Special Needs & Inclusion

"Teaching Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder" is a straightforward, easy-to-understand guide to working with children who have autism. It explains the major characteristics associated with autism and helps teachers understand the ways children with autism relate to the world. Each chapter offers specific strategies for teachers to use, including setting up a proactive preschool environment, helping children learn life skills, managing behavior, helping children with autism communicate, encouraging children with autism to play, helping them to get along with others, and working with families. Paperback. 224 pages.

Age: 2-5 years. Set of 5 Wood Stepping Stumps are 8" - 15" in diameter. They are 5" - 15" high. Portable. No warranty.

This strategy guide for early childhood professionals includes hundreds of research-based strategies and tips to strengthen young children's initiative, self-regulation, and attachment/relationships. The strategies incorporate developmentally appropriate teaching practices in five areas related to social and emotional health: Daily Routines; Environment; Caring Connections; Activities and Experiences; Partnerships between Teachers and Families. It takes readers through a simple five-step approach that uses assessment results from the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment for Preschoolers, Second Edition (DECA-P2) to inform teaching practices that will strengthen children's resilience. Whether used as part of the comprehensive DECA Preschool Program or as a stand-alone guide, this strategy guide is an excellent resource for early educators. Copyright 2012.

Create an inclusive, accessible classroom environment through thoughtful details like the Carolina Connections Inclusive Mats. These easy-to-clean, flexible plastic mats can be used with a variety of sensory-based materials to provide additional stability while making the tops and inside of storage shelves interesting play spaces. Padded material reduces noise pollution during play, creating a less stimulating environment for children who may need it. The visual contrast of mats on natural wooden shelves increases visibility, allowing children with diverse strengths the ability to engage and interact with materials easily. Set of 2 mats. Each mat measures 23"W x 1"H 13"D.

12 months & up. This ball set is perfect for alternative sensory play. Bright vivid colors will aid in the development of visual tracking and three alternating textures will provide necessary mental stimulation to reduce stress and anxiety. All six balls included squeak when squeezed, giving multiple sensory alleviation options for children and adults of all ages.

This paint has a heavy-bodied, vivid consistency ideal for learning finger painting techniques or experimenting with color and texture. Painting develops creativity, arts and crafts, gross motor skills, imagination, and hand-eye coordination. Encourage your children to mix paint to find new colors! All Kaplan Finger Paints are non-toxic (certified with AP Seal for safety & ASTM-D4236). Made in the USA. Available individually, in a set of six, or a set of 6.

Describes practical ways to adjust centers and classroom routines for children with special needs. Suggestions enable all children to learn by keeping them involved in developmentally appropriate routines and center based activities. Each chapter focuses on either a learning center, such as art or science, or a time of the day, such as snack time or dismissal, with particular attention to the needs of children who are developmentally delayed, orthopedically impaired, have autism/Pervasive Development Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, behavioral issues, motor planning problems, or visual impairments. Age focus: 3 - 6 years. Paperback. 208 pages.

For the littlest learners, everything is an activity--feeling a rock, trying to lick a bubble, smelling a flower, or poking sand. In this book, teachers and caregivers of infants and toddlers will learn how these simple explorations support cognitive and vocabulary development. The book explains heuristic learning--discovery by trial and error--and how to encourage this type of learning to boost development. Through his explorations, the child is answering some fundamental questions: What is this and what can I do with it? Later, he will add to his knowledge: What else can this do and what can this become? This is cognitive development in action! Age focus: 0-3. Paperback. 80 pages.

3 years & up. Step on and watch it move! Create a colorful floor space with this bright, futuristic Liquid Tile Mat. Made from super durable, leakage-proof material and filled with non-toxic, cosmetic liquid. Features an anti-slip back side and easily wipes clean. No weight limit. Mat measures 19.5" x 19.5". Please note: mats need to be placed on an even surface and handled with care, may break if dropped. Do not adhere mat to the floor.

18 months & up. Children will delight in all the fun and engaging learning opportunities available with the Sound and Sort Stackers. Multiple senses are engaged while children listen, look, sort, and stack these 18 captivating pieces. Encourage color recognition and fine motor development. A set of activity card(s) is included listing all of the benefits and many hands-on activities.

PreK & up. Tangle Therapy's twistable, ergonomic design allows children to fidget quietly, promoting better focus and attention. It can be a useful aid for redirecting behaviors or relieving stress or anxiety. The soft-textured surface provides a unique sensory experience as children grab, bend, and twist the curved pieces in multiple ways, making it ideal for tactile stimulation and refining fine motor skills. Available individually or as a set of 3. Colors may vary.

