Teaching Life Skills and Community Safety Signs

See more here at Teachers Pay Teachers. 

The Birds and The Bees

Do you remember how you first learned about sex?
Maybe from your parents (“the talk”), at school, or from friends.  Maybe someone was honest and open with you.  Maybe you got mixed messages or weird information.
People who have disabilities need to learn about sex too, but they might have a harder time sifting through the misinformation.

Teaching human sexuality is about formal lessons, selecting information, and choosing how to teach it, but it’s more than that.  To be a sexuality educator you have to see the whole person and be committed to support that person.  It’s not easy, it won’t be prefect, and you might make mistakes. 

To me, it’s about asking “why not?”.  Why not teach someone about different sexual positions?  Why not incorporate questions about sexual life into annual planning meetings?  Why not teach someone how to ask someone else on a date?  Why not affirm someone when they are expressing their sexuality?  Being a sexuality educator is about being an advocate.  It’s about giving people information in an engaging way they can digest.  It’s about teaching skills and changing patterns of behavior.  It’s about sending the message that there is nothing fundamentally wrong with who you are.

Read more here.

Curriculum Materials and Programs for Individuals on the Autism Spectrum

Finding curricular materials for students on the spectrum can be a taxing chore. To facilitate this process, IRCA staff decided to identify materials that could be used to teach subjects ranging from math to living skills.  We are sure there are some topics and materials we have missed.  However, this initial list provides a first steps in identifying options. 

Below is a listing of examples of curriculum and programs that can be used to teach individuals on the autism spectrum. 

Read the list here at the Indiana Resource Center for Autism. 

Suggested Curriculum Materials and Programs for Individuals on the Autism Spectrum

Communication Curriculum for Individuals on the Autism Spectrum

Functional and Life Skills Curriculum for Individuals on the Autism Spectrum

Reading Literacy & Comprehension Curriculum for Individuals on the Autism Spectrum

Math Curriculum for Individuals on the Autism Spectrum

Science Curriculum for Individuals on the Autism Spectrum

Sensory Curriculum for Individuals on the Autism Spectrum

Social Skills Curriculum for Individuals on the Autism Spectrum

Social Studies Curriculum for Individuals on the Autism Spectrum

Source

Archived Webinar - Confident Me! A Free Middle School Self-Esteem Program

Confident Me! is a one-session and five-session self-esteem program for middle school students that uses skills-based health education and focuses on: challenging unrealistic sociocultural ideals of appearance; media literacy with respect to these ideals; reducing appearance comparisons and appearance conversation; and encouraging body activism and positive behavior change. This webinar will provide more information about this free program to any middle school interested in using it.

Register here. 

Models of Best Practice In the Education of Students with Autism (booklet)

A quite thorough guide can be found here. 

Curriculum in a Box - Resources for Training Educators

Curriculum in a Box Overview The Curriculum in a Box includes the following resources to help support teacher training and professional development:

Format Type	Title
DVD	Understanding Autism: Professional Development Curriculum Understanding Autism: A Guide for Secondary School Teachers Life Journey Through Autism: An Educator's Guide to Autism - PDF version Life Journey Through Autism: An Educator's Guide to Asperger Syndrome - PDF version
Supplementary Training Manual	Understanding Autism: A Guide for Secondary School Teachers
Guidebook	Life Journey Through Autism: An Educator's Guide to Autism **Available on backorder**
Guidebook	Life Journey Through Autism: An Educator's Guide to Asperger Syndrome

Detailed information about the contents of the Curriculum in a Box can be found here. To navigate directly to a specific tool, use the links above.

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