1. Final Project Lindsay Toothman Ivy Tech Community College

2. Classroom Space
The classroom layout should be accommodating for all students in the class. For example there should be ample room for students in wheel chairs or with physical disabilities to navigate easily.
Visuals should use large font to ensure all students can properly see items and students with vision difficulties should sit near the front.

3. Calm colors used in an uncluttered manner.
Friendly and inviting.

4. Alternative seating that allows for movement which can aid in concentration.

5. Alternatives to sitting such as Go Noodle Brain Breaks and desks that allow for standing.

6. ADHD Suggestions from the US Department of Education
Set expectations for learning and behavior
Break work into smaller sections
Highlight key points
Review previous lesson before moving on and review new lesson before ending lesson
Give students advance notice of changes and try to keep to a routine.

7. Fidgeting can help students with ADHD focus according to a study by Hartanto, Krafft, Iosif, and Schweitzer (2014).
The items pictured are some of the suggestions found on Edutopia.org to be used in the classroom as fidget items.

8. Autism
During my service learning time, I witnessed the use of these items with students who have autism to improve their writing ability.

9. Calm Down bottles can be used to help students calm down when feeling overwhelmed.
This corner area or something similar could be used for students to have some time to themselves to calm down.

10. Dyslexia Some suggestions from M Dyslexia Help Starts Here are
Rhyming books
The use of pictures and logos, such as the McDonald’s arches.
Computer programs such as Earobics Step One.
The use of headphones to block out sounds that can be distracting when reading to ones self.
During my service learning time, I witnessed the use of this highlighter as a tool with a dyslexic student. It allowed her to focus on the specific line that she was reading.

11. Dyslexia continued
Give students time to process when reading and answering questions.
Give a variety of different writing opportunities such as writing in journals, s, copying lists, etc.
Allow the student to highlight in textbooks.
Provide audio recordings.

12. Dyslexia continued
The Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity and Understood.org note the following suggestions for students with dyslexia
Allowing enough time to complete work.
Students must be organized.
After completing an assignment have a family member record themselves reading in aloud to for the student to listen to (a teacher could also do this).
Large print books
Step by step oral instructions and routines.
Examples of correct work.

13. Classroom Management
Clear rules and expectations for students are necessary for good classroom management.
Students with ADHD, Autism or other disabilities that may cause behavior or attention issues should be seating in an area with less distraction and near the teacher (Armstrong, Thomas. 1999)

14. Classroom Management continued
PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) As noted by the United States Department of Education, students respond best to positive reinforcement. This is especially true for students with learning disabilities such as ADHD. They recommend giving students frequent praise and varying the ways in which praise is given such as with stickers.

15. Teacher Support
Learning Ally is a resource that I found for materials and guidance when working with dyslexic students.
The National Association for Special Education Teachers ( which is a great online source and they also have conferences.
Reading Rockets (
The Special Education Convention Workshops (
The Indiana Council of Administrator of Special Education ( Which has multiple conferences in Indianapolis in 2017)

16. Summary
I began this course with very little knowledge about how to teach exceptional students. When I first decided that I wanted to be a teacher, the idea of teaching special needs students was terrifying. These students seemed like the biggest challenge however, my view has changed a bit. During my service learning time throughout this course I realized that I enjoyed the one on one opportunities the resource teacher was able to give her students. I worked as her substitute a few weeks after my service learning and I loved working with her students in small settings. I believe that this is an area in which the teacher has a possibility of making a great difference.

17. Summary continued
Through this course, I learned that exceptional children while challenging are like any other child in that they deserve the best options available. I learned about that the purpose of an IEP is to help a child with a disability. I have a better understanding of the accommodations that can be made to enable all students to reach their full potential.

18. References
Terada, Youki. (August 14, 2015). 17 Ways to Help Students With ADHD Concentrate. Retrieved from Hartanto, T.A., Krafft, C.E., Issif, A.M., & Schweitzer, J.B. (October 27, 2014). A trial-by-trial analysis reveals more intense physical activity is associated with better cognitive control performance in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Retrieved from Strategies for Teachers. Retrieved from school/strategies-for-teachers Hall, Nancy. (nd).Tips from Dyslexic Students to Dyslexic Students. Retrieved from Morin, Amanda. (2016) At a Glance: Classroom Accomodations for Dyslexia. Retrieved from strategies/at-a-glance-classroom-accommodations-for-dyslexia

19. References continued
United States Department of Education. (2006).Teaching Children With Attention Deficit Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices Retrieved from teaching-2006.pdf Armstrong, Thomas. (1999). ADD/ADHD Alternatives in the Classroom. Retrieved from s-to-Empower,-Not-Control,-Kids-Labeled- ADD~ADHD.aspx US Department of Education. (2016). Teaching Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices. Retrieved from teaching_pg3.html