Creating Safety and Predictability

As we continue our series on Supporting Regulation in the Classroom, we want to pause to acknowledge something many of our communities across the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota are navigating right now: the heightened stress related to current immigration enforcement activity and its impact on Minnesota communities. This stress may be affecting many learners, especially those with autism.

Families are feeling fear and uncertainty. Some students are experiencing disruptions to daily routines, changes in attendance, or sudden shifts to virtual learning. Others may be worried about loved ones, confused by adult conversations they overhear, or afraid that someone they care about or even they themselves could be taken.

For autistic students, these experiences can show up as increased anxiety, withdrawal, heightened sensory sensitivity, difficulty with transitions, changes in communication, or behavior that looks “unexpected” or “out of character.” These are not signs of noncompliance; they are signals from a nervous system under stress.

During emotionally heavy times, regulation becomes the foundation for everything else. We can’t remove the stress our students are carrying, but we can help make school feel steady, predictable, and safe. Here are a few things we can keep in mind:

Behavior is Communication: When a student is more rigid, avoidant, emotional, or reactive than usual, it may be a sign that their stress load is already full. Regulation must come before reasoning.

Validate Before You Redirect: Simple language can go a long way:

“Things feel different right now, and that can feel scary."

“It makes sense your body feels upset.”

Validation builds safety, and safety is the foundation of regulation.

Increase Predictability Wherever You Can: When the outside world feels uncertain, classroom structure becomes even more important:

• Use visual schedules and preview changes
• Signal transitions clearly
• Offer consistent routines and familiar regulation tools

“I’m feeling overwhelmed, so I’m taking a slow breath.

“When things feel big, we can pause together."

And Most Importantly, Give Grace to Yourself, Your Students, and Families

These are not ordinary days. Many people in our school communities, including us, are carrying fear, grief, anger, or exhaustion. Those emotions are human responses to difficult circumstances.

Let’s give:

• Ourselves grace as educators navigating big emotions in our classrooms

• Students grace as they try to learn while their nervous systems work hard to feel safe

• Families grace as they make decisions they believe protect their children

Regulation is not about making feelings disappear. It’s about helping ourselves and our students move through emotions with connection, support, and compassion.

Thank you for the care you bring to your classrooms every day. Your presence, predictability, and understanding matter more than ever.

We will be offering two brief information sessions this week for educators to provide timely information on the use of the STAR Online Learning System (SOLS) for remote instruction to special education students with extensive support needs. These sessions will be geared towards educators needing instructional tools for students with extensive support needs and remote learning.

lease register below for one of the 3 pm sessions:

📅 January 27, 2026 | 3:30–4:00 PM CST

📅 January 29, 2026 | 3:30–4:00 PM CST

STAR Online Learning System (SOLS)

All school district staff members in Minnesota are eligible for FREE access to the STAR Media Center and STAR Online Learning System (SOLS). This program has been paid for by the MN Low Incidence Projects. Join us January 27th or 29th to learn how you can access these amazing tools for not only remote learning but in-class learning as well.

What Is SOLS?

A synchronous, evidence-based remote learning platform for students with extensive support needs, including autism and intellectual disability.

SOLS supports students from early childhood through post-secondary and provides everything teachers need for high-quality online instruction:

• Ready-to-use lessons & slides
• Customized, engaging lessons
• IEP-aligned curriculum
• Real-time (synchronous) instruction
• Minimal prep time
• Evidence-based practices
• Leveled for all abilities

SOLS includes REEL (Remote Education for Exceptional Learners), an interactive tool that generates individualized lesson presentations aligned to each student’s skill level.

Accessing SOLS:
SOLS is located online in the STAR Media Center. Minnesota educators can request their free STAR Media Center account at https://starautismsupport.com/MN-SOLS-Access

We encourage you to join one of the sessions and explore how SOLS can support your students and staff in remote learning environments.

This must-read newsletter is filled with exciting events, valuable opportunities, and expert insights for educators and professionals supporting autistic students.

Don’t miss out! Click the link below to access this incredible resource, and be sure to subscribe to receive the Minnesota Statewide ASD Newsletter in your inbox each quarter. Stay informed, inspired, and connected!

Check out the Winter Animals Themes First! Unit, which includes original songs, books, and activities that support students’ skill development and generalization with content that’s fun, accessible, and theme-based. These monthly units now include an expanded Social Studies suite, containing fun, theme-related activities that reinforce cultural engagement. Included in all Themes First! units are lessons, activities, and worksheets for group and independent work at a wide range of levels.

The next Themes First! release, February's Forecast Fun is ready to prep!

💡Print all the activities you plan to use for the upcoming month as soon as they become available. Put printed activities in a "prep" area equipped with a laminator, file folders, Velcro, labels, and baggies. If you have a large laminator, laminate all the activities at once! When you or your team have a few minutes to spare, you can laminate, cut, and add Velcro as needed. It helps to organize activities in trays by "Needs to be Prepped" and "Finished." Don't forget to teach your team how to prep the activities and to model this new expectation. Check out the How to Prep a Month-Long Themes First! Unit below.

Building Neuroaffirming Classrooms Series

What is Neurodiversity?

"Hearing Autistic Voices"

Teaching Through Lived Experience

It Starts with Us: Shifting Mindsets

Honor All Communication

Build Trusting Relationships

Take a Strengths-Based Approach

Challenge Assumptions

Moving Forward

STAR Media Center Updates: Themes First

STAR Media Center Updates: Routine Essentials

Welcome Back! 9/2/2025

2023-2025 Tuesday Tips & Tricks

Feel free to reach out anytime with questions or concerns—I’m happy to help! You can contact me by email or phone, and I’m also available for quick Zoom chats on Fridays from 7:30–8:00 AM and 3:00–3:30 PM. If those times don’t work for your schedule, just send me an email, and we’ll find a time that works best for both of us.

Use the link below to ask questions about this week's Tuesday Tips 'N' Tricks and/or give suggestions on future topics.