285.Engaging Non-Verbal Students with Communication Systems That Work

 The holiday season can feel like a blur of glitter, behavior spikes, and teacher burnout. In Episode 293 of Be The Exception, Dawn shares 5 ways to simplify your SPED classroom — so you can support your students and protect your peace. You'll learn: ✔️ What routines are worth streamlining now ✔️ How to build in calm, quiet moments each day ✔️ Why you should prep sub plans before you need them ✔️ How to use repetition as a strategy, not a cop-out ✔️ When to give yourself permission to lower the bar 📦 Plus: Dawn shares her favorite low-prep units, editable sub plan templates, and visuals that make the season easier. 🎧 Listen now + grab what you need inside The Exceptional Collective. Check out this blog post with classroom-tested ideas you can swipe: Special Education Christmas Activities You'll Actually Use Holiday Freebie: Grab it here

Mid-year IEP revisions don't have to be stressful. Learn how to review student progress, adjust goals, and revise services with ease using templates and team input. Body: The holidays are approaching—and so are mid-year IEP reviews. In Episode 292 of Be The Exception, Dawn shares practical strategies for updating IEPs based on Q2 progress and real-time data. Learn how to: Know when to revise an IEP mid-year Use academic + behavior data to guide changes Collaborate with your team to make smart service adjustments Use amendment templates to save time 🎧 Tune in for tips that will help you walk into your next IEP meeting with confidence (and way less stress). 🧠 Access the full set of editable IEP review tools inside The Exceptional Collective.  

 Feeling behind on data collection before midyear IEPs? This episode is here to help. In Episode 291 of Be The Exception, Dawn walks you through how to track behavior and academic growth in ways that actually work for busy special education teachers. You'll learn: What types of data to collect before the holidays How to track both academic and behavior on the same form What patterns to look for before revising IEP goals Ways to make your system para-friendly and sustainable If you're prepping for January IEP meetings, this episode will help you walk in with confidence and clarity. 🎧 Tune in now + grab the editable data tracker inside The Exceptional Collective.  

 In this episode, Dawn shares how to use seasonal adapted units like Fall Leaves and Thanksgiving to hit AAC, core vocabulary, math, and reading goals in special ed classrooms. Seasonal doesn't mean shallow. In this episode of BTE, I'm walking you through how I use my Fall Leaves and Thanksgiving-themed adapted units to build communication and core vocabulary—without adding more to my plate. You'll hear: Why seasonal units improve engagement How I hit multiple IEP goals with one activity Easy ways to incorporate AAC, fine motor, reading, and math What's included in the Fall Leaves unit How to set up paras to run stations with confidence Whether you're a new SPED teacher or a seasoned pro, this episode will give you real-life ways to simplify and strengthen your November planning. 🎧 Listen now + grab the Fall Leaves Unit today. 👉 TPT Fall Leaves Unit 👉 Exceptional Collective Link 👉 Fall Fine Motor Freebie + free Digital Slides November Leaves Blog Post Thanksgiving Ideas for Special Education Classrooms

 Learn three easy, respectful ways to acknowledge Veterans Day in your special education classroom. No complex crafts or prep required—just meaningful, inclusive ideas that build gratitude and community. Veterans Day is a meaningful opportunity to teach students about respect, service, and gratitude. But in special education, we often need to simplify, scaffold, and reduce prep—without losing the heart behind the lesson. In this episode of Be The Exception, I'm sharing three low-prep ideas to bring Veterans Day to life in your SPED classroom: Visual "Thank You" card activities with sentence starters Books and videos paired with simple communication builders A collaborative "Wall of Honor" display to include families and staff Each activity can be adapted for non-verbal learners, AAC users, and mixed ability levels—and they require minimal prep. 🎧 Listen now for ideas you can use this week. 🧡 Grab the full resource inside The Exceptional Collective Veterans' Day Freebie Full Veterans' Day Adapted Resource American Symbols Social Studies Veterans' Day Blog Post    

