special education task list

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20 Task Box Resources To Use In Your Classroom or Home

Task boxes (also known as work boxes) are structured work systems created by Division TEACCH t the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. This system allows the student to work independently on a task for a specific time in a supportive environment.  Task boxes are now used for students with a variety of disabilities including students required pervasive levels of support.

There are 3 types of task boxes: stacking- Helps with eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills; sorting- may break activities by size, color, texture, shape and flavor and fine motor- strengthens the smaller movement in the wrists, hands and fingers.

The following sites include information on how to set up a task box system in your classroom or in your home.

How I Set Up My Task Box System ( Delightfully Dedicated)

How to Set Up An Independent Workbox (Breezy Special Ed)

How to Start a Task Box System (Autism Adventures)

Task Box Set Up- (Autism Adventures)

Websites that will give you ideas on creating task boxes, and the material needed.

Autism Classroom Workbox System (Teaching Special Thinkers)

Fine Motor Morning Work Bins (Differentiated Kindergarten)

Assembly Work Task (Autism Classroom News and Resources)

Free Math Printable Task Box for Special Education ( My Creative Inclusion)

Higher Level Academics in Task Boxes (Mrs. P’s Specialties)

How I Use Workboxes in My Classroom (Creating and Teaching)

Pre-Vocational Work Boxes (SPED Adventures)

Quick and Easy Task Box Ideas (Little Miss Kim’s Class)

Task Boxes: A Hands On Approach to Life Skills (Therablog)

Task Boxes for Autistic Children (Love to Know)

Structured Work Boxes (University of Mary Washington)

Ways to Up the Ante in Your Work Task System (The Autism Vault)

Winter Task Boxes (You Aut-aKnow)

Work Boxes in Autism Classrooms (Noodle Nook)

Work Box Task Ideas (The Autism Helper)

Work Task (Breezy Special Ed)

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Task Boxes for Special Education: Download a Set of Fun and Free Fall Task Boxes

Today, I want to talk to you about a powerful and engaging tool that has proven to be incredibly effective in teaching and inspiring young children with special needs: task boxes. Task boxes for special education are a fascinating way to deliver essential skills.

As an expert in elementary special education with 15 years of experience, I have seen first hand how task boxes can make a remarkable difference in the learning journey of our students.

So, let’s dive into the world of task boxes and discover how they can create a fun and exciting learning experience for our children with special needs.

Target a wide variety of skills with these work task boxes. Read all about some fun and free task box ideas, if you’re looking for social emotional learning activities to add to your curriculum, I’ve also got you covered!

What are Task Boxes?

If you’re not familiar with task boxes, don’t worry—I’m here to help. Task boxes are sets of activities, puzzles, or learning tasks that are carefully designed to target specific skills and concepts. 

They are typically presented in small, portable containers or bins, which makes them ideal for independent work or as part of a structured work system.

Each task box focuses on a particular learning objective, allowing students to practice and reinforce their skills in a controlled and repetitive manner.

These activities can cover a wide range of subjects, from basic math and language arts to fine motor skills and sensory exploration. 

The versatility of task boxes makes them a perfect fit for students with diverse learning needs and preferences.

As special education teachers, we are always on the lookout for innovative and effective ways to engage our students and help them develop essential skills.

Get these 9 SETS at the end of this post.

Task boxes, also known as task cards or work boxes, have proven to be a great addition to any special education classroom. 

These carefully crafted activities target basic skills and align with IEP goals, making them an excellent tool for promoting independent skills and errorless learning.

Task boxes, often stored in plastic boxes or bins, consist of a wide variety of activities that cover different subjects and skill levels.

These boxes are designed to provide students with opportunities for extra practice, allowing them to learn and reinforce new skills at their own pace. 

Task boxes can be used individually, in small groups, or as independent work tasks, making them suitable for both self-contained classrooms and inclusive settings.

Introducing The Task Box Library

Are you looking for a comprehensive and cost-effective solution to enhance your special education classroom or home learning environment?

Look no further! The Task Box Library Monthly Membership by Nikki over at Teaching Autism, offers an incredible opportunity to unlock a whole library of task boxes and enrich your teaching repertoire throughout the entire year.

I would highly recommend this offer if you are in special education. It will literally save you TONS of time and money throughout the year. 

What are the features?

Early Bird Annual Fee of $85:  We understand the importance of budget-friendly resources for educators and parents alike. That’s why we’re excited to offer an exclusive early bird annual fee of just $85 for our membership.

This incredible value grants you access to an extensive collection of over 200 task box cards at your fingertips!

Unlock a Whole Library of Task Boxes:  Imagine having access to an ever-expanding library of engaging and skill-focused task boxes, all designed to cater to the unique needs of your special education students.

Nikki’s Task Box Library covers a wide range of subjects, including fine motor skills, basic concepts, language arts, math, sensory exploration, and much more.

Say goodbye to searching for individual resources; our membership gives you all the task boxes you need in one convenient place.

Use Throughout the Entire Year:  With our Task Box Library Monthly Membership, your access to the vast array of task boxes is not limited to a specific timeframe.

You’ll have the freedom to use these resources throughout the entire year, allowing you to plan your lessons, rotations, and activities with ease and flexibility.

Whether it’s for in-classroom instruction, independent work stations, or home learning, our task boxes are the perfect companion for year-round engagement and skill development.

Why Choose The Task Box Library Monthly Membership:

• Save Time and Money:  As a special education teacher or parent, time is precious. Our membership simplifies your teaching planning and preparation, enabling you to focus more on your students’ individual needs.
• Access to Over 200 Task Box Cards:  Our extensive collection of task box cards covers a broad spectrum of skills and subjects, ensuring that you have resources for all learning levels.
• Diverse Learning Opportunities:  The variety of task boxes allows you to tailor your instruction to each student’s unique strengths and challenges, providing a personalized learning experience.
• Support for the Entire Year:  No more worries about finding new resources every month. With our membership, you have access to task boxes that can be used seamlessly throughout the entire academic year.
• Ideal for Teachers and Parents:  Whether you’re a special education teacher looking to enhance your classroom or a parent eager to support your child’s learning at home, our Task Box Library Monthly Membership is the perfect fit.

Join The Task Box Library Monthly Membership Offer today and discover a wealth of engaging and effective resources that will elevate your teaching and inspire your students’ learning journey. 

Unlock the potential of over 200 task box cards and watch as your special education students thrive!

Visit The Ultimate Task Box Library by Teaching Autism here to sign up now and take advantage of our limited-time early bird annual fee of $85.

Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to revolutionize your teaching with The Task Box Library!

Why are task boxes beneficial?

Task boxes have such a great place in special education and any classroom, I even use these with my ESL kids. 

Promoting Independent Skills

One of the main goals in special education is to foster independence in our students.

Task boxes play a crucial role in achieving this objective by providing opportunities for independent work.

As students progress through each task, they gain confidence and a sense of accomplishment, leading to a higher level of self-reliance.

