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Many students with special needs often struggle in managing daily tasks and the concept of time management. Here at The Gateway School, we incorporate the soft skill of time management to help our students function at home, in the community and in an employment situations. Learn more here.

Setting Students Up for Success 

Creating a high-structure environment is often extremely beneficial for helping students with special needs students learn how to follow a daily routine. Of course, learning effective time management goes beyond following a schedule or knowing how to tell time alone. While these are crucial foundational learning blocks, students must also learn how to carve out sufficient time in the day for completing assignments or achieving set goals, otherwise known as task analysis.  
Learning how to perform task analysis will help students decide how long a given task will take them to complete based on the individual steps involved. Visual aids such as picture charts and specific, step-by-step written instructions can be helpful tools for helping students with special needs master these skills. Knowing how to correctly estimate the amount of time various tasks will take to complete and how to prioritize them accordingly is necessary for students to learn to manage their time effectively.  

As with learning any new skill, repetition is often the key to success. Breaking down daily tasks and academic assignments into smaller, more achievable goals will help students stay on track and not become easily overwhelmed. Other useful tools to help your students succeed include daily and weekly planners, timers/stopwatches, and progress charts. These, of course, are just a few suggestions and tools available. What resources would you add to the list as a special needs educator? 

Closing Thoughts

Children with special needs all have their unique strengths and abilities. Developing an individualized approach is paramount when it comes to helping each student succeed in an academic environment and learn essential life skills such as effective time management.