INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS REACHING AND TEACHING ALL STUDENTS

KELLY CARMODY- DAWN HANSEN- PENNY SYLVESTER

THE PROBLEM

WHY ARE INDEPENDNET LIVING

SKILLS IMPORTANT TO TEACH?

National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center's Evidence Based Predictors state that the following factors are important to the future success of students with disabilities:

Exploration

WHAT ARE INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS?

FIRST!

KNOW THE STUDENT

ASSESSMENTS:

Formal Assessment These are published tests that result in scores that compare

students to others

Informal Assessmentsobserving the student as he/she participates in various academic and work experiences, talking with the student about likes and dislikes, and setting up experiences that will allow the student to try something that he/she thinks may be of interest provides a wealth of informal

data.

Interest InventoriesSituational Assessment

perform an assessment in an actual environment, doing real work tasks.

Environmental Assessmentvaluating an environment and then matching a student’s skills and interests to that environment and the job tasks required, provides an excellent `means for gathering useful information.

Job/Vocational Assessments

CREATE A LIFE SKILLS PORTFOLIO

WHERE WILL IT HAPPEN?

THE PROBLEM

How do we teach students that are in the general education setting life skills?

Infusion techniques

Recommended Procedures for Infusing Life Skills Content

 1. Familiarity with the comprehensive set of knowledge and skills needed in adulthood (i.e. life skills)

2. Identification of places in the existing curriculum that can be associated with real-life topics.

3. Planning life skills infusion activities.

4. Actual instruction of life skills during ongoing lessons.

Step oneFamiliarity with the comprehensive set of knowledge and skills

needed in adulthood

Step 2

Identification of places in the existing curriculum that can be associated with real-life topics.

Infusion Example

Light Employment/Education

Paints Employment

Flashlight Home and family

Flashlight Home and family

Vision Physical/emotional health

Content Referent

Live Skill Topic

Adult Domain

Jobs that require special lighting

name jobs, other than a painter, that use paint on a regular basis

Identify safety reasons for having a working flashlight

Describe appropriate storage for a flashlight

Identify ways in which you can protect your vision

Louisiana: A Study in Diversity – class assignment

Step 3 Planning life skills infusion activities

Step 4: Actual Instruction of Life Skills During Ongoing Lessons

“Time for a real world check!”

It’s time for a life skill link!

Life Skills Infusion Planning GuideNote: this planning guide is recommended for us e when identifying content in existing curricular materials that can be linked to life skills topics. Instructional Unit: ___________ Materials:___________________Content Possible Life Skills Topic Notes

Using peers to teach/model

independent living skills

WHY?

Students with disabilities have more frequent interactions and access more social supports when working with their classmates, rather than working exclusively with a paraprofessional or teacher.

Peers can help provide a range of academic, social, and/or behavioral supports to their peer with disabilities.

how to find students ?

oAsk the student with the disabilities if there are particular peers in their classes oMake classroom observations oAsk for volunteers oPost announcements on a bulletin boardoMake announcements at assembliesoAsk student organizations oAsk other school personnel oFind out if any peers have siblings with disabilities

Screening a Peer Buddy

oTeacher Recommendations

oWritten Applications

oInterview Student

oHave student observe student with disabilities

PEER BUDDY ORIENTATION

SESSION IDEAS

Overview of programObserve peer buddiesPeer buddies get acquainted with each otherexpectationsPeople first languageConfidentially instructional strategiesinteractional activities knowing the student: reviewing their Independent life skills portfolioAddressing behavior and emergency procedures

Where to use peers:

In School Out of School

PREPARING THE PEER

What can they teach?

SOCIAL SKILLS

Students know better than anyone (even more than teachers) which social behaviors are acceptable among students at their school.

Determine which clothing styles are fashionableTopic of conversations are coolWhat places are trendy to hang out at Often peers are more successful than teachers

influencing their classmates social behaviorPeers have access to social situations and social cliques

SOCIAL SKILLS

oExtending conversational turns oModeling appropriate social skills oReinforcing communication attempts o Redirecting inappropriate conversational topicsoMaking initial introductionso Highlighting shared interests and other commonalitiesoExtending interactions outside of the classroomoEncouraging their partner to interact socially

SOCIAL SKILLS INSTRUCTION CHECKLIST

Spend time with the student and observe how he or she interacts with classmates and teachers. Find out from the teacher which skill he or she wants you to teach your classmate. Help the student set goal related to the skilled identified by the teacher. Explain to the student why learning the skill will benefit him or her (give a rationales for learning the skill) Describe the skill you are going to teach. Demonstrate how to perform the skill. Ask the student to perform the skill the same way that you did (roe play that skill) Provide feedback to the student as he or she performs the skill. Provide opportunities for the student to use kill in a variety of settings (practice) Praise the student every time you see him or her perform the skill correctly. Help the student evaluate progress toward meeting his or her goal. Remind students to use their new social skill whenever appropriate.