Implementing the Task Box System

To effectively integrate task boxes into our special education classrooms, we can establish a well-organized task box system. 

If you’re looking for some FREE task boxes that you can get your hands on before you dip your feet into the fun world of task boxes. Check out these FREE task boxes from Nikki @ Teaching Autsim.

Math task boxes for special education

Here are some great ideas to get started:

• IEP Work Bins:  Customize task boxes to align with individual IEP goals. This approach ensures that each student’s unique learning needs are met while promoting skill development.
• Visual Supports:  Use visual supports like picture schedules or step-by-step guides to help students navigate through task boxes independently. Visual aids provide clear instructions and help minimize frustration.
• Task Box Bundle:  Create task box bundles that target different areas of learning and offer a wide range of skills. A diverse selection caters to the varying abilities and interests of our students.

Fall-Themed Task Box

As a special education teacher and blogger, I recently curated a fall-themed task box bundle that I am excited to share with you.

Introducing the “Fall Task Box,” a collection of engaging and age-appropriate activities designed to improve fine motor skills and are a great way to explore the beauty of autumn.

The Fall Task Box includes activities such as using pipe cleaners to create leaf patterns, matching fall-themed popsicle stick puzzles, and sorting acorns by color.

These hands-on tasks provide sensory input and promote fine motor development in a fun and interactive way.

Download your free set below:

To make your journey into the world of task boxes even more exciting, I have prepared a set of fun and free fall-themed task boxes for you to download.

Fall Themed Task Boxes for Special Education

Signup to get this printable pack sent right to your inbox!

These task boxes are designed to align with common special education learning objectives, and they feature captivating autumn-themed images and activities that will surely delight your young learners.

Just visit     to access this fantastic resource. Remember to print and prepare the task boxes with care, and get ready to witness the joy on your students’ faces as they embark on these engaging learning adventures.

In conclusion, task boxes are an invaluable tool for teaching and inspiring young children with special needs.

Their ability to engage, motivate, and accommodate various learning styles makes them an essential addition to any special education setting.

By using task boxes in independent work stations and following successful system ideas, we can create a meaningful and enjoyable learning experience for our students.

Thank you for joining me today as we explored the world of task boxes in special education.

Let’s continue to embrace creativity, fun, and individualized learning to empower our students to reach their full potential.

Implementing Task Boxes in Independent Work Stations

Task boxes are a great fit for independent work stations, which are essential components of any special education classroom. When setting up independent work stations, consider the following:

• Specific Times:  Allocate dedicated periods throughout the day for independent work. This routine fosters a sense of predictability and allows students to focus on the task at hand.
• Task Box Rotations:  Regularly rotate the activities in independent work stations, introducing new skills and challenges while ensuring variety.
• Higher-Level Tasks:  For students who have mastered basic skills, introduce more complex tasks within the task boxes. This keeps them engaged and promotes continuous growth.
• Small Groups:  Occasionally, have students work collaboratively on task boxes. This encourages peer interaction and cooperation, creating a positive social learning environment.

Task boxes are a powerful tool for promoting independent learning and enhancing fine motor skills in special education students. 

By integrating these fun and engaging activities into our classrooms, we provide students with opportunities to learn and grow while fostering independence and confidence.

As special education teachers, let’s continue to explore different ways to use task boxes effectively and tailor them to meet the unique needs of our students. 

Whether in self-contained classrooms, inclusive settings, or independent centers, task boxes have proven to be a valuable resource for helping our young learners succeed.

Remember, the journey of skill development is a marathon, not a sprint. Through task boxes and other innovative approaches, we can create a supportive and enriching environment that empowers our students to thrive.

So, let’s embrace the power of task boxes and watch our students flourish!

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Especially Education

Adapted high-quality curriculum to help special education students succeed in the classroom

Task Boxes – What They Are and Why We Love Them

December 9, 2023

Task boxes are one of the strategies and tools we use to enhance learning for students with diverse needs. If you haven’t used task boxes before, or if you need a refresher, here’s our run down of the who, what, why, where, when, and “WOW!” of these fabulous tools.

What are Task Boxes?

Task boxes are a fantastic resource for educators in a special education classroom. They consist of individual activities or tasks that offer structured learning opportunities for students to develop and practice specific skills. These boxes typically contain various materials like puzzles, flashcards, matching games, and manipulatives tailored to suit students’ individualized needs and abilities.

Types of Task Box

Task boxes are carefully curated to meet the individual needs and goals of students with diverse abilities. Depending on the resources and technology available, they can be physical, digital, or a combination of both. 

Physical task boxes

Physical task boxes can be created using storage containers with clearly labeled compartments. Materials can range from manipulatives, flashcards, puzzles, or any other sensory or tactile resources appropriate for the targeted skill areas.

Digital task box apps and websites

Technology can greatly enhance task box activities in special education classrooms. There are numerous digital apps and websites that offer customizable and interactive task box options. These include platforms like Boom Learning, Task Box Fill, or Seesaw, which allow for engaging virtual activities and progress tracking.

Picture-based schedules and visual supports

Visual schedules are an essential part of special education classrooms. Using visual supports like picture schedules or visual task cards within the task boxes can provide clear step-by-step instructions for students to follow independently.

Why are Task Boxes Important in a Special Education Classroom?

Promoting Independence and Autonomy

One of the primary goals of special education is to foster independence and self-reliance. 

Task boxes promote independence and autonomy among students with special needs. By engaging in these self-directed activities, students can independently work through tasks at their own pace and with minimal guidance from teachers, support staff, or parents.

This promotes confidence, decision-making skills, and a sense of accomplishment as students complete tasks successfully. In addition, this autonomy boosts confidence and empowers students to take ownership of their learning journey.

Visual supports

Visual supports are essential for many students with special needs, as they enhance comprehension and facilitate communication. Task boxes can be designed with visual aids, such as picture schedules, visual step-by-step instructions, or symbol-supported activities. These visual prompts help students understand tasks, follow directions, and complete activities effectively.

Targeted Skill Development

Task boxes are designed to target specific skills that students need to develop. These can range from fine motor and gross motor skills to cognitive, communication, and social skills. By practicing these skills repeatedly in a structured and engaging manner, students can strengthen their abilities and work towards achieving their individual goals.

Differentiated Instruction

In our special education classrooms, students have diverse abilities and learning styles. Task boxes offer a way to deliver instruction in a differentiated manner, catering to the unique needs of each student. We can create task boxes that are tailored to meet the individualized goals and objectives of our students, and this ensures meaningful and relevant learning opportunities.

Engagement and Motivation

Task boxes are designed to be visually appealing and engaging for students. With colorful materials, interactive elements, and hands-on activities, these boxes capture students’ attention and maintain their interest throughout the learning process. This enhanced engagement leads to increased motivation, active participation, and a positive attitude towards learning.

Progress Monitoring and Data Collection

Task boxes serve as valuable tools for progress monitoring and data collection in a special education classroom. Teachers can observe and document students’ performance, noting areas of strength and areas that require additional support. This data helps in making informed instructional decisions, modifying or adapting tasks to better meet students’ needs, and tracking progress over time.

