When it comes to children with special needs, organizing the classroom can be one of the most important things you can do to make your year successful. Many children with special needs, regardless of their diagnosis, have similar things that they find difficult. Below are many ideas to help the teacher organize and prepare the classroom for the start of the year.

1. Make a visual schedule for students to follow each day.

2. Place tennis balls at the bottom of chairs to reduce sound in the room.

3. Be very aware of sensory issues. If a child is overwhelmed by sensory stimuli in the classroom, this will distract him, making it impossible for him to concentrate.

4. Warn students when they get off task. Sometimes this can simply be walking up to the student and putting a hand on their back.

5. Use things as visual aids, however make sure that the visual aids are not so messy that the child becomes overwhelmed by them.

6. Teach organization. This can be a notebook with all your information in one place.

7. Have open communication with parents so they can follow through and there is a consistent way of doing things.

8. Model appropriate behaviors.

9. Many children have memory problems, help them make cards so they can find what they are looking for and help them study.

10. Seek and understand success as much as possible.

11. Break tasks into smaller tasks. Don’t give them a huge task or a list of assignments and expect them to get it done. They are much more successful when broken down.

12. Go for quality over quantity with class work and homework. Keep in mind that many children with special needs take medication, and remember that the effects of medication wear off at the end of the day. Before assigning homework is it really necessary?

13. Make consequences logical and reward often. Create a reward system so children receive continuous positive reinforcement.

14. Use privacy boards when things are in the room.

15. Move the student’s desk to a location where there are fewer distractions. Most of the time he will be next to the teacher, in front of or next to a quiet child.

16. Many times it is best to use seating rows if possible. Group seats are too much of a stimulus for them.

17. Keep a part of the room free from visual stimuli, noise and windows.

18. Use headphones to play while there is noise or soft music to help block out what is happening in the classroom.

19. State instructions, write them down, say them and repeat them. Children with special needs need information more than once and in multiple formats.

20. Make sure you make eye contact. Sometimes they are not “able” to pay attention. Reward or praise them when they make eye contact. This is very difficult for them.

21. Allow a child to escape if he can’t solve a problem. Allow them to go to the assigned area in the classroom where they can go and calm down.

See how these tips help. Please leave me a comment and let me know if it was helpful to you.