Transition and the Real Transition and the Real World : The Teacher’s World : The Teacher’s

PerspectivePerspective

Transition Series Transition Series

Keene State College Keene State College

March 27, 2008 March 27, 2008

MRHS Mission Statement MRHS Mission Statement a light bulb momenta light bulb moment

►Monadnock Regional High School Monadnock Regional High School strives to engage all students in a strives to engage all students in a quality education that enables them to quality education that enables them to develop and meet their individual develop and meet their individual goals and prepares them to lead goals and prepares them to lead satisfying, productive lives as global satisfying, productive lives as global citizenscitizens

MRHS Life Skills ProgramMRHS Life Skills Program

► Student Composition:Student Composition: Multiple disabilities, MR, autism , speech imp.Multiple disabilities, MR, autism , speech imp.

►Access General education curriculumAccess General education curriculum► Set High ExpectationsSet High Expectations►Related ServicesRelated Services : occupational therapy, : occupational therapy,

physical therapy, speech therapy, nursing physical therapy, speech therapy, nursing supports, counseling ( girls group and supports, counseling ( girls group and individual)individual)

►Other:Other: shared vocational coordinator, shared vocational coordinator, guidance guidance

Program description ( cont) Program description ( cont)

► Community ExperienceCommunity Experiencecoordinated set of activities taking coordinated set of activities taking

classroom frameworks and matching themclassroom frameworks and matching them to real world expectationsto real world expectations

► Curriculum is not rocket scienceCurriculum is not rocket science What skills do we use on a daily basis and What skills do we use on a daily basis and

need to become productive citizens need to become productive citizens

► Embed frameworks and curriculumEmbed frameworks and curriculum

Transition Transition planningplanning Student directed IEPStudent directed IEP

► Understanding IEP and meeting process – Skills Dev. Understanding IEP and meeting process – Skills Dev. classclass

► Attending or facilitating their meetings Attending or facilitating their meetings Self- Advocacy & Disability awarenessSelf- Advocacy & Disability awareness

► Advocacy bindersAdvocacy binders► mentorsmentors

Futures mapping Futures mapping Life Skills Inventories Life Skills Inventories Learning Styles Assessment Learning Styles Assessment Career Exploration and AssessmentCareer Exploration and Assessment

► InternshipsInternships► Echoices/Bridges Echoices/Bridges ► Volunteering Volunteering ► Internships Internships ► Job shadowsJob shadows► Career Days Career Days ► Disability Mentoring Opportunities Disability Mentoring Opportunities ► School-to-Career Class School-to-Career Class

Making transition happen Making transition happen ► Student driven Student driven ► Form a cohesive team that can think outside the box Form a cohesive team that can think outside the box

( instruction, daily living, recreation and leisure, ( instruction, daily living, recreation and leisure, employment) employment)

►Have a unified visionHave a unified vision Age appropriate assessments/ inventories Age appropriate assessments/ inventories Identify what you need to know and find the assessment that Identify what you need to know and find the assessment that

will provide that informationwill provide that information Networking Networking Use your own backyard Use your own backyard

► There are lessons to be learned from every experience There are lessons to be learned from every experience ( Cedarcrest) ( Cedarcrest)

Transition Team Transition Team Members Members

Student and family Student and family Guidance counselor Guidance counselor Case managerCase manager TutorTutor School to Career School to Career

teacher teacher General Ed. teacher General Ed. teacher

(mentor) (mentor) Related Service Related Service

providersproviders Nurse/ medical teamNurse/ medical team

SAU Vocational SAU Vocational Coordinator Coordinator

MDS and/0r MFS family MDS and/0r MFS family services case managerservices case manager

Voc Rehabilitation Voc Rehabilitation Counselor Counselor

Disability consultantDisability consultant Internship supervisorInternship supervisor Big sister or brotherBig sister or brother Coach, advisor, peer, Coach, advisor, peer,

sibling sibling

Other considerations for Other considerations for transitioning transitioning

► Agency connections- use their expertise Agency connections- use their expertise Medicaid Medicaid SSI eligibility SSI eligibility GuardianshipGuardianship Job trainingJob training

► State non-drivers ID State non-drivers ID ► Bank accountBank account► Accessing public transportation Accessing public transportation ► Phone callingPhone calling► Safety skills Safety skills ► Community Connections Community Connections ► Independence Independence

Curriculum Curriculum Application Application ►FunctionFunction

al and al and ConsumeConsumer Math:r Math:

Money managementMoney management Banking Banking Counting moneyCounting money Making purchases Making purchases Budgeting Budgeting Understanding paychecks Understanding paychecks Ordering from menus Ordering from menus

Cooking Cooking measuring measuring Shopping lists & quantity for Shopping lists & quantity for

recipesrecipes

Scheduling Scheduling time time Calendar skills Calendar skills Organizations Organizations Using resourcesUsing resources

Curriculum Curriculum ApplicationApplication

►Social Social StudiesStudies

► CIVICS CIVICS Volunteerism Volunteerism VotingVoting

►Pitch activity ideas Pitch activity ideas ►Register to vote – recite Register to vote – recite

personal informationpersonal information

►Geography Geography ►Mapping skills Mapping skills ►Reading directories Reading directories ►Reading schedules Reading schedules

► Economics Economics What’s Next class What’s Next class Independent Living Independent Living

Curriculum Curriculum ApplicationApplication

►Life SkillsLife Skills

► Household SkillsHousehold Skills Cooking Cooking Laundry Laundry ShoppingShopping CleaningCleaning Gardening Gardening Safety Safety home/ community/ home/ community/

pedestrianpedestrian Stranger Stranger Fire Fire InternetInternet Accessing resources:Accessing resources: NewspapersNewspapers SchedulesSchedules Menus Menus Applications Applications Phone books & individualized Phone books & individualized

phone book phone book

Examples of Career Examples of Career Exploration Exploration

► School to Career ClassSchool to Career Class ► Summer ProgramSummer Program: Stonewall Farm, Swanzey : Stonewall Farm, Swanzey

Police Department, Swanzey Town Hall, Mount Police Department, Swanzey Town Hall, Mount Caesar Town Library, Community Kitchen, Shir-Roy Caesar Town Library, Community Kitchen, Shir-Roy Campgrounds, Hair Designs, Campgrounds, Hair Designs,

► InternshipsInternships: day care, preschool, Cedarcrest, : day care, preschool, Cedarcrest, Carpenter Home, Winchester Emergency Services, Carpenter Home, Winchester Emergency Services, Cheshire Medical Center, Swanzey Parks & Rec., Cheshire Medical Center, Swanzey Parks & Rec., Salvation ArmySalvation Army

► Earning Earning school jobsschool jobs as free choice activity as free choice activity Recycling, mail delivery, office runner, trophy care taker, Recycling, mail delivery, office runner, trophy care taker,

hall monitors, stocking vending machines, message board hall monitors, stocking vending machines, message board entry, nurse’s office, library media transport, stocking sales entry, nurse’s office, library media transport, stocking sales items, labeling, sorting and filing mailitems, labeling, sorting and filing mail

Hidden Opportunities Hidden Opportunities to build skills to build skills

► School’s Mission Statement School’s Mission Statement ► Fundraising: Fundraising:

Soup sales Soup sales ►Accounting, ordering ,tallies, delivery, money Accounting, ordering ,tallies, delivery, money

collection, making change, filling deposit collection, making change, filling deposit slips, banking skills, social skillsslips, banking skills, social skills

BoxTops for EducationBoxTops for Education►Collect, sort, date checks, bundle and tally, Collect, sort, date checks, bundle and tally,

mail, recyclingmail, recycling Cartridges for Kids Cartridges for Kids

► Funddraiser for nonprofits; school oversees Funddraiser for nonprofits; school oversees collection of used ink cartridges within building collection of used ink cartridges within building

► Contact local businesses as partners Contact local businesses as partners

Career Exploration Resources Career Exploration Resources

► Service Learning Projects Service Learning Projects Combines:Combines:

►civic responsibilities civic responsibilities ►Mission statement and grading rubric Mission statement and grading rubric ►Career exploration Career exploration ►Life skills Life skills ►Community access Community access

Examples: Spots Out !, Boxtop collectors, delivery Examples: Spots Out !, Boxtop collectors, delivery service, summer garden service, summer garden

Internships Internships

Volunteering- Meeting Civic Responsibilities Volunteering- Meeting Civic Responsibilities

Advocacy Binders Advocacy Binders ► It’s never too early to start. It’s never too early to start. Sections: Sections:

About Me About Me My IEP My IEP Accommodations Accommodations Disability resources Disability resources Work samples Work samples Learning Style Inventories Learning Style Inventories Life Skills Inventory Life Skills Inventory Career Exploration Career Exploration

Honors and Awards Honors and Awards Extracurricular activities Extracurricular activities Work experiences and contactsWork experiences and contacts