Generalization of Skills

Task boxes provide opportunities for students to generalize skills learned in the classroom to real-life situations. For example, a task box activity that involves sorting objects by color can be extended to sorting items in a grocery store or organizing items at home. This promotes the transfer of skills and helps students apply what they have learned in meaningful contexts.

How to Successfully Implement Task Boxes

Identify Individual Goals and Objectives

Before implementing task boxes, it is crucial to identify each student’s goals and objectives. By aligning task box activities with specific learning targets, teachers can ensure that students are engaging in meaningful and purposeful practice.

Create an Organized System

Establish a well-organized system for storing and accessing task boxes. Label each box with clear instructions and expectations, ensuring that students can easily understand and navigate through the activities independently.

Introduce and Model

Take the time to introduce each task box activity to students, providing clear instructions and modeling the expected behaviors. This initial guidance and support will help students understand the purpose of each task and how to engage with the materials effectively.

Implement a Rotation System

Implement a rotation system where task boxes are regularly changed or updated. Such a system will help to avoid monotony and provide variety. This, in turn, keeps students engaged and interested, preventing boredom or disengagement.

Monitor and Provide Feedback

Regularly monitor students’ progress as they engage with task boxes. Provide feedback and positive reinforcement to acknowledge their efforts and achievements. This helps to build students’ self-confidence and motivation.

The Last Word

Task boxes play a vital role in our special education classrooms, offering a range of benefits for students with diverse needs. From promoting independence and autonomy to targeting specific skills, these structured learning opportunities enhance engagement, facilitate progress monitoring, and support differentiated instruction.

By effectively implementing task boxes, we can create an inclusive and empowering environment that fosters our students’ overall development and growth.

Anonymous says

December 10, 2023 at 6:15 pm

I love task boxes and use many of yours! Another great thing about them is when I have an adult up in your room & I am supposed to utilize them in some way, if they aren’t great with the students, I always have a pile of in progress task boxes for them to work on!

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Free resources, how can i make good task boxes for special education students.

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So many times I walk into a special education classroom and see that a special education teacher has independent work systems set up. But when I look at the system, I see a number of elements that don’t fit the philosophy behind them. 

Sometimes they are missing elements like finished baskets. Occasionally the task is set up right to left instead of left to right. And sometimes they have tasks are not a good fit. This blog post will give you different ways to set up task boxes for special education students.

This post includes affiliate links.  If you purchase an item through the link, I get a small commission.  You get the item at the same price. I would never recommend something I didn’t use and find helpful in classrooms.

Let me stop and say that I love independent work and independent work tasks! If you have been reading this blog for a while, I’m sure that’s not news. I like them so much,  I wrote a book about them . Our students spend so much time with people giving them direct instruction and supervision that learning to work on their own is such a critical skill. So when I see a work task system that is not set up to focus on the teaching of independence, I worry. You can read more about  setting up systems here  and  more things you need to know in this post.

Not sure what independent work systems are? Read this post.

5 Elements You Must Have for Independent Task Boxes for Special Education Students

So what makes a good independent task boxes for special education students?  Some of these elements (the first 3) are based on the original conception of structured work systems from TEACCH .  Some are elements that I look for in creating the tasks to make them most useful.

1. Mastered Tasks

To some this seems evident, but it is the most common problem I see. There are several reason why tasks have to be independent skills that the student has mastered.

First, we are not teaching the student to do the tasks in the system. We are teaching the students to work on their own. Let’s say the student can’t count with 1-1 correspondence and we give him a task that requires it. Does he not finish the work system because he got stuck with 1-1 correspondence or because he was waiting for a prompt?

In short, if you want someone to do something independently, the independent tasks have to be something they have shown they are able to do. Otherwise you can’t tell whether the task is the problem or being dependent on prompts is.

2. Clear Beginning and End

Students need to clearly understand what work is expected to be completed. If you can’t tell when a task is finished, how do you know when to put it away? Similarly, many of our students get overwhelmed when they are presented with tasks. Having a clear beginning and end helps them see what work is expected and makes it easier to start the work task boxes.

To make the expectations clear, there are a few things you can do and a few things tasks need to be built with.

• Only include pieces of the task you expect the student to finish.  If you want them to sort 10 items, don’t put 20 in the box and expect them to know it.
• Make sure that the number of pieces of tasks (like a matching task) are the number needed to complete the tasks.  Too few pieces and the student gets frustrated.  Too many pieces and he isn’t sure what to do with the extra pieces.

File folders, puzzles, and worksheets (along with other visual motor tasks) are good fits for the systems. Writing essays (without clear guidelines of length), verbal tasks, and computer-based tasks that have no specific ending are not good options.

3. Designed to Stay Together

This is important for two reasons. First, if tasks fall apart, students will want to put it back together. Remember that we don’t want the students to take their work apart. It’s demoralizing to have to undo work you worked hard to do. It’s also the opposite of what we are trying to teach. If a worker filled up the salt shakers in a restaurant, we wouldn’t ask him to empty them all right afterwards. Similarly, if he did a math worksheet in a general ed. class, we wouldn’t want him to erase his answers.

Second, we want to be able to check their work. Ever have that student who just puts pieces on a file folder, folds it up and says it’s done? Yea, me too. Being able to check their work is a great way to avoid this. As students get more proficient at using the system, a perfect way to expand their skills is to require them to raise their hand and have their work checked before getting the reinforcer. The good news is, this allows you to catch those slick kiddos who just looked like their work is complete.

4. Easily Differentiated

This one isn’t necessarily a TEACCH issue, but when looking for tasks that will last and meet the most needs, I like to find one that are easy to adjust for use with different students. Task cards are a great example. I can give the student as many (or particular ones) as they can do, but not more. So one student gets 20 cards and one gets 5. Similarly, maybe one gets the task cards for squares only (since that’s as far as you have gotten) and other students get squares, triangles and rectangles.

File folders can be made in pieces. If you have a student who can’t sort all the shapes, make a folder with just one side of the shapes, so it only has square, triangle and circle.

Use mats instead of file folders. Instead of making all the pages into file folders, make some as mats. Then you can switch them up and give more items to match or less. The trains in my  Detail Discrimination tasks  are a good example for a task box system.

5. Visual and Engaging

Finally, it helps to have task boxes for special education students that are visual and interesting. Students are more likely to engage with task box activities that they find interesting, so incorporate special interests. You can see some  examples in this post.  It’s also helpful to capitalize on the fact that many of our students have strengths in visual discrimination. Use that strength to have them practice a variety of other skills.

Obviously having tasks that are age-appropriate is important as well and I’ll tackle that in a future post. In the meantime, if you are looking for work boxes designed specifically for independent work systems, check out the ones below in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. 

Check out these bundles for individual products for different ages.

• Read more about: Task Boxes Independent Work Systems

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Functional Life Skills Curriculum for Special Education

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Are you a special education teacher looking for ways to teach functional life skills to your special education students?

What exactly are life skills, you may be wondering?