SOCIAL STORIES/VIDEO MODELING

Sansosti & Powell-Smith (2008)

FACT

Research shows that peers can be quite adept at supporting their classmates and that a number of academic and social benefits are available to participating students with and without disabilities (see Carter, Cushing, Clark, & Kennedy, 2005; Cushing & Kennedy, 1997; Kennedy & Itkonen, 1994; Shukla, Kennedy, & Cushing, 1998, 1999). Academically, peer support arrangements offer some distinct advantages over individually assigned paraprofessional support.

ACADEMIC ASSISTANCE

Materials• Modify the assignment length• Break the assignments in smaller tasks• Provide an advance organizer of the activity or assignment • Highlight important words and concepts• Help the student use tape record, computer or calculator• Ask the teacher to provide an alternate assignment • Assist the student with using a personal organizer • Make sure the student has the right materials and is in the right

place

ACADEMIC ASSISTANCE

Learning Environment Remove anything that may distract the studentMake sure the student as a clear view of the teacher and

boardHelp the student organize his or her materials help the student keep a clear desk Show the student how to use a checklist to stay organized

Extra curricular activities

Why are extra curricular activities important? oYouth who participate in extra curricular activities have better grades (Marsh, 1992) oHave high test scores (Gerber 1996) oHave high educational attainment (Hanks & Eckland, 1976)oAttend school more regularly (Mahoney & Cairns, 1997) o Have high self-concepts (Marsh, 1992) oLess likely to drop out of school (Mahoney & Cains, 1997)

FACT:

§ 300.107Nonacademic services.The State must ensure the following:(a)Each public agency must take steps, including the provision of supplementary aids and services determined appropriate and necessary by the child's IEP Team, to provide nonacademic and extracurricular services and activities in the manner necessary to afford children with disabilities an equal opportunity for participation in those services and activities.(b)) Nonacademic and extracurricular services and activities may include counseling services, athletics, transportation, health services, recreational activities, special interest groups or clubs sponsored by the public agency, referrals to agencies that provide assistance to individuals with disabilities, and employment of students, including both employment by the public agency and assistance in making outside employment available.(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1820-0030)(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(1) )

Extracurricular activities

Extracurricular activities are program which fulfill two basic conditions: 1)They are structured in a way where these is a mission or goal 2)They are not part of the regular curricular program

WHERE TO BEGIN?

oIdentify potential activitiesoDetermine activity requirementsoAddress Logistical issuesoIdentify peer buddies oDetermine support needs oDetermine peer buddy responsibilities oCollaborate with Stuff oAddress Potential Challenges

AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

COMMUNITY BASED INSTRUCTION

VS

Life Skills Classroom Community Homeless Shelter

SERVICE LEARNING

The National Secondary Transition Secondary Assistance Center clearly identifies service learning as one possibility in fulfilling the work experience, transition standards and quality indicator.

-Can be incorporated into the general education curriculum for the benefit of all students

-Provides work experience in addition to other skills for students with disabilities who may not have opportunity in their academic schedule for paid work experience

Some examples…

• Participation in a local “Meals on Wheels” program• Help pack food at a local food bank• Students with disabilities work with adult and student mentors to create bird house kits. As part of technology class, the team created templates and design specifications for the birdhouses and assembled the kits.• Students (with and without disabilities) operated a school store• Implementation of recycling project• Maintain a school garden and donate produce from the garden to local food pantries

How to plan a meaningful service learning project?

There are 5 components!

1.Investigation2.Planning and Preparation3.Action4.Reflection5.Demonstration/Celebration

Component 1

Investigation:

-Teachers and students investigate the community problems that they might potentially address.

-Investigation typically involves some sort of research and mapping activity.

Component 2

Planning and Preparation:

Who? -Teachers, students, and community members

What? -Learning and service activities-Address the administrative issues needed for a successful project

Component 3

Action (Implementing the Service Activity): -The "heart" of the project-Engaging in the meaningful service experience that will help your students develop important knowledge, skills, and attitudes, and will benefit the community.

Component 4

Reflection:

-Activities that help students understand the service-learning experience

-Think about the meaning of the experience -Form a connection among them, their society, and what they

have learned in school

Component 5

Demonstration/Celebration:

-The final experience -Students, community participants and others publicly share what they have learned-Celebrate the results of the service project, and look ahead to the future!

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