To help students grapple with challenging aspects of life, special education teacher Denise Flanagan decorated the 200’s hallway with informational posters last summer.

The posters cover various topics, from social skills to considering future careers. The Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Special Education made the posters and Flanagan received them when she attended a training at James Madison University.

Many students may not have the knowledge and skills they need to go through life. 

“You have to think of all the things you have to pay for,” Flanagan said. “Do people think about those things? A lot of our kids don’t, because they’re kind of sheltered from their parents, their parents won’t discuss it.”

Some students could even lack the social skills necessary to live a fulfilling life.

“You guys go out and do those things and don’t even think about calling up a friend, saying ‘Hey, can I go out?’ A lot of these kids don’t, or their parents won’t take them, or they don’t know how to ask somebody else how to go. Just the things that you don’t think about when you’re special needs,” Flanagan said.

The posters are designed to help students in unique situations progress through different life stages.

“They’re pretty wild and kinda corny but they kinda make a lot of sense, because there’s things that you think about. Like some people won’t really be interested in dating at all. Some [relationships] will be short, some will be on and off, some will last for college and beyond,” Flanagan said.

There are many topics students may fail to consider or not put too much thought into. General education students may think they do not have much to worry about compared to kids in special education, but both groups have challenging things to overcome in life. 

“We had thought about putting them up in the classroom, but I think a lot of this is also applicable to the gen ed kids to sit and look at and go, ‘You know, there’s things that I guess you do that you don’t even think about,’” Flanagan said.