Functional life skills  are the skills that people need to have a better chance of independent living or just being a more independent member of their community. The word  functional  in this case means skills that support a person’s independence.

Lesson Plans for Essential Life Skills Instruction

In this post you will find different activities to use in lesson plans that focus on   important life skills  for special needs students. Many of this skills are even pre-vocational skills that students will one day need if they are able to enter into the work force.

I’m talking about everything from independence to personal hygiene to learning how to count money and clean.

Let’s make sure every student gets the skills they need to rock life, both in and out of the classroom!

Personal Hygiene & Self-Care Skills

Personal hygiene and self care skills are some of the most important life skills to teach kids. 

Let’s face it-nobody wants to be around someone smelly so personal hygiene is a MUST at every age. This is something we teach as early as the toddler age (such as  washing their hands ) all the way through high school and beyond. The types of self care that students need just becomes different depending on their daily living skills and their age.

Personal Hygiene Task Boxes  can be helpful to teach kids the vocabulary words that they need to understand in this category. I liked to use these during  independent work stations  or during small group sessions.

Here are some other ways to practice self-care skills at school:

1. Toothbrushing – practice after lunch

2. Hair care – provide mirrors, brushes and even ponytails and help students practice these skills. I would typically do this with older students (3rd grade and up).

3. Shoe tying practice

4. Putting on deodorant – always make sure you get permission from parents/guardians to work on this kind of thing at school.

LIFE SKILLS CURRICULUM SPECIAL EDUCATION ACTIVITIES FOR PERSONAL HYGIENE & SELF CARE SKILLS:

Washing Hands Unit

Personal Hygiene Task Boxes

Life Skills Task Boxes-Laundry

Social Skills

Social skills are extremely important for students in special education as they form the foundation for their overall well-being and success.These skills enable students to build positive relationships, communicate effectively and navigate the different social situations that they will come across in life.

When they learn these abilities, they can join in class activities, solve problems easily and feel more sure of themselves. 

Plus, strong social skills get them ready for success in school and beyond. 

To work on social skills, I loved doing   community-based instruction  with my students (also called CBI trips). This simply meant taking them out into the community to work on these valuable life skills like social skills. 

We would go to places such as the  grocery store  or a  fast food restaurant  to work on specific skills in those places. The hope is that by practicing it with guided instruction together out in the community, students will start to generalize the skill you are working on. Try these  FREE Life Skills Community Places worksheets.

Mindfulmazing  actually has an entire unit over social skills in their newest social emotional curriculum called the  HeartSmart Curriculum . It has 6 units of daily social emotional activities meant to last you all year:

• Unit 1: Emotions
• Unit 2: Growth Mindset
• Unit 3: Self-Management
• Unit 4: Responsibility
• Unit 5: Social Skills
• Unit 6: Relationships

LIFE SKILLS CURRICULUM SPECIAL EDUCATION ACTIVITIES FOR SOCIAL SKILLS:

Life Skills Cut & Paste Grocery Shopping

FREE Life Skills Community Places Worksheets

Functional Academics

In special education, students in cross-categorical, self contained and autism classrooms are typically working on more functional academics. This is not always the case but for the most part, special educators want to teach students the basic skills of academics that will help them with functional life skills. They are not always working in grade level curriculum because they are working on their IEP goals (more on IEP goals for functional skills at the end of this post) in their busy school day.

Functional academics might look like: 

• understanding the coins and how to add money amounts together
• telling time
• reading signs in the community such as STOP, RESTROOM or EXIT

Money Skills :

Let’s dive into money skills first. Learning about money and how to use it is absolutely a necessary skill for our students. They need to understand that everything in life costs money and as we grow older, we have to understand money management in order to pay rent, make a living, purchase groceries and buy clothes.

In elementary school, you may want to start by introducing the basics of money such as naming and identifying the amount of each coin and learning how to  count coins up to $1.00 . Try using these  money task boxes  for help with money introduction. Using the  next dollar up strategy  is also helpful to teach when you are on CBI trips. 

In middle school, you can focus more on grocery shopping and how to make change; at the high school level, you could actually teach students how to create a personal budget  for  going to the grocery store.          

LIFE SKILLS CURRICULUM SPECIAL EDUCATION ACTIVITIES FOR MONEY MANAGEMENT:

Money Task Boxes

Count coins up to $1.00

Time Management :

Being able to tell time is one of the simplest life skills you can teach. Most all clocks are digital now but students still need to understand how to read a clock and understand the basics of telling time and whether it is A.M or P.M.

Do you know why teaching time management is so important?

It helps them do things on their own and feel less stressed. Plus, it gets them ready for grown-up stuff, like showing up for a job on time. 

Learning to manage time also makes kids more responsible. It’s a skill that can boost their confidence and success in lots of different parts of their life!

Functional Reading

Functional reading is super important for our students in special education because it helps them navigate everyday life. It’s all about understanding community signs , labels, menus and important information they encounter in the world.

With functional reading, they can make sense of things around them, like reading street signs to know where they’re going or understanding food labels to make healthy choices.

In addition- It also opens up doors for them to be more independent, like being able to follow recipes, read schedules and handle money. So, functional reading isn’t just about books – it’s about giving these students the tools they need to be confident and capable in their daily lives!

Visual supports have always played a HUGE part in teaching my students functional vocabulary.

LIFE SKILLS CURRICULUM SPECIAL EDUCATION ACTIVITIES FOR FUNCTIONAL READING:

Life Skills Community Signs

Community Signs task Boxes

Visual Supports for Special Education

Independence

Teaching students to do things independently is possibly the most important life skill, in my opinion. Of course, every child’s  level of independence  will be different and that’s okay.

Recognize each student’s unique abilities and provide the appropriate level of support to help them succeed in developing independence as a life skill.

Here are some practical tips to remember:

1 . Break tasks into small manageable steps:  this helps make the task feel less  overwhelming  to kids.

2. Use visual supports:  This provides a clear checklist and concrete example of what the student needs to do. 

I used visual supports for everything in my autism classroom in order to encourage independence. I’m talking during small group, PE, music, Art, you name it!

3. Demonstrate the task for them:  Modeling is huge to kids. It shows them the visual of what a task looks like and exactly how you are executing it, rather than just verbally telling them.

4.  Provide CLEAR instructions:  Give instructions in a clear, concise manner. Break down each step and offer verbal or visual prompts if needed.

5. Repetition & Practice:  Make independent tasks part of everyday routines. That could look like activities such as doing jobs around the classroom, hanging up their backpack in the mornings or completing   independent task boxe s  during a certain time of day.

I loved using the  Life Skills Morning Work Bundle  for independent morning work with students when I was in the classroom. The repetition of doing the same format daily really helped them with being able to stay focused on an independent task for longer. Try this  FREE Morning Work Sample  with your students!

