This spotlight is of Alexis Arbuckle, a special education teacher applying for The 2026 Kerry Magro Special Education Teacher, Therapist, and Aide Grant via the nonprofit KFM Making a Difference started by me, Kerry Magro. I was nonverbal till 2.5 and diagnosed with autism at 4, and you can read more about my organization here and learn more about my autism journey from nonspeaking to professional speaker in the video below.
Alexis Arbuckle is a K-5 Special Education Autism Teacher at Martin Elementary School in Parkersburg, West Virginia, where she supports 15 students with diverse needs including autism, ADHD, and sensory processing disorders.
For Alexis, teaching students with special needs requires patience, flexibility, and a strong commitment to building relationships. Her goal is to create a classroom environment where every child feels safe, respected, and capable of success.
One of the most important aspects of her classroom is developing a supportive and inclusive culture. Alexis works to ensure that students feel valued and encouraged, especially when learning feels challenging. By celebrating small victories, offering consistent encouragement, and modeling kindness and respect, she helps students feel comfortable taking academic risks.
Predictable routines and clear expectations are also an important part of her classroom. These structures help reduce anxiety and allow students to focus on learning.
Alexis uses The Autism Helper curriculum, which provides structured and differentiated activities designed to support students with a variety of developmental levels. The curriculum allows her to incorporate visual supports, task boxes, hands-on learning, and clear step-by-step instructions that help students build independence while strengthening academic and life skills.
Differentiated instruction is another important strategy she uses daily. Because each student learns differently, Alexis adapts lessons to match individual learning styles and IEP goals. This may include breaking tasks into smaller steps, providing visual schedules, incorporating manipulatives, or allowing movement and sensory breaks throughout the day.
Positive reinforcement also plays a major role in her classroom. Recognizing student effort and progress helps build confidence and motivation. Whether through verbal praise, reward systems, or classroom responsibilities, Alexis encourages students to stay engaged and take pride in their accomplishments.
Many of Alexis’s students face additional challenges outside of school, including limited access to enrichment activities and sensory supports. If awarded the Kerry Magro Special Education Teacher Grant, she plans to purchase noise-canceling headphones, a compression pod chair, and a sensory rocker to help students regulate sensory input and stay focused during learning activities.
She also hopes to create a Big AAC sign for the school playground, allowing students who use alternative communication systems to participate more fully in social interactions during recess.
Alexis also shared a powerful success story about a fourth-grade student in her classroom. When the student first joined her class, he was reading at approximately a first-grade level and struggled with emotional regulation. Alexis worked with him using consistent routines, positive reinforcement, and structured instruction that broke skills into manageable steps.
Over the course of the year, the student made remarkable progress. His reading level improved to approximately third grade, he learned to tell time, count money, and complete multi-digit math problems, and his emotional outbursts decreased dramatically.
For Alexis, this experience demonstrates the power of patience, individualized instruction, and strong relationships. With the right supports and encouragement, students with special needs can make incredible academic and personal growth.
Have Dr. Kerry Magro give a student assembly, staff development for your educators or a parent talk for your parents by contacting him here for more details.
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My name is Kerry Magro, a professional speaker and best-selling author who is also on the autism spectrum. I started the nonprofit KFM Making a Difference in 2011 to help students with autism receive scholarship aid to pursue post-secondary education. Help support me so I can continue to help students with autism go to college by making a tax-deductible donation to our nonprofit here.