In this episode of Be The Exception in Special Education, I'm sharing 5 real things I've learned to do differently after the first quarter of the school year. These are the shifts I make when the fall honeymoon fades, behaviors spike, and burnout starts creeping in. If you're nodding "yep" to all of that—this one's for you. Inside the episode, we'll cover: Why I stop reinventing my centers The power of reviewing, not re-teaching What I always prep before November gets wild Why visuals matter more than ever in Q2 How to weave seasonal fun into academic goals You'll also get a peek at what's inside The Exceptional Collective this month—including Fall Leaves math + reading, Carrots SEL, Main Idea + Counting to 50 units, and more. 🎧 Listen now—and rethink how you're approaching November. 👉🏼 Join The Exceptional Collective today to get access to all these resources and more. Link in show notes! Links and Resources Fall Leaves Unit Carrots SEL   Connect with Dawn   Find me on IG Find me on Tik Tok Etsy Shop TpT Store The Exceptional Collective Subscribe Are you subscribed to my podcast? Trust me, you definitely want to do that so you don't miss a thing! Click here to subscribe in iTunes! Leave a Review If you are loving the podcast, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other teachers find my podcast and I love hearing what you think about the podcast as well. Just click here to review, select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" and let me know what part of the podcast you found to be the most helpful!

Halloween brings costumes, candy, and plenty of opportunities for communication. By weaving AAC into seasonal lessons, you can boost engagement and make learning stick. In this episode of Be The Exception, you'll learn: How to role-play trick-or-treating with AAC tools. Fun ways to label and describe costumes. A Halloween SEL activity using spider emotions. Links and Resources Halloween Freebie   Connect with Dawn   Find me on IG Find me on Tik Tok Etsy Shop TpT Store The Exceptional Collective Subscribe Are you subscribed to my podcast? Trust me, you definitely want to do that so you don't miss a thing! Click here to subscribe in iTunes! Leave a Review If you are loving the podcast, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other teachers find my podcast and I love hearing what you think about the podcast as well. Just click here to review, select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" and let me know what part of the podcast you found to be the most helpful!

AAC isn't something you "add on." It's something you embed into the routines you're already doing. In this episode of Be The Exception, you'll learn: How to incorporate AAC into morning meetings, transitions, and centers. Real classroom examples of students engaging when AAC became part of routines. Tips for keeping paras and related service staff consistent. Plus, I'll share how my Core Boards and Adapted Books with AAC supports make AAC practical and accessible in every classroom. 👉 Listen now + grab the resources. Links and Resources     Connect with Dawn   Find me on IG Find me on Tik Tok Etsy Shop TpT Store The Exceptional Collective Subscribe Are you subscribed to my podcast? Trust me, you definitely want to do that so you don't miss a thing! Click here to subscribe in iTunes! Leave a Review If you are loving the podcast, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other teachers find my podcast and I love hearing what you think about the podcast as well. Just click here to review, select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" and let me know what part of the podcast you found to be the most helpful!

Non-verbal doesn't mean non-communicative. Every student has a voice — and with the right tools, we can help them use it. In this episode of Be The Exception, you'll learn: ✅ Why aided language input is a game-changer ✅ How to use partner-assisted scanning for students with limited motor skills ✅ Ways to build consistency with visuals across your classroom ✅ How to train your team with the Para Handbook so communication doesn't fall apart when you're not in the room 🎓 Ready to go deeper? Join me for the AAC Workshop — where I'll walk you through how to implement communication systems in a way that works for your classroom. 🎉 Free for Exceptional Collective members 📩 Replays available 🧾 PD Certificate included 🔗 Sign up here Links and Resources Halloween Resources for the Special Education Classroom   Connect with Dawn   Find me on IG Find me on Tik Tok Etsy Shop TpT Store The Exceptional Collective Subscribe Are you subscribed to my podcast? Trust me, you definitely want to do that so you don't miss a thing! Click here to subscribe in iTunes! Leave a Review If you are loving the podcast, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other teachers find my podcast and I love hearing what you think about the podcast as well. Just click here to review, select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" and let me know what part of the podcast you found to be the most helpful!

AAC isn't just for non-verbal students. It's a powerful tool that supports communication for all students in special education classrooms. In this episode of Be The Exception, you'll learn: Why AAC matters for every student — not just those without verbal speech. Easy ways to start modeling core words every day. How to make AAC feel doable, not overwhelming. Plus, I'll share how our membership training, Say It Without Speaking, gives you practical, low-stress strategies and ready-to-use visuals to bring AAC into your daily routines. 👉 Join The Exceptional Collective today to access the training, visuals, and a community of teachers making communication a priority. Connect with Dawn   Find me on IG Find me on Tik Tok Etsy Shop TpT Store The Exceptional Collective Subscribe Are you subscribed to my podcast? Trust me, you definitely want to do that so you don't miss a thing! Click here to subscribe in iTunes! Leave a Review If you are loving the podcast, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other teachers find my podcast and I love hearing what you think about the podcast as well. Just click here to review, select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" and let me know what part of the podcast you found to be the most helpful!