*Embed into class activities*Embed into class activities

Assessments / portfolio dataAssessments / portfolio data

►Work Logs Work Logs ►Class activities Class activities ► Job Shadows Job Shadows ►Service Learning Projects Service Learning Projects ►Family input Family input ►Classroom projects Classroom projects ►Online career assessment results Online career assessment results

Challenges Challenges ► Time Time

Documentation Documentation Discover resources – print and community Discover resources – print and community Networking Networking

►Money restraints Money restraints ► Team commitmentTeam commitment► Think beyond the 4 walls of the classroom Think beyond the 4 walls of the classroom ► Know what is out thereKnow what is out there►We can learn as much from what doesn’t We can learn as much from what doesn’t

work as what does work.work as what does work.

Biggest bang for your buck! Biggest bang for your buck!

► Transportation is expensiveTransportation is expensive► One trip to multiple nearby locations One trip to multiple nearby locations

One stop let’s some walk a bit and practice pedestrian skillsOne stop let’s some walk a bit and practice pedestrian skills Get to outer bus route and drop off for public transport practiceGet to outer bus route and drop off for public transport practice

► Meet 2 goals with one activity- Meet 2 goals with one activity- Many transition activities can align with alternate portfolio Many transition activities can align with alternate portfolio

evidence for variety of settings & natural supportsevidence for variety of settings & natural supports Embedded frameworks Embedded frameworks

► Spend less on materials to maximize $$ for bus Spend less on materials to maximize $$ for bus runsruns Create materials or look online to save $$Create materials or look online to save $$ transfer to transportation monies transfer to transportation monies

Use what you’ve got Use what you’ve got ►Office jobs within the building Office jobs within the building ► Internships at neighborhood sitesInternships at neighborhood sites

Other schools nearby Other schools nearby Town officesTown offices

► Shopping for other departments Shopping for other departments ► Courier service Courier service ► Stack transportationStack transportation► Voting for class activities- pre-register Voting for class activities- pre-register

to vote to vote ► Laundry service Laundry service

Schools and staffSchools and staff

Examples Examples

► Stephen Stephen ► Turns 21 in August Turns 21 in August

Timeline Timeline

Futures plan : wants to be Spiderman! Futures plan : wants to be Spiderman!

Probing questions: help people & costume Probing questions: help people & costume

Started weekly visits to Carpenter Home – social Started weekly visits to Carpenter Home – social activities with residents ( badge) activities with residents ( badge)

Enjoyed but didn’t have a uniform Enjoyed but didn’t have a uniform

More probing questions: wanted to be a policemanMore probing questions: wanted to be a policeman

Job shadow and interview with Officer Job shadow and interview with Officer KassotisKassotis

Volunteered once a week at Winchester Volunteered once a week at Winchester Emergency Services Building Emergency Services Building

Cleaning vehicles, filling chimney fire Cleaning vehicles, filling chimney fire bags, rolling hose, cleaning tasks bags, rolling hose, cleaning tasks

Invited to lead holiday parade with police Invited to lead holiday parade with police Lunch break with officer lead to paid jobLunch break with officer lead to paid job

► Paid work at pizzeria Paid work at pizzeria ► Regular visits from Police Regular visits from Police ► Continued volunteer work Continued volunteer work ► Continued to request police training Continued to request police training ►Did ride-along with Chesterfield Police Did ride-along with Chesterfield Police ►Did ability/check on skills observed Did ability/check on skills observed ► Researched jobs that had uniforms Researched jobs that had uniforms ►Worked with student to identify strengths Worked with student to identify strengths ►Hall monitor with badge ; report in to school Hall monitor with badge ; report in to school

resource officer resource officer

►Futures planning Futures planning Skills match- social, safety, cooking skills Skills match- social, safety, cooking skills

►Student identified desire to be security Student identified desire to be security guard after going to movies guard after going to movies Set up scripted interview with security guardSet up scripted interview with security guard

►Match made at Cheshire Medical Center Match made at Cheshire Medical Center Volunteer job gives student a badge, vest and Volunteer job gives student a badge, vest and

supplies ( labeling gun)supplies ( labeling gun)

► Placement works: Placement works: staff member has experience with disabilities staff member has experience with disabilities

► Student checks in office where sees Security Student checks in office where sees Security guard – feels connect guard – feels connect

►Has uniform and badge Has uniform and badge ► Positive first visit (plunge) Positive first visit (plunge) ►High level of built in safety for independent High level of built in safety for independent

work work ► Transportation issues can be met- City Transportation issues can be met- City

Express Express