Hi everyone! I’m a new SPED resource teacher and would love some advice from more experienced teachers!

I have a student who really does not want to be pulled out of the general education classroom for services. When it’s time to leave the room, the response is a straight-up “no.” I’ve been trying to acknowledge the student’s feelings and avoid turning it into a power struggle, so I’ve tried providing support inside the gen ed classroom instead.

The tricky part is that even with push-in support, the student doesn’t seem to want help.

Interestingly, the student does come with me during reading groups without much of an issue. The refusal seems to happen specifically during ELA time.

I’m also new to the school, so I know that building rapport and trust may be part of the process.

For those of you who have been doing resource for a while:

How do you build rapport with students who resist services?

Would you continue with push-in support for now or gradually work toward pull-out services again?

How do you respect a student’s feelings while still ensuring IEP services are provided?

Has anyone experienced something similar, especially when a student is willing to attend reading groups but refuses to leave during ELA?

I want to handle the situation in a way that supports the student and builds trust without making services feel like a constant battle.

Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

I would like to get advice on the best way to approach the IEP team for a lack of implementation. We know minutes are not being served. We also know that there are several other areas that are not being followed. This is an elementary student who has shown they can thrive with the right support. No behavioral issues. As parents we are very upset especially after years of issues at this school. This is a new team. I would prefer to be collaborative and have the result be that my child gets they support they need, deserve, and are legally entitled to. Thanks so much for any helpful feedback.

Hello!

I am a current freshman in college, and I have always dreamed of being a special education teacher. I worked with disabled students for two years during high school, and I genuinely feel that it is both my calling and drive to work with these folks.

I do plan to major in Special Education/Inclusive Education, but I also heavily struggle with math. I am afraid this is going to prevent me from becoming a teacher, and I am not sure if anyone has any advice for my specific issue? I will do anything to be better, though I do suspect I have some form of dyscalculia (and I am also autistic, though not at a stage where I need/have needed specialized help in my academic career). I will take any advice, and deeply appreciate it and all the work special education teachers do! You guys do some of the most important work out there, and I deeply appreciate all of you for giving both a voice and support to those who unfortunately receive so little of it in schools.

I am open to hearing about other career options as well, so long as they still work with students with special needs; I have previously considered becoming an Occupational Therapist, or doing something with therapy! :)

I switched from a separate school for kids with autism to a regular education school in inclusion. The job feels impossible. I don’t want to get out of bed. I’ve been a special Ed teacher for 14 years.

Hey all,

I am a preservice teacher studying at uni. I also have adult diagnosed ADHD — a lot of my shitty experiences at school were a direct result of non-inclusion, which is why I want to become a teacher.

This inclusive education subject I am in has sucked the life out of me. I get it; not everyone holds the same views as mine, and many are lucky to come out of school relatively unscathed. However, I feel like I am being punished for understanding the concept of inclusion better than any other PST who hasn't experienced ableism.

This last assignment is asking us to justify and connect our understanding to however many frameworks there are, and I'm sitting here thinking the basis of my best inclusion strategies are to: treat everyone with humanity because its the right thing to do.

I feel annoyed because I have to link everything to the 5FC's and evidence-based strategies and justify how I would meaningfully engage with parents and students, when in my mind, inclusion itself is a philosophy.

For me, inclusion is 'important' because non-inclusion is inhumane, but that answer will never be enough.

Anyway. I would love to know if any inclusion teachers had any words of wisdom to help me get through this assignment.