Supporting Students with Special Needs
In this day and age, we are seeing over and over that the old ideas about education did not account for the many wide and wonderful ways that students learn and engage the world in different ways. If you really take into account all of the varied needs, almost every child needs some form of "special" education. So to us, it is all just differentiating education to meet all students where they are at and not expecting pre-programmed robots to show up in our classes.
We hope the links here help, and please email us any links that you have so we can get the best support and tools out to everyone who might need them. Teamwork Makes the Dream Work!
Organizations & Sites with Helpful Tools and Support for Educators & Parents
Advocating for resources and supports for differently abled students
Resources, Articles, and Activities
Understanding Special Education offers a variety of informative and helpful resources for educators and parents.
We’re dedicated to growing and shaping a world where everyone who learns and thinks differently feels supported at home, at school, and at work; a world where people with all types of disabilities have the opportunity to enjoy meaningful careers; a world where more communities embrace differences.
LD OnLine seeks to help children and adults reach their full potential by providing accurate and up-to-date information and advice about learning disabilities and ADHD. The site features hundreds of helpful articles, multimedia, monthly columns by noted experts, first person essays, children’s writing and artwork, a comprehensive resource guide, very active forums, and a Yellow Pages referral directory of professionals, schools, and products.
The Ministry of Education has developed Special Education in Ontario, Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and Resource Guide (2017) to support educators in the implementation of effective programs and/or services for students with special education needs. This document, also available in PDF format (2.1 MB), supersedes Special Education: A Resource Guide (2001) as well as the following policy and resource documents:
Standards for School Boards' Special Education Plans (2000)
Individual Education Plans: Standards for Development, Program Planning, and Implementation (2000)
Transition Planning: A Resource Guide (2002)
The Individual Education Plan (IEP): A Resource Guide (2004)
Support Groups & Communities
Find your tribe. None of us can be everything a child needs alone, but with the right tribe around us, we can go so much further than we could alone.
This link is for the international group page. From there, you can find the sub group for your area.
How to locate a support group focused on your needs.
Support Group for Parents of Children with ADHD
The Tiny Miracles Foundation supports families with resources and information.
Apps & Sites That Are Good For The Many
Brainbox Games
Adaptive mobile technology for education! Only Free during Covid
Join our mission to help every child reach their potential in education and beyond. We work with children, parents and schools to create more prosperous futures for all: no limits, no excuses.
K-5th grade reading tool that combines educational stories with music to make reading practice fun and drive achievement.
Perfect Keyboard App
Helps make typing and texting easier with programmable macros and more.
Accessible to ALL Learners
Students with and without learning differences can use Mathshare with features like text-to-speech, speech-to-text, and word-level highlighting.
Calculator & Problem Solver that shows all the steps along the way.
Free to try then about $2/month. My students love this and even the older ones who think it is silly, remember the songs.
SoundingBoard transforms your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch into the latest in communication technology. In just minutes, you can create custom boards with up to 20 message locations using AbleNet symbols or your own photos.
Online Therapists for: Speech, Occupational, Physical, and Psychological Needs
Universal supports are the foundational teaching and caregiving practices that are necessary to support the successful development of language and literacy skills. The strategies found in this tier are appropriate for ALL children and should be evident in all settings in which young children participate, from the backyard to the kitchen table to the book corner and beyond.
Set up a virtual high school. It can help teens who are having a tough time adjusting to high school. In the made-up high school, kids have to navigate tricky social situations, like dating, bullying, and problems related to self-image. As kids complete quests, they get positive messages about kindness and being true to themselves.
Accessible Games
Accessible Apps
Visuwords: Visual Dictionary
Hanen Center
Help Your Child Communicate
Full range of topics on students struggling with media, representation, and any form of disability.
Streamer™ is your own personal secure website that captions and translates whatever is being said, anywhere and anytime. It is a complete communication system. You can add notes to your transcripts, share documents, send private messages, and even simultaneously translate your conversations into multiple languages. To create your Streamer website and to start your free 30-day trial, simply fill in the form on the site.
