Abstract
The authors collaborated and shared equal responsibility in all aspects of the development of this project. The project is a set of adaptations of Second Step®, a Social-Emotional Learning curriculum, for use with third and fifth grade students with disabilities. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is a crucial part of children’s development and success in school. With the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), greater focus is being placed on school culture and SEL for all students. Through research, students with disabilities are frequently left out of this conversation although their need for SEL is just as great as that of general education students. Specific curriculums for students with disabilities are available, but there are no adapted curriculums for use by both general education and special education students. The purpose of this project is to help fill the gap in lack of adapted SEL curriculum for students with disabilities. The project was informed through the use of a needs assessment to determine what adaptations special educators would need to teach Second Step® and the use of correlating evidence based practices. This prepared project is an adaptation guide and accompanying adapted visuals and worksheets for the Second Step® third and fifth grade curriculums for special education teachers to use with their students to increase their access to SEL instruction for all students.