Classroom Setup: Early Childhood Self-Contained Special Education

Optimize your early childhood self-contained special education classroom setup with insights from The Autism Helper team member, Michelle! This video unveils a comprehensive guide to preparing your classroom for the upcoming school year. Gain invaluable insights into organizing independent work centers, effective direct instruction center setup, creating a calming environment, mastering circle time, and employing visual aids for toileting. Empower your teaching approach with proven techniques for a successful and nurturing learning space.
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[@tnh4235]

Brilliant! As a speech therapist, I wish the classrooms I see were more like yours!

[@theautismhelper]

That's so sweet of you to say! Thank you 🥰

[@melanieshaw7577]

How do you run your first day/week and how do you teach them all of these centres?

[@theautismhelper]

We start the routine on day one. I don’t teach my center and put something engaging like toys or iPads for at least a week so I can help with transitions and teaching students how to stay at the centers. We use a lot of visuals and reinforcements! Independent centers start with errorless tasks including errorless boom cards so that we can build behavior momentum. It’s all hands on deck that first week of school with the center rotations 😊.

[@angelazecchin8001]

Thank you!!! Some many great ideas…love the color coding and how simple you made it!! Please keep sharing…you have awesome information 😊

[@theautismhelper]

SO glad to hear this was helpful! Thanks for watching!

[@bree2turn214]

I have taught PreK and kindergarten for over 20 years and was a paraprofessional in a PPCD classroom decades ago. This year will be my first year teaching PreK-Sped and your video was extremely beneficial. I will be rewatching and subscribing to your channel. I am nervous, but excited. Thank you for this look into your classroom. I would like to see more on how your paraprofessional helpers assist you in the classroom. Thank you again.

[@Lizprintshop]

Thank you so much for sharing your classroom Michelle. It is very helpful.

[@theautismhelper]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!

[@danacarpenter5122]

Why couldn’t our special education classroom have been like this. This is so awesome and what my daughter needed ❤ that’s ok my homeschool will be because of you! Thank you!!!!

[@theautismhelper]

Aw, thank you so much for your kind words! ❤️ Thank you for sharing!!

[@TaujaPatterson]

Hi! Can we see a break down of the independent schedules and what your class schedule looks like for the day? Sorry if you have shown this already. I am new here. Thank you

[@theautismhelper]

Absolutely! Michelle will work on a new video on this to be uploaded soon! Thank you for the suggestion - we are happy you are here! ❤️

[@tanash1991]

Lovely class😍 for some reason whenever I have seen classes for children with additional needs they’re always bland and dreary which is sad. I think an attractive space to be in always makes it that much better for their learning

[@theautismhelper]

Thank you for your kind words and for watching!

[@ely_wannadie]

Such an amazing space !

[@theautismhelper]

Right?! She's done an amazing job!

[@maggyt5605]

It looks great!! Thank you for sharing

[@theautismhelper]

Thanks for watching!

[@robinaswad2726]

Your classroom set up and your management skills are impressive. Thank you! ATEAM Robin

[@theautismhelper]

Thanks for watching!

[@michellelindenmuth6566]

Thank you Robin!

[@Raquel-jg6wt]

Totally impressed and love all the visuals

[@theautismhelper]

Great to hear! Hope this was helpful!

[@tmorrow6512]

Excellent video and your classroom is so bright and inviting. I see that it's elementary. What about classroom setup for middle school?

[@ms.reyessuniqueclassroom6531]

How do you teach the students how to use the independent centers? What are the other students doing when you're explicitly teaching independent centers? Great space!

[@theautismhelper]

Good question! We actually have a video all about this. How to Get Students Ready for Independent Work: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i160m5pofNB1p8U

[@esrac7075]

I am a special education teacher in Turkey, I am grateful if I can find a chair where I can sit in the classroom and a chair and table for my students to sit at.

[@theautismhelper]

Your students are lucky to have you! ❤️

[@prxbabii]

Where can I find a the schedule you have that they carry around? I love it!!!

[@theautismhelper]

Made this custom for my class. I suggest using powerpoint to set it up!

[@LaurenDarr]

What elements do you think are important to include in the play center? Also what do you do at your teacher table? I noticed in this tour there's not a specific math center- how do you incorporate math? Thank you so much. :)

[@theautismhelper]

I have a math center that I run. At this center, I use The Autism Helper Leveled Daily Curriculum. shop.theautismhelper.com/pages/curriculum

[@jenpringle8371]

I'm exhausted by managing schedule pieces! I LOVE the schedules for your kids. Are they available on TPT? Thank you!!

