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Special Needs for Special Kids

Providing you tools to save time and build confidence teaching students with the most significant disabilities

About

me and Jimmy

I wasn’t supposed to be a teacher.  I spent 8 years after high school pursing my dream of becoming a veterinarian.  I graduated from North Carolina School of Veterinary Medicine in 1995.  I then spent the next two years living my dream and working with all kinds of loved furry family members.  Then, in 1997, my son was born.  A short 20 months later, we realized something was not right.  He was diagnosed with autism and my entire life changed.  I left my beloved career and spent every waking minute learning all I could to try and “save” my son.  Along the way, I developed a deep love for these special kids and their families and realized I wanted to spend the rest of my life helping them find their way and maximize their potential.

I decided to go back to school, and got my master’s in special education from Western Carolina University in 2009.  Shortly after, I began teaching in a self-contained classroom that contained students with severe autism in grades K-5.  I spent the next 5 years working with these amazing students and their families.  I then was offered an amazing opportunity to become a curriculum specialist that gave me the opportunity to work with special education teachers throughout the county.  I loved it, and then we moved.

In 2015, my husband got a job offer he could not refuse so our family relocated from NC to PA.  My son struggled with this move, and I was not able to go back to work.  Although, he eventually transitioned successfully to a private school, his schedule made it impossible for me to work a job with regular hours.  So, to keep my connection with the special education world, I began developing and selling curriculum material on line to teachers who taught students with significant disabilities.  This has been incredibly fulfilling and enables me to be there to help my son.

My son, Jimmy, is now 20 and getting ready to enter his very last year of public schooling.  The future is rather scary for my family right now, but I am determined to help him live the best and most inclusive life he can.

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Hi!

I'm Christa Joy

My mission is to give parents and teachers the tools they need in order to feel effective and confident teaching even the most challenging of students.
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That's not fair

That’s not fair! How to teach fair does not mean equal

52 Positive affirmations for the classroom in 2021

template for new year 2021

Learning a New Year 2021

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@fantasticallyfourth so inspired me with this post @fantasticallyfourth so inspired me with this post. HUGE SHOUT OUT to the amazing lengths teachers are going to this year. Keep shining that light!!!! 💕Today was the first day my kiddos were able to see me in costume for a lesson. In a regular year it’s a somewhat usual occurance—but as we all know this year has been different. • We used @love.mrs.liebscher s Multiplicative Pizzeria where students practiced their multiplicative word problem skills as they filled orders for the pizzeria. Finally, they were able to come up with their own multiplicative recipe and creat their own pizza! • Due to our current COV!D reality, each student’s individual place was set up with a red placemat for working, their work orders, and their own chef hat (made form construction paper. One of my favorite things is seeing how many of my kiddos end up wearing their chef hat all day 😂. It’s the cutest.
Thank you @pathway2success1 for these awesome ide Thank you @pathway2success1 for these awesome ideas!!! Favorite games that work on social skills? Let me hear some! I always love adding suggestions.⁣ ⁣ #teacherspayteachers #tpt #executivefunctioning #socialskills #teachersofig #teachersofinstagram #teachersfollowteachers #iteach #specialed #specialeducation #education #teaching #classroom #teachergram #sel #socialemotionallearning #socialskills
And here it is. The PERFECT free worksheet for to And here it is. The PERFECT free worksheet for today. Don't miss it, and be sure to sign up to get a worksheet every Wednesday morning. To download this worksheet click here: https://bit.ly/2M7Q1u5 #specialneedsforspecialkids #freeworksheetwednesday #inauguration2021
That's not fair!! We have all heard it. Teaching That's not fair!! We have all heard it. Teaching kids early on that FAIR does not always mean EQUAL is an important lesson and feels like a good fit for this week. I have some tips and free downloads to help you teach this concept in your classroom or at home. Read more here: https://specialneedsforspecialkids.org/2021/01/18/thats-not-fair-how-to-teach-fair-does-not-mean-equal/ #specialneedsforspecialkids #notfair #socialskills
NEW UPLOADS!! I just added new downloads to my fre NEW UPLOADS!! I just added new downloads to my free resource library, including this one from this past free worksheet Wednesday. Also new (and perfect for winter): 🐧penguin sorting and ways to stay warm in the cold weather.❄️ The new downloads are listed at the top. Plus, there are a lot more for this time of year, including Color of Winter early reader book, snowflake matching, winter sudoku puzzle, winter scavenger hunt, and a nonfiction book on groundhogs. Check them all out here (if you need the password, I will put the link to sign up in the comments below): https://specialneedsforspecialkids.org/resource-library/
Did you get your free worksheet today? It is perf Did you get your free worksheet today? It is perfect for Martin Luther King day. Be sure to grab it here (digital link included): https://bit.ly/3oF0TxY #specialneedsforspecialkids #freeworksheetwednesday #distancelearning
Sneak peek at the worksheet coming your way tomorr Sneak peek at the worksheet coming your way tomorrow. If you are not on my Free Worksheet Wednesday list, then sign up here: https://christajoy.lpages.co/free-worksheet-wednesday-sign-up #specialneedsforspecialkids #freeworksheetwednesday #mlkday
Share with a teacher you know!!Teaching tolerance Share with a teacher you know!!Teaching tolerance in 2021. I updated this blog post and encourage you to revisit it and rethink your definition of tolerance. Meeting students where they are in a special education setting is so critical to building a foundation that will eventually grow not only into tolerance but the ultimate goal of inclusion and acceptance. Download this social story while you are there which is a great addition to your Martin Luther King Jr plans you may already have. Read more here and download you story: https://specialneedsforspecialkids.org/2020/01/13/teaching-tolerance-as-the-first-step-to-acceptance/
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