The National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) empowers special education teachers, advocates, and professionals with practical training, trusted resources, and meaningful connections - supporting those who make a difference in the lives of students with diverse learning needs.
Happy Friday! We wish you a cozy and rejuvenating weekend. Here's the news you may have missed this week
Last week’s tragedy in Oregon, where a shooting struck an elementary special education classroom, is still with all of us and our thoughts are with the victims and their families.
New federal child savings accounts are raising questions about whether they could complicate benefits for children with disabilities, a reminder that financial policy touches special education families in ways that rarely make headlines. Federal officials also said longstanding protections for English learners are no longer enforceable, even as one state moved to cut the bureaucratic hurdles those same students face.
Literacy earned a closer look this week. A quiet reform requiring schools to notify parents when their child shows signs of reading difficulty may be one of the most consequential in years.
The National Teachers of the Year launched a program to help aspiring teachers earn their degrees for free, a welcome move for a pipeline that needs every bit of help it can get.
In research, scientists found a new genetic clue to why autism affects boys four times more often than girls, and a large study confirmed young people on the spectrum face substantially higher mental health risks, especially in adolescence.
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Built for busy educators and professionals, Drexel’s Master’s in Applied Behavior Analysis delivers evidence-based skills you can use immediately. Choose a concentration in Autism Spectrum Disorders, Advanced ABA, or Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellness. Gain real-world experience through community partnerships.
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Hello from the NASET Break Room - our quick pulse check on the state of special education based on trending posts and questions we saw online this week.
Last Week:
Have you ever had to advocate for a student’s AAC device against resistance from a colleague or administrator?
No, our team supports AAC use consistently ✅ (42%)
Have you ever had a student refuse both pull-out and push-in services?
Yes, and I had no clear protocol to follow 😬 (47%)
Do you think your school over- or under-identifies students of color for special education services?
Our identification process seems equitable to me 🤝 (37%)
When do students on your caseload tend to be most dysregulated during the school day?
Last hour - the end of day is consistently the hardest 😤
Transitions between activities, whenever they happen 🔄
Early morning before they’ve regulated 🌅
It varies too much by student to say 🤷♀️
Have you ever received or made a referral you later realized was the wrong specialist - speech vs. reading vs. special ed?
Yes, misdirected referrals happen more than I’d like to admit 😬
Once or twice, but we caught it 🤔
Our team has a clear protocol that prevents this ✅
I’ve wondered about some referrals but never knew for sure 👀
Have you ever had a colleague question whether a student’s accommodation gave them an unfair advantage?
Yes, regularly - it creates real friction 😤
Yes, once or twice 🤔
Not directly but I’ve sensed the attitude 👀
No, my school culture supports accommodation
👩💻 Webinar Sessions to keep you informed | Always Free for NASET Members
♾️ WEDNESDAY, October 28th at 6:30pm ET: Autism and ABA: Translated for Those Who Make a Difference, a new 5-part webinar series led by Dr. Beth L. Raiola, EdD, BCBA, LBA, Program Chair for Applied Behavior Analysis at Post University. Across five live 90-minute sessions covering autism in the classroom, family dynamics, and coaching early-career teachers, Dr. Raiola takes on the questions people actually have about ABA, especially the challenging ones; every perspective is welcome. Recording, BCBA CEUs and RBT PDUs are included with every session.
👩💻 Register Today
🧳 Join us on Tuesday November 17th at 7pm ET for What Protections Travel With You: Your Rights as an Educator in a Public, Private, or Religious School with Dr. Suzanne E. Eckes, J.D., Ph.D. Susan S. Engeleiter Professor of Education Law, Policy, and Practice at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Past President of the Education Law Association. She will walk through how the ministerial exception actually operates, which employees it reaches, and how it limits disability and other employment anti-discrimination protections in private religious schools - including the significant limits on teacher speech outside a public district. Recording and certificates available 24 hours after the webinar. 👩💻 Register Today
Is there a topic or guest speaker you’d like us to feature? Reply to let us know!
Support Special Education Research
Your Classroom Affects Your Health, Too
Special educators manage lighting, noise, and space for their students. But who's studying how those environments affect you?
Schools are among the most female-dominated workplaces in America, yet occupational health research has largely overlooked them. The Educator Health Survey, a national study of K–12 educators by AREA Research and Perkins&Will focused on women's health, asks about lighting, air quality, temperature, acoustics, restroom access, break space, and health across your career.
It takes 15–20 minutes, and any question can be skipped. The first 350 participants receive $20. No names or emails are collected. Findings publish Fall 2027. 👩🏫 Take the survey
🏫 High School Educators, we want to hear from you - Sign up here
🗽 NYC Educators: Our ASPDP course, Transition Planning and Post-Secondary Success, is LIVE and runs October 5, 2026 through January 8, 2027. Eligible to earn 3 A+ credits (45 CTLE hours). 🎓 Enroll Today
📚From the NASET Vault
🎉 NASET Family Navigator
👉 Read The October Special Education e-Journal
⬇️ NASET Support Squad Downloads of the Week Collaborating with ABA Therapists to Support Student Success and Strengthening Number Sense Through Targeted Intervention Scroll down to instantly download ⬇️
BEND, OREGON
POLICY
LITERACY
WORKFORCE
RESEARCH
Elevate Your Impact.
Drexel’s ABAI-Verified online programs give you a data-driven approach to understanding behavior and teaching new skills, especially for individuals with autism. You’ll gain hands-on experience and access to specialized concentrations that align with your goals. Prepare for advanced practice and new career opportunities.
Shout Out to Last Week’s Winners Who Correctly Answered, “Leo Kanner.”
This Week's Question:
Which 1994 Ninth Circuit case produced the four-factor test for inclusion placement decisions?
Correctly answer 3 or more trivia questions each month to be eligible for a gift card! We had 26 winners in September!
What’s one resource you REALLY need, but can’t find? Reply to let us know!
Advance Your Career With Applied Behavior Analysis
Discover Drexel’s online Applied Behavior Analysis programs – master’s and certificates. Tailored for busy professionals, including educators and social workers – these programs empower you to help others succeed, while forging new career trails of your own, using well-established, evidence-based ABA principles, practices, and tools.
“The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn't said.”