Special education is a complicated issue. There are many different teaching strategies and theories on how to best educate special needs children, from full inclusion in the "regular" classroom to completely separate programs. No matter what policy your local school is following, you'll want to have a wide variety of special education resources at hand, to help make sure every child is getting the best possible educational experience.

I met an innovative caring teacher at a science fair in Illinois who had special needs kids in her class, most of whom were what we use to call slow learners. She coached them thru the process of doing excellent science fair projects and each one of their projects was excellent! She said it took a lot of patience but they succeeded.

If you are a student teacher or just beginning to teach middle school or high school science, here is an Inquiry Based Teacher's Guide to Science Fair Projects that is perfect for you. Read all the details here...

There are several books that should be on every educators shelf, including a few special education "survival guides." The Special Educator's Survival Guide covers all the bases, from the law behind many special ed policies to practical advice on teaching strategies and evaluating progress. Another survival guide that is useful for educators as well as parents is from Wrightslaw. It goes into further detail about educational laws, and talks in detail about a wide variety of different disabilities.

There are many special education resources involving technology, from computer programs to other electronic aids. This can include programs or equipment that allows students to communicate more easily, or to use computers and online material with greater ease. The advantage of technology is that it can help overcome many different kinds of learning obstacles. On the other hand, it can be expensive, and school districts may be reluctant to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on equipment.

Finally, the internet offers a wealth of special education resources. It's often the first place educators look to when trying to find out more about a certain kind of learning or physical disability. Organizations dedicated to helping parents or families with that particular condition usually have websites that can help you gain some insight.

The internet is also great for practical classroom ideas, from lesson plans to worksheets. You can find strategies for classroom management if you're running an inclusion classroom. It can also help you keep up with the latest techniques and theories for special education.

If your school or classroom has computers, you can even use internet resources as a part of your lessons. There are websites that offer activities or lessons that can help dyslexic children with writing or reading for example. There are many ways you can get creative, and your students will certainly appreciate the change of pace and the new challenges that learning with computers can provide.

Whether you're a parent, a special education teacher or another educator, having the right special education resources can not only make your job easier, it help your student or child get more out of their school experience. Reaching widely from different kinds of special education resources makes it more likely that you'll finding teaching strategies that really allow you to connect with your student.