Fact Monster
Help with homework and learning. Also has games and trivia quizzes. Subjects: World, US, People, Math, Science, and Language Arts.
Not free but interesting. K-8 Reading and Math
Interactive Simulations for Maths and Sciences
TV 411 Offers video news style lessons in Reading, Writing, Vocabulary, Math, Science, and Finance.
Dr. Lilli Nielsen's techniques that emphasize simple ways to change the environment so that a child becomes an "active learner". Tips, Resources, Activities, and more
Capti Voice
Literacy & Learning Platform
Accommodate special needs students in online learning
Provide equitable reading accommodations to all
Support students from the comfort of your home
Not a free platform
Tips & Resources for Parents
Find webinars, articles, stand-alone pages, publications
Share with families, professional support providers, staff
The Center for Children with Special Needs
Based in Seattle, but they offer some helpful information and resources that can be used by all.
Common Core Resources for Parents of Students with Disabilities
Command Education’s Guide to Navigating High School and College with Disabilities
Dr. Lilli Nielsen's techniques that emphasize simple ways to change the environment so that a child becomes an "active learner". Tips, Resources, Activities, and more
Tips & Resources for Educators & Schools
Education Modified (not a free service, they have annual school contracts)
Develop and share the full picture of a student’s learning needs.
Easy access to accommodations, modifications, IEPs, behavior contracts, and instructional strategies.
Share your teachers’ collective wisdom with “What every teacher needs to know”.
Know instantly what’s being implemented, what’s working and what’s not.
Designing Materials to be Accessible for students working online
ADA Guidelines for creating OCR PDFs
Create Transcripts of your video lessons to make them more accessible.
Making Multimedia Content Accessible to All
Creating online courses that are accessible to all students regardless of age, ability, or life situation.
UNICEF's Page on Resources for Accessible Education for students with disabilities
To catch a glimpse of what special education is all about, there are a few videos from Teachertube.com that show this. One is “Special Education,” and this focuses on a technique known as play-based learning. Yes, playing does help a lot in students with learning disabilities. When lessons are more fun, they learn better. There are also videos like “Hour of Code: STEM in Special Education.” Here, the video discusses how Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects can be taught to students with learning disabilities.
Not free. School wide program for differentiating instruction and interactive class design.
Boardmaker: Not Free but worth investigating for campuses
These fact sheets explain the basics about health conditions that can affect learning in the classroom, and offer quick tips on teaching strategies to help students succeed in school. Each fact sheet features links to related resources for kids, teens, and their parents, as well as additional resources for teachers.
Dr. Lilli Nielsen's techniques that emphasize simple ways to change the environment so that a child becomes an "active learner". Tips, Resources, Activities, and more
Online Learning for Students with Disabilities: Considerations for LEA Policies, Practices, and Procedures
Serving Students with Special Needs
Five Ways to Help Students with Special Needs
Supports, Modifications, and Accommodations for Students
Dyslexia Help Website: Tips and Strategies for Teaching
Accessibility Assets
Providing Accommodations for Students with Disabilities and Building Access into your Courses
Click here for even more resources from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Go Out and Play! Kit A resource to help early educators monitor development through play from the CDC.
Teaching Strategies for working with students based on specific disabilities or impairments.
Maryland Common Core Frameworks for Braille
Social, Emotional, & Mental Health
List of meditative apps that are suitable for students with special needs
Meditation App
Building Resilience Skills
Parents need to know that Sesame Street once again delivers a helpful and valuable educational experience with Breathe, Think, and Do with Sesame. Kids may quickly make their way through the five scenarios, but each is worth revisiting, especially in the moment if kids are struggling with a particular problem. Don't miss the parent section, which is chock-full of free resources such as tips and strategies (including video clips to watch with kids), as well as options to personalize the encouraging audio messages kids hear when playing the app, which can be played in English or Spanish.
