All kids have their own unique ways of expressing themselves. For children with special needs, additional support may be necessary to help them communicate their wants and needs effectively.

Enter Jessie Kube, the new behavior specialist at the Steamboat Springs School District. Although Kube is in her first year at SSSD, she is already making a positive impact on how special education students communicate, learn and grow.

As a behavioral specialist, Kube’s primary role is to keep kids in the classroom and teach them to communicate without resorting to challenging behaviors. For instance, a kindergartener might run out of the classroom or throw toys to express a need. Kube observes these behaviors, collects data, and, based on her findings, she helps teach the student a new behavior to effectively communicate when they need a break or are feeling tired.

Kube has a strong passion for teaching communication, particularly functional communication. Functional communication emphasizes communicating in a way that easily conveys one’s wants or needs and is widely understood by others.

For students with special needs who exhibit behaviors that may hinder their learning, Kube conducts a Functional Behavioral Assessment to understand the reasons behind these behaviors. Once the assessment is complete, she collaborates with staff and parents to develop replacement behaviors that help meet the student’s needs in a more socially acceptable manner. This approach allows students to communicate their wants and needs in a way that is more universally understood.

“I try to be their advocate,” Kube said. “The littlest communication pieces that we might take for granted, these students might not be able to use.”

Kube’s passion for her role comes from her time as a former classroom teacher. For five years, she taught pre-K, kindergarten and second grade. She understands that teachers need support and want to help their students in every way possible. When she left the classroom, she promised herself she would never forget what it was like to be a classroom teacher.

“I am proud that I remind myself what it is like to be a classroom teacher every day,” Kube said.

Kube hails from a large school district north of Dallas, Texas, and has worked in education for 10 years. After coming here to ski every winter for years, the time finally felt right for her family to make the move. She is excited to be a part of this community and learn new ways of doing things.

“When you work for one district your whole career, it can limit your strategies,” Kube said. “I am excited to be in a new district, learn more things, and collaborate with others.

Kube works with students at all the schools in the district, and she said everyone has been so kind and welcoming.

“One of my favorite things about SSSD is how student-centered everyone is,” Kube said. “From general education, paras, special education staff, and administration, you can tell that there is a love and that the people in these buildings want to be there.”

The Steamboat Springs Special Education Advisory Committee is a representational committee made up of parents, educators and community members working together to improve outcomes for special education students.