Special but Not So Different

Disclaimer: This is a slightly fictionalized story of what it's like to exist in a special education classroom. Names have been changed to protect students and teachers. Behaviors may seem exaggerated, but all of them are real and as extreme as they sound.

Have you ever wondered what life was like in a self-contained classroom? Well, you're in the right place! I'm a parapro in an MOID/Autism unit at a middle school, and I'm going to take you inside the day to day life of a self-contained classroom.

What does MOID mean?

It's students with moderate intellectual disabilities. Disabilities that aren't a part of the autism spectrum but still impact speech and other development.

While reading this story, keep in mind that these students are middle schoolers. They're big kids, so things get a little crazy, and they're all hitting puberty, and growing, and we're going to talk about all of it. So we hope you enjoy this little behind the scenes look of a special education classroom.

Thanks!