LIFE SKILLS CURRICULUM SPECIAL EDUCATION ACTIVITIES FOR INDEPENDENCE:

Life Skills Morning Work Bundle

FREE Morning Work Sample

Independent Task Boxes

Cleaning Task Boxes for Life Skills

Coming up with IEP Goals for Functional Skills

In most school districts, you will find that students with developmental disabilities have functional goals on their IEP. Functional means that the student is working more on life skill type goals rather than the academic goals of the curriculum.

When trying to come up with new skills to create functional goals for in your special education program, try to look for gaps in the student’s life skills. Are they able to name the coins but do not know the value of each? Can they work on a task by themselves for even 5 minutes? How do they do in the restroom? Do they need reminders for everything or are they self sufficient? When someone greets them in the hallway, do they respond?

What is your favorite way to work on life skills in your classroom?

• ← Simple Cut and Paste Activities for Autism Classrooms
• ALL the Tips for Using Adapted Books in Special Education →

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Daily Tasks Checklist

Prioritizing what you need to get done each day is important. Just because it’s on a list doesn’t mean it’s going to be finished in a day, but using a daily task checklist will help you focus on the must-do tasks for each day. Staying focused on the most important tasks help you meet the needs of your learners without getting distracted by things that can come later (like decorating your classroom or updating lessons for next year). There is nothing like checking “done” on that daily checklist!

Always Something to Do Notes List

Beginning of the Year Checklist

There is so much to do when the school year starts! It’s easy to forget things you have to get done, teachers you have to meet with, and normal school building tasks outside your caseload paperwork. Use a beginning of the year checklist to make sure you don’t forget to complete any needed tasks. Save this one for July or August to get started before your students arrive!

Teacher Assistant Task List

If you are lucky enough to have a teacher assistant or para-educator in your room, make sure you are utilizing them to their full potential. Share the tasks you need help with on this simple teacher assistant task list . Depending on your assistant’s building role, tasks might include administrative items like making copies or laminating materials. In addition, your TA may help with student needs. Perhaps, they will assist a student with their physical, academic, or emotional needs in class while you are working with other students. Unless your assistant is attached to a specific student per the student’s IEP, your TA can work with multiple students in the class. Make sure to ask your assistant what they feel comfortable with. Utilizing their strengths when it comes to assigning them tasks will make the class run smoother for all of you!

Teacher Work Day Task List

If you are anything like me, a work day can be quickly filled with socialization and off-task behaviors. You may not have a lot of time to talk to your co-workers on a regular school day. A longer lunch and some chatting is inevitable. You can still have the social time and still get important tasks accomplished by making a teacher work day task list . Prioritize the most important things you need to get finished on your work day.

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Everything You Need to Know About Matching Tasks for Special Education

• fullspedahead
• January 9, 2023
• Back to School , Classroom Rules , Classroom Structure , Curriculum , Functional Life Skills , Helpful Tips , Teacher Tips , Technology Tools

Matching work tasks and activities can be an awesome addition to your special education classroom! This is a basic fine motor skill perfect for all ages and ability levels. Once my student has mastered put in work, they move to matching tasks!

Matching tasks are a valuable resource for promoting cognitive development and enhancing learning outcomes in special education classrooms. These tasks involve matching corresponding objects, pictures, or words, allowing students to strengthen their visual discrimination skills, improve attention to detail, and enhance their ability to identify and recognize patterns.

By incorporating matching tasks into the classroom routine, teachers can provide meaningful and engaging activities that cater to diverse learning needs. These tasks can be customized to target various skills such as shape recognition, color matching, letter identification, or even vocabulary expansion.

By offering opportunities for hands-on exploration and independent problem-solving, matching tasks foster a sense of achievement and build students’ confidence in their abilities. Additionally, they can be easily differentiated to accommodate individual learning goals, making them a versatile tool for educators working with students of varying abilities.

Introducing matching tasks in the special education classroom creates an inclusive learning environment that nurtures cognitive growth, promotes skill acquisition, and fosters a sense of accomplishment among students.

Want to know more about put in work tasks and learning? Read this post!

What are matching tasks?

Matching is work activities where the student is putting something with another item that is the same or similar. There is no sorting, no assembling, no sequencing. It’s one basic fine motor movement. Pick up items and put them somewhere with their same item. This helps with activities matching game for kids too.

This basic fine motor activity is essential to teach our younger and foundational level learners how to work independently, how to increase work endurance, and attention. There is a clear start and ending point. You can increase the length and difficulty by using smaller items, using realistic images or items and increasing the number of items. You can work on generalization by making a lot of different versions of these tasks.

Looking for better ways to set up independent work, look no further!

Why would you use matching activities?

Matching and pairing activities for preschoolers are great for students with low attention and fine motor abilities. I use these types of skills with basic learners to increase their work confidence and work endurance. We want matching tasks and activities to be simple so we can celebrate the wins for finding identical items. This is typically to promote longer work periods of time and endurance.

These are great tasks to introduce independent work. You can also use multiple choice tasks. Matching has a definite start and stop and can help students understand the foundational skills needed for independent work. Want to know more about independent work? Read this blog post!

Where can I find matching activities?

You’re in luck! I have a set of matching work tasks in my TpT Store! Easy prep set of work boxes that you can print, prep and find materials in your classroom or local dollar store to set up and implement this school year!

Independent work tasks are important in every special education classroom! These task boxes can be used as teaching tools and building independence through student work.

This resource includes detailed instructions for teacher setup, Amazon list of possible materials, digital data tracking form, student visuals, teacher visuals and directions for use for 20 work tasks. These activities are for fine motor tasks that require a matching aspect. 

Best part! You can either use the pre-created student visuals with images taken for you to show each step of the task OR you can create your own student visuals!

This resource requires the addition of some basic materials such as bins, office supplies, small containers. A detailed Amazon supply list is included to make it easy to determine what you will need to create all of these centers!

Looking for more ways to bring life skills into your classroom, read this post!

Furthermore, these tasks can be easily integrated into thematic units or specific topics of study, making them a versatile tool for reinforcing and expanding knowledge across different subject areas. For example, in a science lesson about animals, students can match pictures of animals to their corresponding habitats or sort animals based on their characteristics. In a language arts lesson, students can match rhyming words or associate words with their antonyms or synonyms. By incorporating matching into lesson plans, teachers can create engaging and interactive learning experiences that cater to diverse interests and learning styles.

To maximize the effectiveness of matching tasks, teachers can provide appropriate scaffolding and support based on individual student needs. They can start with simpler matching activities and gradually increase the complexity as students gain confidence and proficiency. Additionally, teachers can use visuals, prompts, and manipulatives to facilitate understanding and make the tasks more accessible.

In conclusion, matching tasks are a valuable tool in the special education classroom, offering a wide range of benefits across cognitive, social, and emotional domains. By incorporating matching tasks into lesson plans, teachers create opportunities for students to develop important skills while fostering a positive and inclusive learning environment. Whether used for individual practice, small group work, or as part of a larger instructional unit, matching provide engaging and meaningful learning experiences for students in special education settings.

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Introduction

Welcome to NASET's Forms, Tables, Checklists, and Procedures .  This section of our site consists of numerous forms, tables, checklists, and procedures for special educators to use. 

