋

(Apologies for the long message; if you want the TLDR, then look for the questions in bold😇)

I’m not entirely sure how to start this, but here goes!

Growing up, I received support from Special Education teachers, and I can confidently say that their support played a significant role in helping me get to where I am today. I eventually went on to college and earned my bachelor’s degree, something that would not have been possible without the support I received along the way. Because of my experiences, I have a deep appreciation for the positive impact that Special Education has on students, and I’ve increasingly felt drawn to making that same kind of difference in the lives of others.

Since graduating from high school, I’ve become a strong advocate for myself and the broader disability community. I started a campus organization for persons with disabilities as well as did an Higher Certificate in Disability Practice, where I got to experience different settings (including a school environment). I then worked in a corporate environment, where I tried to advocate for and help implement reasonable accommodations. Unfortunately, that experience didn’t go particularly well, and I ultimately had to leave due to health challenges.

Now that I’m healed, I’m at a point in my life where I’m seriously considering transitioning into education. As a first step, I recently applied for a position as a Special Education Aide with my local school district here in California!

That said, I’m still trying to understand the field, the different career paths available, and what it would take to build a long-term career in Special Education. I have a few questions that I’d really appreciate some insight on:

Career Advancement: Aside from working as a Special Education Aide, are there opportunities for career advancement without becoming a credentialed Special Education teacher? In other words, if I don’t want to remain an aide for my entire career, is obtaining a teaching credential essentially the only path forward, or are there other positions worth exploring?

Pathways: For those of you who became Special Education teachers, what pathway would you recommend? I already have a bachelor’s degree, although it’s in an unrelated field. Would pursuing a second bachelor’s degree in Special Education make sense, or would an alternative certification or credentialing program be a better option? I’m especially interested in hearing from anyone familiar with California’s requirements as the websites I’ve read are confusing 🫤

Job Opportunities and Demand: From what I’ve seen, there appear to be quite a few job openings in Special Education, which gives me the impression that the field is experiencing significant demand. Is that an accurate assessment? Also, I particularly enjoy working with older students (tweens and teenagers). Are there plenty of opportunities to work with middle and high school students, or are most Special Education positions concentrated at the elementary level?

On a final note, I realize that Special Education can be an incredibly challenging field, and I certainly don’t want to romanticize things. At the same time, having personally experienced the difference that dedicated educators can make, I feel genuinely motivated to explore whether this could be the right path for me.

I’d love to hear your experiences, advice, or anything you wish you had known before entering the field, especially if you work in California!

Thank you so much in advance!

I was a behavior tech for a few years and loved it but I did not want to become a behavior analyst. I’m generally reserved and quiet and am now in my master’s in early childhood sped program. I’m the quietest in the room. I don’t speak much though I know it’s a strength for kids who need a softer approach. How do I get over this fear of being an imposter? I also have lived experience in the sped community.

Pretty much title. Trying to be better and spread the word to others.

My son is a dual diagnosis of ADHD and ODD. He is conflict-seeking and his Therapist says he's stuck in this coercive loop, the more consequences he is met with, the more defiant he becomes at school. He's in the 7th grade of a charter school, last Wednesday, he became triggered when his 1:1 behavior aide attempted to take him to the SpEd room, got paranoid other kids were talking bad about it. Then he insulted the teacher, shoved a kid, got sent to the Principal's office, where he became aggressive, throw objects, said he didn't care about getting sent to juvenile hall.

School Psych says he knows how to reset, box breathing, step away, grounding, etc... but is unable to do so when he is emotionally dis-regulated.

I have an emergency IEP meeting on Wednesday, I will formally request my son to be placed in an IIP (intense intervention program) as General Ed, even with the 1:1 aide, is still not adequate. At home, he doesn't get violent, but we do see a lot of his oppositional and defiance symptoms/tendencies. Likely means we'll need to transfer him to the public school district. My son's BIP is outdated, so we will be revisiting it as well.

He's in Therapy with a provider that specializes in teens, is on 100mg of Qelbree that helps him with focus, we probably will be upping the doze to 200mg. At home, I no longer raise my voice at him. I reinforce good behaviors with rewards, and take away privileges for bad behaviors.

Any advice on how to help my son turns things around?

I have a 12 student class that is, I think, tired and unable to focus due to mental and physical fatigue in the last hour and a half of the day. Since I know executive function and control are at the lowest and outbursts and disregulation are potentially at the highest what should I do with this period? I am thinking of crafting, art, boardgames and a free period. There is too much pushback to even read a story. I am experienced with neurotypical students. Any suggestions would be appreciated. My students can focus and hyper focus on projects that they come up with or that they find interesting. Please help.

Hi does anyone do sped advocacy for families in lower southwestern CT? If so please comment Thanks

Hii I'm an undergraduate special education student graduating next year. At first I wanted to pursue a master's in special education, but it's extremely competitive in my country, and I don't think I can beat other stronger candidates. I'd like to know if studying abroad is a good option for me? I'd love to hear your thoughts on doing a master's.

I've realized that in other places, special education and disability rehabilitation are two different fields (here they're usually studied together), and I lean more toward the latter.

Thank you very much!!:)

I’m curious about this. I’m also wondering if you had a teaching credential beforehand, and what you got your bachelors degree in.