[@theautismhelper]

Made this custom for my class. I suggest using PowerPoint to set it up!

[@anaventura844]

Where can I get access to the schedules you use? Love, love your ideas.

[@theautismhelper]

Made this custom for my class. I suggest using powerpoint to set it up!

[@nydirrawilliams]

I love the mobile partition, where did your school get this specific one?

[@theautismhelper]

The mobile partition or similar can be found here amzn.to/3LK3nbz. These are pricey so ask your admin or sped department to help! They are usually more than willing to.

[@videosforclass]

Thank you for the video. I have a question regarding centers. Do you time rotating each center? some finish earlier than others and some take longer than others. How do you keep them rotated? I have tried centers and that was my struggle.

[@theautismhelper]

you are welcome! Yes, my centers are timed at 15 minutes each. If a student finishes their Chromebook or task box work earlier than others, they are allowed some choice time either on an iPad, Chromebook, or in my play area.

[@LL-fc5fo]

Suggestions for K-5 in self contained class?

[@theautismhelper]

Yes! This set up can be done with K-5. First, pair students up with similar goals so that you can easily differentiate academics (this is why I love The Autism Helper Leveled Daily Curriculum: shop.theautismhelper.com/pages/curriculum). For independent centers, you can do non-errorless independent tasks for older students if they are at that level. The Autism Helper’s Work Task System has a great way to differentiate for such a wide spectrum of students: shop.theautismhelper.com/products/work-task-system-for-a-special-ed-classroom Also, Boom Cards can be easily differentiated for independent tasks. I set up separate classrooms on the website and assign daily. It is quick and easy for me to do differentiated tasks. shop.theautismhelper.com/collections/digital-resources Instead of a play center, you could incorporate a leisure center with various sensory related items, a bean bag chair, light table, and puzzles! I hope this helps!

[@iniyanis]

I wish you can help make gen ed classes like this!!

[@theautismhelper]

Hope this is helpful! Thanks for watching!

[@bishwokhanal4618]

Hello, Can You please show us how you conduct the classes.

[@theautismhelper]

Hi there! Unfortunately, we cannot use students in the videos we share.

[@valerieb4757]

What are the chances you have a recording of your classroom in action?

[@theautismhelper]

Hi there! Unfortunately, we cannot use students in the videos we share.

[@melissacampos7263]

Hi I love this. But what does putting the popsicle sticks in the container do for the child? And how do you know it is good for a child?

[@theautismhelper]

Great question! Tasks like these are called Errorless Tasks. Errorless tasks are great for beginning learners to teach how to initiate and build independent working skills. I use these at the beginning of the school year with my students who are learning independent centers. Once they have built the independent skills and I have assessed their skills, we fade to more appropriate skills that are functional life skills. I hope that helps! 🙂

[@mariluhernandez6448]

It’s also a fine motor activity

[@Marce169]

Whats a good schedule to follow?

[@theautismhelper]

Check out these videos that we have on Schedules! kzbin.info/www/bejne/fHmxm6aBh5ygmNU kzbin.info/www/bejne/jmbZm62VgtSHp6s kzbin.info/www/bejne/oH-unqqYabeKmrM

[@TheSpEdPro]

Hi! What grade levels is your set up?

[@theautismhelper]

My class is a TK-1st grade autism classroom!

[@Gullo_Ka_Kitchen]

Hi ,I am special educator from Pakistan and I want to learn classroom set up for autistic 5year child. Can you teach me

[@theautismhelper]

Check out the classroom set up podcast series! Episodes 28-34! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-autism-helper-podcast/id1443908794

[@lexyfox9598]

how many aides do you have? and how many students?

[@lexyfox9598]

we have 12 students n 2 aides .we have the same circle time set up but our students still elope. and we dont have aides to seat behind them. then centers is a hastle too because we have 3 centers n all.kids dont seat down

[@theautismhelper]

2 aides!

[@theautismhelper]

Work on FBA for students that are eloping.

[@mariluhernandez6448]

You are awesome, but that’s way too many kids based on chairs in your group area and your strips for independent work.

[@theautismhelper]

I don't have control over the number of students that our classroom is assigned. No matter the number, my team and I do our best to make it a safe and productive learning environment for all of them. We also have more visual schedules/chairs than students to be prepared, because we often have students added to our room throughout the year. Thanks for watching!