At NASET, we recognize that effective special education teaching is grounded in both knowledge and connection. The books for special education teachers and journals listed here have been carefully selected for their practical value and research-based insights.
As a new teacher, you can find clear guidance, while experienced educators can refine their practice. These resources support you in fostering inclusive, equitable, and high-impact learning environments.
The Best Books for Special Education Teachers to Read
Finding the right resources can make a huge difference in your teaching. There are many books for special education teachers to read, but not all of them are practical or easy to apply.
In this section, we’ve pulled together the ones that really add value. Titles that give you strategies, clarity, and ideas you can actually use in your classroom.

Foundational & Legal Guides
Before you get into the classroom strategies, it helps to have a solid base. Some of the best books for special education teachers focus on the laws, policies, and history that shape the field.
These guides explain things like IDEA, Section 504, and inclusion rights in a way that’s clear and useful, so you feel confident navigating the rules that affect your students every day.
- The Complete Guide to Special Education – Linda Wilmshurst & Alan Brue
- A comprehensive handbook covering special education laws, assessments, and collaboration with families. Offers clear explanations and practical tools to ensure educators deliver legally compliant and student-centered services.
- The Special Educator’s Survival Guide – Roger Pierangelo
- A practical reference for daily challenges—covering IEP development, student behavior management, and compliance issues. Designed to help both new and experienced teachers stay organized, confident, and effective.
- Special Education Law – Peter W. D. Wright & Pamela Darr Wright
- Breaks down IDEA, Section 504, and related legal frameworks in plain language. Equips teachers to advocate effectively and safeguard student rights.
Classroom Practice & Differentiation
Teaching isn’t one-size-fits-all. That’s especially true in special education. Good books for special education teachers give you tested strategies for adapting lessons, handling classroom challenges, and keeping students engaged no matter their learning style.
In this section, we highlight the resources that make your teaching smoother and more effective, while also helping you save time and energy.
- Inclusive Classroom: Strategies for Effective Differentiated Instruction – Margo Mastropieri & Thomas Scruggs
- An evidence-based guide to Universal Design for Learning, MTSS, and adaptive instructional methods. Provides ready-to-use strategies for meeting the needs of diverse learners in inclusive environments.
- Teaching Students with Special Needs in Inclusive Settings – Tom Smith, Edward Polloway, James Patton & Carol Dowdy
- Focuses on collaborative teaching practices that bridge general and special education. Offers research-backed techniques for ensuring all students participate fully in classroom learning.
- Lost at School – Ross W. Greene
- Introduces a collaborative problem-solving approach to address challenging behaviors. Shifts the focus from discipline to understanding, building stronger relationships and better outcomes.
- How to Reach and Teach Children with ADD/ADHD – Sandra F. Rief
- Packed with strategies for organization, attention, and behavior support. Helps teachers create structured, supportive environments where students with ADHD can succeed.

Specialized Needs & Advocacy
Every student has their own story, and sometimes that means unique challenges. The best books for special education teachers go beyond general advice and show you how to support children with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other specific needs.
They also help you build advocacy skills so you can stand up for your students and work closely with parents and school staff to create the best outcomes.
- You’re Going to Love This Kid! – Paula Kluth
- A compassionate, strengths-based guide to teaching students with autism in inclusive classrooms. Encourages educators to embrace individuality while fostering belonging.
- Thinking in Pictures – Temple Grandin
- Offers first-person insight into the autistic experience, revealing how sensory processing shapes learning. Inspires empathy and informed teaching practices.
- Differentiation and the Brain – David Sousa & Carol Ann Tomlinson
- Connects neuroscience research with classroom differentiation techniques. Gives teachers the science and strategies to design learning experiences that work for all students.
- Visual Supports for People with Autism – Marlene J. Cohen & Peter F. Gerhardt
- Explains how to design and implement visual schedules, cues, and prompts to promote independence. Ideal for enhancing understanding and reducing anxiety in autistic learners.
Assessment, IEPs & RTI/MTSS Tools
Evaluating progress and setting goals can feel complicated without the right resources. That’s where good books for special education teachers come in.
This section covers guides that break down IEP writing, explain RTI and MTSS step by step, and give you tools to track growth without drowning in paperwork. These resources are especially helpful if you want a clear, structured approach to student support.
- RTI: A Practitioner’s Guide to Implementing Response to Intervention – Daryl F. Mellard & Evelyn Johnson
- Step-by-step guidance for developing tiered intervention systems. Covers progress monitoring, data analysis, and team collaboration.
- The Special Education Teacher’s Guide to Assessment – Amanda B. Guerriero, Laura M. Houser & David A. Bernhardt
- Provides a clear overview of assessment types and their role in instructional planning. Supports data-driven decisions and effective IEP development.

Inclusion, Equity & Leadership
Inclusive teaching goes beyond lesson plans. It’s about creating a fair and supportive school culture. Some of the best books for special education teachers look at equity, diversity, and leadership, showing you how to champion inclusion not just in your classroom but across your school community.
These guides give you the bigger picture and the practical steps to lead change in a positive way.
- The Collaborative IEP – Anne Beninghof
- Offers strategies for building IEPs through true collaboration with students, families, and colleagues. Encourages a team-centered approach that leads to stronger, more personalized plans.
- All Means All – Heather Friziellie, Julie Schmidt & Jeanne Spiller
- Promotes a vision of equity where every learner is a general education student first. Provides leadership strategies for creating inclusive systems and practices.
- Co-Teaching Evolved – Wendy W. Murawski & Wendy L. Karge
- Presents modern, research-based approaches to co-teaching, integrating technology and inclusive practices. Strengthens partnerships between general and special educators.
- Fearless Classrooms: Building Trust, Resilience, and Psychological Safety – Douglas Reeves
- Shows educators how to create classrooms where students feel safe to take risks and engage fully. Strengthens trust, resilience, and belonging—critical elements for all learners, particularly those with unique needs.
- The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever – Michael Bungay Stanier
- A book that will take the way you see coaching to the next level. This practical guide distills coaching into seven powerful questions that foster deeper thinking, problem-solving, and self-reflection. Its strategies equip teachers with tools to help students—including those with special needs—open up, take ownership of their learning, and feel supported.

Journals & Research Outlets
Teaching evolves quickly, and staying up to date is important. Journals for special education teachers and professional journals for special education teachers keep you informed about the latest research, teaching methods, and policy changes.
Here, we’ll point to the publications that are actually worth following, so you’re always learning, adapting, and ready to bring new ideas into your work.
- Exceptional Children
- A leading peer-reviewed journal publishing rigorous research on special education practices and policy. https://journals.sagepub.com/home/ecx
- Teaching Exceptional Children
- Focuses on translating research into practical, classroom-ready strategies for educators. https://journals.sagepub.com/home/tcx
- Learning Disability Quarterly
- Publishes studies on assessment, intervention, and policy in the field of learning disabilities. https://journals.sagepub.com/home/ldq
- Intervention in School and Clinic
- Offers applied solutions for educators working with students with academic and behavioral challenges. https://journals.sagepub.com/home/isc
- Teacher Education and Special Education
- Highlights research on educator preparation, professional development, and special education leadership. us.sagepub.com
Share Your Recommendations
This list is a living resource, and we welcome your input. If you have a book or journal that has shaped your work and could benefit fellow special educators, please share your recommendation with us at contactus@naset.org. Together, we can ensure that every teacher has access to the tools they need to help all students thrive.