3 years & up. Take tactile stimulation to the next level with the cleanest sand in the world! This Therapy Play Sand allows kids to do all of the crazy fun sand activities they love without getting dust and other particles in their eyes, mouth, or anywhere else. Great for indoor sand tray therapy professionals, play therapy trays, sensory activity tables, in-home and office locations. Create with sand and play therapy while developing fine motor skills, intellect, visualization and social conduct. Sand has a natural sparkle to captivate the eye and molds easily when wet. Great for indoor discovery table play. Made from Feldspar rock.

3 years & up. No cups, no brushes, just twist off the top and design with dots! The rainbow set includes red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. Non-toxic colors in no spill, no splash bottles. Give children a blank piece of paper and let them create expressive art, develop hand eye coordination and color recognition. Set of 6 bottles, 2.5 oz. each. Made in the USA.

Chewy Tubes offer a safe, non-toxic surface for developing biting and chewing skills. They are latex-free and lead-free and do not contain PVC or phthalates. Therapists may select Chewy Tubes for use in treatment of individuals who are developing initial oral motor skills or rehabilitating the jaw after surgery. Youngsters seeking additional proprioceptive input into the jaw may also like biting on Chewy Tubes. Children with autism require professional supervision when using Chewy Tubes. They are not recommended for children under 7 months of age. Set of 2.

3 years & up. Blunt, safe blades cut paper and blunt tips provide added safety in the hands of children. Training lever opens the blades after each cut to safety teach preschoolers how to open and close scissors. Once the child has mastered opening and closing the blades, the training lever can be flipped up for traditional cutting action. The large finger loops offer control and comfort no matter how children hold the scissors. Antimicrobial handle protection inhibits growth of bacterial odors and helps prevent product deterioration. Colors will vary.

This guide provides early childhood professionals with the directions they need to use and interpret results of the DECA-P2. The manual also provides research information related to the development and standardization of the DECA-P2, including information about the instrument's reliability and validity. © 2012

4 years & up. Transform reading practice into a multi-sensory learning experience. All children will benefit from beginner readers, to children with speech disorders. Increase the opportunity of maximum reading comprehension by involving three senses: sight, sound, and touch. Hold like a telephone and hear the sound amplified through the earpiece. Perfect for every child in your classroom! Available individually or in a set of four. Measures 6.5"W x 1.75"L x 2.75"H. Made in the USA. Colors may vary.

2 years & up. Provide a comfortable spot for your little one to read and learn on. This seating pillow features a zippered cotton chintz outer cover that is removable and easy to clean. Liquid resistant and fire retardant filling. Each pillow meets CA TB17 fire specifications and measure 24"L x 24"W. One year warranty.

Best-selling, award-winning authors Pam Schiller and Clarissa Willis have teamed up to create this collection of 100 literacy lessons, designed to introduce children ages 3-6 to a variety of literacy concepts and build important literacy skills. Each of these simple, fun lessons offers adaptations for children with special needs, including: visual and hearing impairments, cognitive challenges, motor delays, speech/language delays, and emotional/behavior issues. The first page of each two-page lesson features a learning objective, a literacy activity, extension activities, a daily reflection, and vocabulary. The second page has adaptations specific to the literacy lesson for children with special needs.

For use with DECA-IT kit. Includes 4 infant and 1 toddler parent/teacher profile masters.

2 years & up. Lace, wrap and twist realistic or abstract animal patterns on large, animal-shaped wooden boards. Simple, screened faces encourage dramatic play without distracting from the colorful lace creations. Includes set of 10 double-sided, matte pattern cards for suggested designs. Five laces feature a wooden tip to support fine-motor skill development. Giraffe measures 7"W x 12"D x 10"H.

3 years & up. You can never get enough dots with these colorful Do-A-Dot Brilliant Color Easy to Grasp Paint Markers for Art Projects. These markers are easy to use! Simply twist off the cap and create hundreds of dots on your art projects. Children will enjoy stamping the wonderful colors across their papers. Encourage your children to make patterns and identify the colors they're using. This set includes an idea sheet and six brilliant colors; pink, violet, teal, brown, sunflower yellow, lime green, and pink. Non-toxic. Made in the USA. Measure 2.5 oz each.

Because their vocabularies haven't yet caught up with their thoughts and emotions, young children often struggle to communicate. Sign language can help them express themselves effectively to adults and peers--without the emotional outbursts caused by frustration! This book features the latest research to equip educators and caregivers with the tools and resources to teach young learners how to effectively communicate. Paperback. 208 pages.

3 years & up. Children can move through a space at their own pace when provided with the right affordances. Create smoother transitions between areas in the classroom, in hallways, and in transitional spaces like entryways using The Carolina Connections Explorer Rail. Curved rails at two different heights support children who are sitting or standing, offering increased mobility and inclusive experiences. Unit features a plywood back panel and an easy-to-clean, heavy-duty plastic rail, making this sturdy rail durable enough for continued use in children's learning spaces. Rail measures 47.5"W x 6"H x 6"D.