NASET's Forms, Tables, Checklists, and Procedures provides NASET members with a comprehensive resource of materials that can be accessed for practical everyday issues faced by special educators.  Simply click on the main heading of any of the sections below and it will take you to various types of materials to review and potentially use both in and outside of your classroom.

Each Form, Table, Checklist, and Procedure is available as a PDF file for downloading. Some forms are available as a MS Word Document for personal customization and use.

• Adapting the Curriculum

• Adapting the Classroom Environment • Adapting Curriculum Presentation • Adapting Page Set-Up and Devices Used in the Curriculum • Adapting Evaluation Strategies Used in Curriculum

• Assessment Plans/Parent Consent for Evaluation Checklist • Required Members of the Multidisciplinary Assessment Team for an Initial Evaluation-Checklist • Student Behavior During Evaluation-Checklist • Visual Processing Disorder - Checklist • Auditory Processing Disorder - Checklist

• Evaluation Summary Sheet

• Who Administers Specific Tests

• Procedures for Determining the assessment measures for the Diagnosis of Autism • Procedures for Determining the assessment measures for the Diagnosis of Emotional Disturbance • Procedures for Determining the assessment measures for the Diagnosis of Specific Learning Disabilities • Procedures for Determining the assessment measures for the Diagnosis of Intellectual Disability

• Child Development Information

• Dressing Skills-Milestones • Eating Skills-Milestones • Expressive Language-Milestones • Grooming Skills-Milestones • Gross Motor Developmental-Milestones • Indicators of Normal Development • Normal Language Development • Receptive Language-Milestones • Toileting Skills-Milestones

• Child Study Team

• Child Study Team Checklist for Initial Student Review • Child Study Team Pre-Referral Strategies Checklist • IEP Committee Packet Checklist • Obtaining School Records on a Student-Checklist • Student Observation Checklist • Suggested Intervention Options of the Child Study Team Used Prior To Evaluation Form • Structured Student Observation Checklist

• Initial Referral to the MDT from the School Staff • Open Ended Referral Form • Social Developmental History Form • Structured Referral Form • Unstructured Student Observation Checklist

• Classroom Management

• Alternate Learning Activities Checklist • Beginning of School Checklist-Getting to Know Your Students • Learning Styles Classroom Assessment • Mainstreaming Checklist • Multiple Intelligences Inventory • Possible Occupational Therapy Services Checklist • Teacher Checklist of Classroom Characteristics • Writing Disorders Checklist

• Best Practices and Accommodation Procedures for Working with Students with Emotional Disturbance • Developing Behavior Contracts

• Identification of High Risk Students or Special Needs Students

• ADD Checklist • Autism Checklist-General Characteristics • Autism Spectrum Disorder Checklist • Characteristic Checklist of Students with Developmental Delays • Characteristic Checklist of Students with Inellectual Disabilities • Characteristic Checklist of Students with Specific Learning Disabilities • Characteristics of Possible Emotional Disturbance Checklist • High Risk Student Checklist • Potential Suicide Risk in Adolescents Checklist • Pupil Behavior Rating Scale Checklist • That May Indicate Giftedness • Violent Behavior Patterns in Children and Adolescents-Checklist

• Diagnostic Symptoms of Dyscalculia • Symptom Patterns Exhibited by Children and Possible Causes

• Criteria Used to Recommend Modifications • Least Restrictive Environment Continuum

• Sample Complete IEP

• IEP Committee

• Eligibility Criteria Checklist for a Classification of Autism • Eligibility Criteria Checklist for a Classification of  Emotional Disturbance • Eligibility Criteria Checklist for a Classification of Mental Retardation • Eligibility Criteria Checklist for  a Classification of Specific Learning Disabilities • IEP Committee Presentation Packet Checklist-Annual Review • IEP Committee Presentation Packet Checklist-Initial Evaluation on a Child not Previously Classified • IEP Committee Presentation Packet Checklist-Triennial Evaluation • IEP Committee Presentation by the Special Education Teachers as an Educational Evaluator

• IEP Committee Presentation by the Special Education Teacher as a Member of the IEP Committee • IEP Committee Presentation by the Special Education Teacher as Classroom Teacher • IEP Committee Presentation by the Special Education Teacher as Educational Evaluator • Procedural Due Process • Procedures for Changing a Student’s Classification or Placement

• Medical Information

• Anti-anxiety Medications • Anti-depressant Medications • Antipsychotic Medications • Psychostimulants and Sedatives • Degrees of Hearing Impairment • Examples of Typical Sound Intensities • Infectious Diseases-Modes of Transmission

Related Services

• Communication with Related Service provider-Form Letter

• Suspected Abuse and Neglect

• Possible Neglect and Maltreatment Checklist • Possible Physical Abuse Checklist • Possible Sexual Abuse Checklist • Suspected Abuse or Neglect Checklist

• Employment Related Transition Goals • Record Keeping Checklist for Parents During the Transition Process

• Employment Related Transition Goals-Procedures

Working with Parents

• Annual Review Preparation for Parents-Checklist • Parent Intake and Interview Checklist • Reporting Test Results to Parents Checklist

• Initial Contact with Parent at the Beginning of the Year-Form Letter for New Teacher • Initial Contact with Parent at the Beginning of the Year-Form Letter for Returning Teacher

• Working with Staff

• Assistant Teacher/Paraprofessional Job Description Checklist • Teachers Checklist for Substitutes • Substitute Teachers Checklist

• Communication to Classroom Teachers at the Beginning of the School Year- from Resource Room Teacher

• IEP (Individual Education Program)
• Related Services Forms
• Working With Parents

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How to Choose Task Boxes for Students

As special educators, we know that finding the right resources to meet our students' needs can be a challenge. This is especially true when it comes to task boxes, which are designed to provide hands-on, interactive learning experiences for students.

How can we ensure that the task boxes we use in the special education classroom setting align with our students' needs?

Here are a few strategies that can help you find the best tasks for your students:

Start with your students' individual education plans (IEPs). When creating or selecting task boxes, review each student's IEP to identify their specific learning needs, goals, and any accommodations. This will help you choose task boxes that are tailored to each student's unique needs and abilities. Additional resources, including fine motor skills and other hands-on tasks, can definitely be added once the IEP skills are in place.

Look for task boxes that offer multiple levels of difficulty. Many task boxes offer different levels of difficulty, which can be a great option for students with varying skill levels. Any particular task can also be extended by adding additional materials, from manipulatives (“show what you know” with math skills) to dry erase markers (“explain your thinking”). These add-ons are the perfect way to extend the task boxes you're already using.

Mix and match tasks. Sometimes the best solution is to create your own task boxes, but there's not always time for this. Just like we can add extensions, we can also use our existing tasks in more than one way. Example: students can use beginning sound picture cards with magnetic letters as is and then use the same pictures for syllable identification. Reading CVC and CVCe words? Great! When students complete the task, use the same task cards for sorting by long and short vowel sounds (phonemic awareness). Even if a task box is not perfectly aligned with your students' needs, you can often modify it to better meet their needs.