Mobility or Physical Impairments
Teaching Students with Mobility and Physical Disabilities
Teaching Strategies Mobility Impairments
Mobility Accessibility Apps
Innovative iOS technologies make the Multi-Touch™ screen easily accessible to those with physical or motor challenges who find it hard to tap or use gestures. And features like Siri® let you control your iOS device just by talking.
Limited Mobility Fact Sheet for Schools
Kids Health Offers Tips and Information on a variety of special needs topics.
The CDC offers information and resources on a variety of special needs. Click on the titles below to read the articles:
Speech Therapy, Apps, and Resources
Speech Therapy Resources
British Council
Games, Activities, and Practice
Paid app with a free trial.
SpeakTX (powered by kõneravi.ee) is an interactive set of exercises for speech and language impediments. A user can select and perform a wide variety of exercises. These are grouped into categories, such as speech automatisms, pronunciation, words, vocabulary, phrases, sentences, text, grammar, reading, and writing. Multiple exercises for each category provide variation to keep the user interested and actively involved in their therapy sessions.
Speech Accessibility Apps
People with speech disabilities can also benefit from iOS features. FaceTime® lets you communicate visually, whether you use sign language, gestures, or facial expressions. iMessage® lets you chat with others via text. And Speak Selection helps with speech development by speaking the words you’re reading. Or you can compose your own text and have your iPhone®, iPad®, or iPod touch® speak for you. There are also over 100 third-party speech apps that can turn your iOS device into a powerful augmentative communication device.
Apps & Sites: Tools for Deaf/HoH Students
Accessibility Apps for the Deaf
For Deaf and Blind Accessibility Apps, Click Here.
For HoH Apps, Click Here
NOT FREE - KNFB Reader gives you easy access to print and files, anytime, anywhere.
The easy-to-use KNFB Reader app converts any text to speech or Braille instantly and accurately.
Its text-to-speech and text-highlighting tools make it valuable for blind, low-vision, dyslexic, and other print-disabled users.
Simply take a photo of any text, from PDFs to packages to books.
Listen to the text read aloud or turn it into Braille.
Save or share your documents.
Deafverse is a game about you. Sometimes you need to step back and look at the things happening to you in life. That is why you should get your own strategy guide! This guide uses examples from Deafverse so you can think about what you would do in these situations.
Did You Know That?
ASL YouTube Channel
Stories in ASL and multiple languages.
Massive List of Resources complied & created by Joey Baer, California School for the Deaf, Fremont
Apps & Sites for Students with Visual Impairments
NOT FREE - KNFB Reader gives you easy access to print and files, anytime, anywhere.
The easy-to-use KNFB Reader app converts any text to speech or Braille instantly and accurately.
Its text-to-speech and text-highlighting tools make it valuable for blind, low-vision, dyslexic, and other print-disabled users.
Simply take a photo of any text, from PDFs to packages to books.
Listen to the text read aloud or turn it into Braille.
Save or share your documents.
Apple Vis
A community-powered website for blind and low-vision users of Apple's range of Mac computers, the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple Watch, and Apple TV.
5 Calculator apps for low vision students
Color Identifier uses the camera on your phone to speak the names of colors in real-time.
Code Jumper™ is an incredible innovation that teaches students who are blind or visually impaired computer coding. By putting the block code tactually in your hands, all students can learn together in an inclusive setting. Originally designed by Microsoft® and developed by APH, this educational toy bridges the skills gap and opens up the world of coding to every student.
TapTapSee is a mobile camera application designed specifically for blind and visually impaired users, powered by the CloudSight Image Recognition API. TapTapSee utilizes your device’s camera and VoiceOver functions to take a picture or video of anything and identify it out loud for you.
LookTel is developing a suite of revolutionary assistive smartphone applications that bring the most powerful recognition technology of today to the aid of persons with low vision or blindness. This real-time recognition technology enables users to scan and instantly recognize objects such as packaged goods, soda cans, money, CDs, and landmarks like signs and store fronts.
