Be The Exception In Special Education

Latest Episodes:

293. 5 Ways to Simplify Your SPED Classroom Before the Holidays Dec 11, 2025

Show notes

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

292. How to Revise IEPs Mid-Year Without Losing Your Mind Dec 04, 2025

Show notes

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.

291. Using Data to Drive Behavior and IEP Decisions (Before the Holidays Hit) Nov 20, 2025

Show notes

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.

290. How I Use Fall and Thanksgiving Activities to Build Communication and Core Vocabulary Nov 13, 2025

Show notes

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

289. 3 Low-Prep Ways to Acknowledge Veterans Day in Your SPED Classroom Nov 06, 2025

Show notes

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

288.Before You Plan November… Here's What I'd Rethink as a Special Educator Oct 30, 2025

Show notes

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

Connect with Dawn

The Exceptional Collective

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!

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287.Spooky Fun with Communication: Halloween Activities Using AAC Oct 23, 2025

Show notes

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

The Exceptional Collective

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

286.Making the Most of AAC Tools in Daily Classroom Routines Oct 16, 2025

Show notes

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

The Exceptional Collective

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

285.Engaging Non-Verbal Students with Communication Systems That Work Oct 09, 2025

Show notes

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

The Exceptional Collective

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

284.How to Use AAC in Your Special Education Classroom (Even If You're Just Starting Out) Oct 02, 2025

Show notes

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

The Exceptional Collective

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