INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS REACHING AND TEACHING ALL STUDENTS

KELLY CARMODY- DAWN HANSEN- PENNY SYLVESTER

WHAT ARE INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS?

WHY ARE LIFE 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:

• Career Awareness• Community Experience• Inclusion• Diploma• Occupational Choice• Paid Work Experience• Self Advocacy/Self

Determination

• Parent Involvement • Self care • Social skills • Student support • Program of student

Exploration

Why?

-Direct instruction of life skills necessary

Daily living skills Social/Personal skills Occupational guidance and preparation

-General Education increases post-school outcomes

Rationale

LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT

KNOW THE STUDENTASSESSMENTS:

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

students to othersInformal Assessments

observing 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 Assessment

valuating 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 PROBLEMHow 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

Home living

Money management

Transportation

Laws Community involvement

Personal hygiene/safety

Recreation/leisure

Interpersonal relationships

Self advocacy/self determination

Job seeking

Education planning

Sex education

Step 2

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

Infusion Example Content Referent Life Skill Topic Adult Domain

Light Jobs that require special lighting

Employment/Education

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

Employment

Flashlight Identify safety reasons for having a working flashlight

Home and family

Flashlight Describe appropriate storage for a flashlight

Home and family

Vision Identify ways in which you can protect your vision

Physical/emotional health

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?

Peers have easy access to:

General education

Social situations

Community involvement

Academically and Behaviorally

Classroom, hallway, cafeteria, gym, after school activities and extra curricular activities

volunteering, work experience, and service learning

how to find students ?

oAsk other school personnel

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

Screening a Peer Buddy

oTeacher Recommendations

oWritten Applications

o Interview Student

oHave student observe student with disabilities

Here are some steps:

1. Identify your students in need and their goals. 2. Identify periods/times of day that you need mentors3. Set up a reward/incentive program for your peers. 4. Pick students. 5. Send home permission slips or notices. 6. Set up training. 7. Schedule your mentors8. Use sign-in sheets. 9. Keep track of your students and their volunteering time. 10. Bring in new mentors, or give your mentors a break every

so often to keep them fresh!   

Where to use peers: In School Out of School

PREPARING THE PEER ORIENTATION o Have peer observe student o Give them time to get acquainted o Set expectationso Peer buddy roles o People first languageo Student information (binder)o Confidentiality o Effective instructional strategieso Interaction activitieso Suggests for activitieso Addressing challenging behavioro Emergency procedures

What can peers do to assist?

SOCIAL SKILLS Students know better than anyone which social behaviors are

acceptable among students at their school.

SOCIAL SKILLS

oExtending conversational turns oModeling appropriate social skills oReinforcing communication attempts oRedirecting inappropriate conversational topicsoMaking initial introductions

oExtending interactions outside of the classroom

oEncouraging their peer to interact socially

SOCIAL SKILLS INSTRUCTION CHECKLIST

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

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

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-IDEAThe 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

AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

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

COMMUNITY BASED INSTRUCTION

Visiting public library to do researchGoing on school field tripsTravel to nursing home for a service learning project

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. Service learning can be incorporated into the general education curriculum for the benefit of all students. Service learning 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.

How to plan a meaningful service learning project?

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: Teachers, students, and community members plan the learning and service activities, and 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 and to think about its meaning and connection to them, their society, and what they have learned in school; and

Component 5

Demonstration/Celebration: The final experience when students, community participants and others publicly share what they have learned, celebrate the results of the service project, and look ahead to the future.

Post test