LookTel has two apps available today, LookTel Money Reader and LookTel Recognizer, which are designed for the accessible iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, and Mac computers; additional apps are currently under development.
ONE STEP BEYOND FULL-PAGE BRAILLE DISPLAY COMBINED WITH COMPLETELY NEW USER EXPERIENCE
Autism Information
Autism Science Foundation
Podcast: Autism and the Power of Exercise
Let Me Hear Your Voice by Catherine Maurice
The Way I See It by Temple Grandin
How to Think Like a Behavioral Analyst by Jon Bailey and Mary Burch
An Early Start for Your Child with Autism by Sally Rogers, Geraldine Dawson, and Laurie Vismara
Applied Behavior Analysis (Second Edition) by John Cooper, Timothy Heron, and William Howard
Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew by Ellen Notbohm and Veronica Zysk
Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism by Shannon Des Roches Rosa, Jennifer Byde Myers, Emily Willingham, and Carol Greenberg
The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy With Autism by Naoki Higashida
Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism by Barry M. Prizant
101 Games and Activities for Children With Autism, Asperger’s and Sensory Processing Disorders by Tara Delaney
Apps & Sites: Tools for Austistic Students
National Autism Resources is a shop with many items created specifically for autistic children and students.
The Sharing Center, where all our users can share their creations and find new inspiration for lessons and resources.
Sequences App for Autism
A Picture Card Learning System replaces all your physical flash cards. Designed by professionals specifically for those with autism and other special needs.
Not free
Cognitive & Intellectual Impairments
This site offers information and resources for understanding intellectual disabilities.
Cognitive & Intellectual Accessibility Apps
ADHD & Hyperactivity
9 Apps to Help Teens With ADHD Manage Everyday Challenges
Senia International
Current research, accommodations/modifications, and executive functioning skills.
Support for Reading & Writing Needs
Online OCR converts text in image files into digital text files using optical character recognition (OCR). Kids just have to upload a file, enter a Captcha code and press “convert.” Once converted, the files can be read aloud with TTS. The tool will convert up to 15 images per hour for free.
Rewordify simplifies text to make it easier to understand. Kids paste text or a web page address into the tool. Rewordify then replaces the difficult words in the text or web page with simpler words or definitions. In the tool’s settings, kids can choose their reading level. They can also choose how the simplified text is displayed. Rewordify has a library of classic literature and historical documents with simplified text. Some kids may find it easier to understand the Rewordify version of certain texts, like Shakespeare’s plays or the Declaration of Independence.
The largest online library of accessible books in the world. All of its books are digital and can be read aloud with text-to-speech (TTS). Kids can read and listen to them online with the Bookshare Web Reader. Free for qualified students (see site for details).
Proofreading App
Quizlet is a study tool that lets students create electronic flashcards. The flashcards can have images and audio recordings. They can also be read aloud with TTS.
Kids can paste text or import documents into the tool, press play and then listen and read along as the text is read aloud. They can choose different voices and speed up or slow down the reading speed. NaturalReader also offers many free e-books with TTS.
Dictation Extensions for Chrome
Understood: List of software programs for students who struggle with reading
Or click here for software programs for students who struggle with writing
Scrible to take notes on Internet articles as you research. Use highlighters, sticky notes and other tools to mark key information. All work is saved in an online account. Scrible automatically creates citations for articles and puts them into a bibliography. Free & Paid versions
Decodable eBooks and links
Tumblebook Library, Cloud, Math help, and Audiobooks
Free version allows 3 projects at one time. Digital Graphic organizer to help structure writing, research, and more.
Phonics worksheets and free printable phonics workbooks for kids: You will find the Fun Fonix series but much more than that on this site. There are 10+ worksheet makers and printable game templates you can use to make custom worksheets, and an additional section of free online phonics games for students.
Writable offers tools and resources for writing across many formats.
Help for vocabulary development
Florida Center for Reading Research
Search resources by type.
