Powerful tools for special needs students
Assistive technology can be a game changer for special needs students. The following resources can supplement any assistive technology you may already use in your classroom.
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Fergie Cantos, bilingual speech therapist
A bilingual speech therapist who “loves to talk,” Fergie Cantos helps students at P 186, a District 75 school in the Bronx, make themselves understood.
Strategies to support honors students with IEPs
With careful planning and thoughtful collaboration, students with disabilities can thrive in accelerated education.
Turning a page at Queens school
The library at Bard Early College in Long Island City, Queens, is getting a makeover to make it more accessible for students with disabilities, thanks to a partnership between Jessica deCourcy Hinds, the school’s library director, and students in the...
Blooming with pride
Fourth-year teacher and sustainability coordinator Amanda Cleary launched a garden club at P 37, a District 75 school on Staten Island, and along with vegetables and flowers, pride and a sense of responsibility are nurtured there.
Lucio Medina, Vision Education Services paraprofessional
As a paraprofessional in the Vision Education Services Chapter, which serves about 900 blind and visually impaired students citywide, Lucio Medina acts as a guide and advocate for the students he supports.
DOE must give special ed more attention
UFT Vice President for Special Education MaryJo Ginese writes that we have seen how so many of our students with disabilities have lost ground since the pandemic hit. This fall, we have been confronted with the rocky rollout of the DOE’s Special...
$5.8B in student debt being erased for the disabled
More than 323,000 borrowers with significant or permanent disabilities will be relieved of a total of about $5.8 billion in student debt beginning in September, the U.S. Education Department announced.
Special ed evaluation & services
All students suspected of having a disability should be identified, located and evaluated. Referral for special education evaluation should not, however, be the first response to pandemic-related learning loss or readjustment issues.
Kudos to Thomas Rosa, PS 751, Manhattan
It’s essential for parents of children with disabilities to understand the process of obtaining an Individualized Education Program that meets their child’s needs. That’s why Thomas Rosa, the chapter leader at PS 751, the Manhattan School for Career...