Use task boxes as a review tool. Task boxes can be a great tool for reviewing concepts that students have already learned. By using tasks that review previously learned concepts, you can create independent work tasks that are relevant across multiple grade levels or subject areas.

Focus on student independence. Don't worry if tasks feel too “fun” or “easy.” The purpose of using task boxes is to help support students' task completion as independently as possible. Select tasks that are at students' independent level and save instructional tasks for small groups. If you feel that any academic skills may be above students' independent level, consider substituting with fine motor tasks featuring hands-on materials (pipe cleaners, clothes pins, play dough, or pom poms) and visual discrimination tasks. Another consideration is using errorless learning in independent work stations to promote student independence and success.

The best part of task boxes is that they can be customized to meet the individual needs of your students and can be adapted throughout the school year. Rotating activities from a large task box bundle keeps learning fresh and engaging. Worried about having too many work task boxes? Most special education teachers will argue there's no such thing, but if this is a concern, a great solution is to incorporate individual tasks with early finishers and as morning work. I promise even your older students will enjoy learning with them!

Overall, task box activities are a great way to incorporate hands-on manipulatives and independent skills into your special education classroom in a structured way that targets a variety of skills. With a little creativity and low prep,a task box system can be a great addition to any special education classroom!

Good news! The Task Box Dollar Club offers a HUGE variety of different boxes to quickly fill up your independent work systems. You'll receive instant access to a growing library of task box printables, including early literacy, early math, social emotional learning, fine motor, and so much more.

If low-cost and low-prep sounds good to you, check out the Task Box Dollar Club here:

I'm Jennifer!

I’m Jennifer and I was a special educator in the elementary school setting over the past decade. I entered the classroom every day dedicated to making learning inclusive AND engaging.

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The Power of Task Boxes in Special Education [Episode 1]

• November 2023

The Power of Task Boxes in Special Education

Have you ever used task boxes in your special education classroom? I’m diving into the power of task boxes for you and your students in our very first episode. These little boxes are such an effective tool for boosting student confidence, independence, and engagement.

I’ll share my personal journey of discovering task boxes and how they completely transformed my students’ learning experiences. The versatility and adaptability of task boxes allow them to be tailored to any age group and skill level. Over the years, I’ve created over 800 task boxes for my students, and now I’m ready to share the magic with you!

To celebrate the launch of this podcast, we’re doing a giveaway! Three winners will receive a $25 gift card to my website store. There are two ways to enter. If you do both, you’ll receive two entries!

• Screenshot your favorite episode (episode 1, 2, or 3). Add it to your Instagram stories and tag me @chalkboard_superhero .
• Leave your rating and written review on Apple Podcasts. Be sure to include your name in the review.

Episode Highlights:

• What task boxes are and types of skills they can help students with
• My journey of learning about the power of task boxes, and how my students reacted to them
• Top reasons why kids love task boxes so much
• Examples of how you can use task boxes with students in higher grade levels

Resources Mentioned:

• Shop task boxes on my website
• Shop task boxes on my TPT store
• Freebie: 4 Free Task Boxes
• Free training: 3 Simple and Powerful Ways to Cultivate Independence in Your Special Education Classroom

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @chalkboard_superhero
• Join my Facebook group, Special Education Superheroes
• Join my email list
• Shop my TPT store

More About Teach, Task Box, Inspire: The Podcast:

Teach, Task Box, Inspire: The Podcast is your go-to educational podcast dedicated to making your job as a special education teacher easier and more enjoyable. Your host, Lisa Hollady, is a veteran special education teacher with a passion for helping teachers like you make a real difference in the lives of your students.

In your demanding roles, you’re constantly juggling various responsibilities, from differentiated instruction and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) to data collection, and, of course, teaching. That’s where task boxes come in.

Task boxes aren’t just teaching tools. They’re the key to unlocking student independence, student engagement, and personalized learning. Through this podcast, you’ll uncover the incredible task box benefits for your special needs students and practical implementation tips that you can take to your classroom.

Tune in each Monday for a new episode that will equip you with essential strategies and motivation to approach your week with confidence and enthusiasm. Topics will include task box activities, social and emotional development, adaptive teaching, inclusive teaching, supporting diverse learners, classroom management, scheduling, visual aids, and more.

If you’re looking for more special education resources and support with increasing student independence, check out Lisa's FREE training .

I am a High School, self-contained Autism teacher from Central New York, who is passionate about individualizing student learning. I am a mommy of three, lover of all things Disney, married to my best friend and addicted to chocolate!! I hope that you find great ideas and inspiration here, so welcome!!

REcent Posts

Implementing an Effective Token Economy in Your Special Education Classroom [Episode 42]

Visual Boundaries in the Special Education Classroom [Episode 41]

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NeuronUP. Web platform of cognitive rehabilitation

10 activities for students with special education needs

More than 7 million students, or about 15% of those ages 3 to 21, received special education services in the 2020-21 school year under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

To ensure the quality of special education services and meet the many needs in their classrooms, teachers must invest a considerable amount of time in tailoring lessons and materials to their students.

In fact, what makes the role of a special educator especially challenging is the number and diversity of needs in a classroom. Teachers must support not only the academic needs of their students, but also communication, behavioral and physical needs, among others. However, special education teachers often operate without adequate materials to address these needs.

According to a survey conducted by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) 72% of teachers of students with special needs modify their curriculum to support their individualization either most of the time or always. Moreover, teachers rank adequate resources requirements as the most important criteria for their success.

The lack of materials places a significant extra burden on teachers. Therefore, here are 10 activities developed to help learners with special needs achieve a higher level of self-sufficiency and success in school and in their community.

Activities for students with special education needs

Below you will find 10 exercises developed for special education teachers under the principles of ecological validity and generalizability with the aim of unlocking students’ potential by addressing their special needs through cognitive stimulation activities in the classroom.

You will be able to customize and adapt the activities to their needs and capabilities increasing students’ motivation and engagement , thus enhancing their performance.  

1. Word Fishing

What does it consist of.

The first activity to work with special needs students that we present is Word Fishing . In this game students have to make words by putting syllables or individual letters in the correct order. It is divided into six levels of difficulty. They will automatically move up or down a level depending on his or her successes or mistakes.

We show you an example in the following video.

Activity customization

You will be able to customize this activity to meet the individual needs and capabilities of each child, being able to set the general features and parameters.

General features

On the one hand, you can adjust general features such as the number of exercises, the maximum time, whether or not you want a visible timer for the activity and an inactivity warning, or you can modify the instructions if you wish.

And, on the other hand, the parameters, where you can select:

• Number of word parts.
• Movement of elements.
• Type of word parts: syllables or letters.
• Maximum errors.

What does this activity work?

This activity works:

• Working memory.
• Vocabulary.
• Hemineglect.

2. Who raised their hand?

In this activity children have to remember the order in which the classmates raised their hands to ask for a turn to speak and reproduce it. We show you an example below.