Blast off to Reading Apps
Free tool for Mind Mapping, outlines, and more!
Free Online Books
Develop reading lists and find books based on student's reading level and interests
Use this site to create, share, publish, and read digital books that engage and support diverse learners according to their individual needs, interests, and skills.
Reading and writing software for all abilities
Tracher Site for Tracy Boyd. Many language activities and games. Note:
"Please enjoy my language games that are located at the links below.
My SPEECH (articulation/phonology) games are located at the first "Useful Link" listed in the bottom section.
Also, check out my SEQUENCING games (the second "Useful Link")."
Digital reading logs and notes
Audiobooks
While they focus on Dyslexia, they have a great pool of resources for many learners.
BeeLine Reader is a research-backed tool that improves reading ability for students of all ages and skill levels. By displaying text using color gradients that wrap from the end of one line to the beginning of the next, BeeLine facilitates visual tracking and enables the reader to focus on other aspects of reading, such as decoding and comprehension.
Elemeno's mission is to help all readers crack the alphabetic code. We do this by taking cutting-edge research from the lab and developing technology for teachers, parents, and service providers.
Headsprout is a kids' reading program that uses interactive online episodes to teach K-5 students the reading fundamentals and comprehension skills they need to become successful readers.
NOT FREE - KNFB Reader gives you easy access to print and files, anytime, anywhere.
The easy-to-use KNFB Reader app converts any text to speech or Braille instantly and accurately.
Its text-to-speech and text-highlighting tools make it valuable for blind, low-vision, dyslexic, and other print-disabled users.
Simply take a photo of any text, from PDFs to packages to books.
Listen to the text read aloud or turn it into Braille.
Save or share your documents.
Dyslexia Information, Tools, and Resources
Not Free, but worth investigating.
One of the apps also reports to help screen for Dyslexia. Click here to go straight to the screener, or click below to see all of their Dyslexia related apps.
The International Dyslexia Association offers extensive resources to help. Click here to see their recommended apps for Dyslexic learners.
NOT FREE - KNFB Reader gives you easy access to print and files, anytime, anywhere.
The easy-to-use KNFB Reader app converts any text to speech or Braille instantly and accurately.
Its text-to-speech and text-highlighting tools make it valuable for blind, low-vision, dyslexic, and other print-disabled users.
Simply take a photo of any text, from PDFs to packages to books.
Listen to the text read aloud or turn it into Braille.
Save or share your documents.
Printables
Natural Reader is a professional text to speech program that converts any written text into spoken words. The paid versions of Natural Reader have many more features.
Dyslexia Academy Memberships Range from Free to $20/month
Offers specialist teacher support to enable your son/daughter to meet their true potential. Dedicated, passionate and professional specialist dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia teacher team on hand.
ModMath is a free app for the iPad, targeted at helping students with dyslexia and dysgraphia do math.
Apps for Dyslexia and Learning
Open Dyslexic Free Font
Not a free app.
ABC Pocket Phonics
Dyslexia Gold Website
They have several apps, including a screener available on their resources page. These products are not free.
Not free ($10).
For Dyslexic students, Sound Literacy provides a teacher, tutor, speech therapist, or parent a tool for enhancing literacy lessons. Sound Literacy 2.0 gives maximum flexibility to customize the tile sets to match the needs of a particular curriculum or an individual student.
Sound Literacy is not a game. It is not programmed with an auto correct feature nor is it created to take the place of an instructor. It is intended to be an instructional tool that facilitates interaction between a teacher/tutor and a student. Skills and concepts must be guided by an instructor.
Dyseggxia
Free for first level, $1 for each level after that. 5-6 levels total; was created for students with dyslexia. It includes a randomized series of exercises to practice recognizing and building words that are typically difficult for students with dyslexia to remember. Once purchased, the user can play in Spanish or in English.
The Anatomy of a Special Needs Child
Comprehensive infographic that outlines some of the specific rights and needs of special needs children/students. Scroll through it to see it all or visit the creator's page by clicking here.