I’m considering going for social work but if I don’t I wonder if getting a bachelors of social work and then masters in special ed may be sensible given that the issues I am most passionate about are supporting people with housing, and ensuring that students who may need additional academic support are adequately diagnosed so they can actually receive that support.

We recently had our first IEP meeting for my 5-year-old son with Level 3 autism, who is nonverbal and has never attended public school.

After comparing his IEP with the district’s own evaluations, I’m finding some concerning discrepancies.

His evaluations document severe developmental delays, elopement (especially to water), poor safety awareness, limited receptive language, inattentiveness and significant support needs (he also has some SIB tendencies that it’s hard to redirect when he’s having an outburst). Yet his behavior plan only addresses transitions/tantrums, there’s no FBA/BIP, and he’s being placed in a self-contained classroom without clearly defined individualized supervision or assistance. When I say elopement, I mean as soon as you walk away he will be up out of his chair trying to go out the door or going somewhere to hide since he doesn’t like being around unfamiliar people. He was even trying to leaving the room with me right there during our initial screening.

We were told certain higher ratings require school-based documentation, despite him never attending school and his BCBA having extensive behavioral data. Our BCBA, who was present during the meeting, offered documentation they were saying is needed to provide more direct support; we were told they could not accept it and only documentation from the school after being enrolled would be considered. Mind you his IEP says they accept BCBA’s input as well as private evaluations / reports.

Has anyone experienced an IEP that didn’t seem to reflect the child’s evaluations? Did you successfully get it reviewed or revised after the initial meeting?

Don’t even get me started on being forced to sign the form accepting services before even being able to review the IEP(the meeting was the first time seeing the IEP or any of the evaluations).

Hi! Not sure if this is the correct place to post this but I’m going to try anyway.

To make a very very long story short:

My son was born at 25 weeks in January 2023. Had a grade 4 brain bleed that went away before being discharged from NICU. Left NICU with gtube. Didn’t start walking until 22 months. Is almost 4 and can speak in small sentence but cannot carry a conversation and still babbles most times. He is having a hard time potty training. He was in OT and Speech but due to insurance reasons we had to stop for about a year and a half. Currently back in!

I wanted him to join pre school, but because he isn’t potty trained, they wouldn’t accept him. We’ve opted for a structured daycare 3x a week. He’s the oldest in his class and I sometimes pity myself when I know I shouldn’t. Somewhere along the line I feel I messed up?

Anyway. During his OT appt, she had suggested I call a school that helps children with developmental delays but that I would need a neuropsych eval referral first. I messaged his pediatrician and he said I would need to set up an appointment to see if the neuropsych eval is appropriate.

I guess my question(s) would be: If his doctor feels it’s not necessary what do I do? I feel like my son is very behind on a lot of things and acts more like a 2-2.5 year old, which is fine, I would just want to have him somewhere they can pay closer attention to him and help him on his needs. And I’ve looked into IEP for Florida and I’m just overall confused and overwhelmed with the information. I’m also 6 month postpartum so I feel like I failed my son and can’t give him enough attention with the baby being around. I’m a mess! Any advice would be helpful. Thanks a bunch!

Hello, does anyone have experience with using Super flex for social skills? Can you share your insights to how this program works and how students respond to it? How do you space each lesson/story out? Are there activities that go along with the stories? How long does it take to get through it, if you see kids 1-2x a week? Thank you

Hi does anyone have a solid resource for observations such as templates or checklists? anything is greatly appreciated thank you :)

The text says it all. Just got accepted to a COTA program. I am currently taking pre recs for a SPED cred follow by a masters. Any pros and cons ? Thanks.

Hi everyone,

I’m hoping to get some guidance from parents, advocates, or special education attorneys who have experience with NYC DOE impartial hearings and pendency (stay-put) rights.

We filed a due process complaint in September 2026 for the 2026–2027 school year, but we still have not received a pendency determination or the corresponding service authorizations.

Our attorney believes that the previous Impartial Hearing Officer’s Final Order of Findings and Decision (FOFD) establishes the basis for pendency. However, when I asked why the authorizations have not been issued, I was told that the attorney is still trying to obtain a pendency determination from the current IHO and is unsure whether it will be issued before our upcoming hearing.

From my understanding, NYC OATH guidance indicates that pendency protections generally apply once a due process complaint is filed and that a separate pendency hearing may be requested if there is a dispute.

Here is what I am struggling to understand:

1. If the previous FOFD establishes the basis for pendency, why would the current IHO delay issuing a pendency determination?
2. If the DOE has not formally disputed pendency or the services awarded under the previous FOFD, what could be preventing the issuance of service authorizations?
3. Has anyone experienced a similar delay with NYC DOE If so, how was it resolved?

I have asked my attorney to provide copies of any written requests, motions, or correspondence submitted to the IHO seeking a pendency determination, along with any responses received.

One additional concern: We have been scheduled for a hearing in November 2026 regarding the 2026–2027 school year, but our annual IEP meeting for this school year has not even taken place yet.

I am trying to understand how the hearing can proceed pendency issue remains unresolved in the meantime.

I would greatly appreciate hearing from anyone who has navigated a similar situation, particularly in NYC.

Thank you for your guidance and support!