You will be able to customize this activity and set the general features and parameters:

You can adjust general features such as the number of exercises, the maximum time, whether or not you want a visible timer for the activity, the number of tries and an inactivity warning, or you can modify the instructions if you wish.

And, on the other side, the parameters, where you can select:

• Sequence length.
• Memorization time (sec).
• Number of elements.

This special needs activity works:

• Episodic memory.

3. Correct Image Name

Correct Image Name is a worksheet in which students must determine which word matches the image shown.

Work by levels

In addition, this exercise has different levels of difficulty so that the teacher can adapt the activity to the needs of each student with special needs: basic, easy, medium, difficult and advanced.

Here is an example of a medium level worksheet to work with people with special education needs.

This worksheet is available in both digital and paper format.

This activity works on discrimination.

4. Get Dressed

Another NeuronUP activity for k-12 students with special needs to work on ADLs that we highlight is Get Dressed . In this game they have to appropriately dress a mannequin in terms of the order and placement of the items of clothing as well as the type of situation.

In the example below, students have to dress the woman for a special occasion.

You will be able to customize the activity to suit the special needs and abilities of each student.

On the one hand, you can set general features. Here you can delimit the number of exercises, the maximum time, whether or not you want a visible timer for the activity and an inactivity warning, or you can modify the instructions.

• Clothing: all or basic ones only.
• Presentation of the clothing in order.
• Matching clothing.
• Setting: categories or wardrobe.
• Type of distractors: none, obvious or diverses.
• Maximum errors per type.
• Decision making.
• Body schema.

5. Pack your Backpack

This daily living activity involves packing the backpack for school by selecting only the objects necessary for that day of school. The aim of the game is that the children with special education needs don’t forget anything , but also they don’t have to pack things that they won’t need . Here is a medium level example.

You will be able to customize this activity to suit the individual needs and abilities of each child and set the general features and parameters:

In this ADL you can adjust general features such as the number of exercises, the maximum time, whether or not you want a visible timer for the activity and an inactivity warning, or you can modify the instructions if you wish.

And in terms of parameters you can select:

• Number of subjects and type.
• Hints: visible, hidden or none.
• Distractors: related, unrelated, all or none.

This special needs resource works:

• Selective attention.

6. Pocket Money

This exercise is a generator. Generators allow you to create  unlimited and ecological activities . The student can never memorize the answer, since each instance is different. This special education activity consists of selecting the amount of money requested . An example is shown below.

You will be able to customize this activity to suit the students’ individual needs and abilities. In addition, you can setup the general features and parameters.

In this generator you can configure general features such as the operation (correction or free mode and maximum errors allowed), the maximum time, whether or not you want a visible timer for the activity and an inactivity warning. Moreover, you will be able to modify the instructions if you wish.

As for the parameters, you can select:

• Type of currency.
• Type of amounts: integers or decimals.
• Range of amounts: from 0 to 1,500.
• Largest bill/coin.

7. What is the best thing to do?

This worksheet consists of  analyzing a situation and seeing what would be the right way to behave in it. Life is full of choices, and it is not always easy to make the right one. By showing different cases adapted to reality and giving them several behavioral options, we teach children to question several aspects of situations they may encounter in their daily lives and weigh the consequences of their decisions.

What is better to do? is organized into five levels of difficulty: basic, easy, medium, difficult and advanced.

In the following video we show you an example of how to work with this activity with students with special education needs.

Ways to work with this special education resource

Correction mode: the platform corrects the student after each action. Free mode: the platform does not correct the student until the end of the exercise.

This worksheet is available is also available on paper format for you to work with your students.

This activity works on social cognition.

8. Space Conquest

In this set in space game, students have to jump between the moving planets until they arrive to their final destination. As in all NeuronUP games, the difficulty levels up and down automatically according to their progress. In addition, the professional can choose the level manually. In this image we show you a medium level example to work with students with special needs.

This special needs activity can be customized to meet the needs and abilities of each student. You can also establish the general features and parameters.

In this game you can adjust general features such as the number of exercises, the maximum time, whether or not you want a visible timer for the activity, an inactivity warning and you can customize the instructions.

You can customize some parameters such as:

• Number of rows on the screen.
• Number of total rows.
• Distractors: no, some or all.

This game works on:

• Spatial relationship.
• Sustained attention.
• Inhibition.
• Processing speed.

9. That’s Odd!

This generator consists of categorizing numbers as odd or even . It is an activity for students with special needs to become familiar with numbers before learning to do counting. Below you will find an example.

You can tailor this activity to the students’ individual needs and abilities and you can set the general features and parameters.

In this generator you can set up general features such as the operation (correction or free mode and maximum errors allowed), the maximum time, whether or not you want a visible timer for the activity and an inactivity warning. In addition, you can modify the instructions.

You can customize the following parameters:

• Range of numbers: from 1 to 9,999.
• Number of numbers.
• Adaptability: whether the student has to drag or click to select the numbers.

This activity works semantic memory.

10. Waiter in Action

Special education students, who take on the role of waiters, have to pay attention to the different dishes ordered in a restauran t in this activity. They must serve each customer the ordered dish and be attentive as the dishes will change. The game is divided into various levels. Level 1 being the easiest and level 9 being the most complicated. In the following video you can find an example of how to work with this exercise:

This special education resource can be customized to meet the needs and capabilities of each student. General features and parameters can also be set.

In this game you can configure general features such as the number of exercises, the maximum time, whether or not you want a visible timer for the activity and an inactivity warning, or you can personalize the instructions.

In addition, you can edit specific parameters such as:

• Visible elements: number of diners and number of food items.
• The alternation.
• The variety of elements.
• The number of target stimuli.
• Correction criteria: totals, errors and omissions.
• Number of stimuli.
• Time of permanence of the stimuli.

Waiter in Action works on:

• Alternating attention.

Extra activity to work with students with special needs: Hidden Code

Hidden Code is the last activity to work at the classroom with students with special education needs consists of finding as quickly as possible the numbers that stay still among a group of numbers that are constantly changing.

For example, in the following medium level exercise students have to discover the hidden 4-digit code.

You will be able to customize this activity and set the general features and parameters.

You can set, on the one hand, the general features such as the number of exercises, the maximum time, whether or not you want a visible timer for the activity and an inactivity warning, or you can modify the instructions if you wish.

• Size of matrix: number of rows/columns.
• Number of motionless elements.
• Distribution of motionless elements: square, horizontal, vertical or random.
• Visual gnosis.

NeuronUP for Special Education

Unleash your students’ full potential by addressing their special needs through cognitive stimulation in the classroom.

Bibliography

Fowler, S. A., Coleman, M. R. B., & Bogdan, W. K. (2019). The State of the Special Education Profession Survey Report. Arlington, VA: Council for Exceptional Children.

National Center for Education Statistics. (2022). Students With Disabilities.  Condition of Education . U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved June 23, 2022, from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cgg

If you liked this post on 10 activities for students with special education needs, you may be interested in these NeuronUP posts:

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