Whether you are a brand new teacher or have worked in the field for 25 years, here are some suggestions for setting up a classroom for children with special needs.

Suggestion #1: Find out as much as you can about your students.

Sometimes new teachers go in and start setting up their classrooms without first learning anything about their students. This is a mistake, especially if your students have special needs. For instance, I had a student this year who had pica, meaning she ate a number of inedibles such as glue sticks, chalk, pencil erasers, and more. Because I knew that, I knew to keep these items locked up instead of putting them out on display the first day.

Read through cumulative records. Review IEPs and Multi-factored evaluations. Call parents or even do home visits if permissible and advisable.

Suggestion #2: Take inventory of what you have and Draw out a classroom diagram.

Make a list of what you have and what you need. Make sure you have enough desks, chairs, and tables for your students. If you are going to use tables and chairs, I suggest you try to get chairs for each of these places, so you will need twice as many chairs as students. » Read more: 3 Suggestions For Setting Up a Special Education Classroom