1. INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS
REACHING AND TEACHING ALL STUDENTS
KELLY CARMODY- DAWN HANSEN- PENNY SYLVESTER

2. THE PROBLEM
The problem is that as special education teachers you have been asked to be the “jack of all trades” You are pulled in all directions. Many of you might have been asked to be a case manager to a student you never see. This is primarily because of the push towards inclusion or toward educating students in their least restrictive environments. However as special education teachers we still have the obligation in making sure our students with disabilities are receiving independent living skills no matter what learning environment they are in. We have to be creative in finding ways of reaching and teaching all of our students whether they are in general education or special education setting, to ensure they are receiving the transition services they need based on their strengths, preferences, interests and needs. Is it really important that they learn independent living skills?

3. WHY ARE INDEPENDNET LIVING SKILLS IMPORTANT TO TEACH?
Is it really that important to teach independent living skills? Won’t our students just learn them on their own?

4. 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
Parent Involvement
Inclusion
Self care
Diploma
Social skills
Occupational Choice
Student support
Paid Work Experience
Program of student
Self Advocacy/Self
Determination
Why is it important to teach independent living skills? According to the National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center’s evidence Based Predictors the following factors are the reasons for a students success after high school. (read the list) Of the following factors, most of them fit under the category of independent living skills. Thus, the reason why we need to “reach and teach” all students with disabilities independent living skills. (
Exploration

5. WHAT ARE INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS?
DAILY LIVING
MONEY MANAGEMENT
HYGIENE
SAFTEY
COOKING/CLEANING
LEISURE
COMMUNITY PARTPICIAPTON
CITIZENSHIP
PERSONAL/SOCIAL
SELF AWARENESS
SELF CONFIDENCE
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
SELF DETERMINATION
SELF ADVOCACY
OCCUPATIONIAL
WORK HABITS & BEHAVIOR
SEEKING & SECURING EMPLOYEMENT
GOAL SETTING
What are life skills? Life skills include a wide range of knowledge and skill interactions believed to be essential for adult independent living. The three major skill areas that need to be addressed are daily living, personal/social, and occupational skills. 
Pre test: As a resource teacher how you would include life skills instruction into the the general education setting. Please list three things.

6. FIRST!
Before implementing any strategies to teach life skills you must know your student first. As a case manager you might not know your student that well. But you to (change slide)

7. KNOW THE STUDENT ASSESSMENTS: Formal Assessment
These are published tests that result in scores that compare students to others
Informal 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 Inventories
Situational 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
Know the student . As we have learned throughout our sessions, there are many types of assessments. There are formal and informal assessment, interest inventories, situational, environmental and vocational assessments. In Wiki spaces, I have downloaded an array of different assessments in order for you you to create a Life Skills Portfolio for you students. (show example)

8. CREATE A LIFE SKILLS PORTFOLIO
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
The portfolio is divided into these sections. So, that the student, staff , peers and parents can access information to skills what deficits they need to work on

9. WHERE WILL IT HAPPEN?
School
During School
After school programs
Community
Service learning
Volunteering
Extra-curricular
Home
We will be discussing two of the three area teachers can incorporate independent living skills into a students school day.
Cite Penny’s 3rd article here

10. THE PROBLEM
How do we teach students that are in the general education setting life skills?
Infusion techniques
Peers
Service Learning
Due to the fact that students are placed in their least restrictive environments, special education teachers have had to be creative in finding ways of reaching all of their students whether they are in general education or special education setting, to ensure they are receiving the transition services they need based on their strengths, preferences, interests and needs. How does a special education teacher teach independent livings skills if a student is not in a life skills classroom? We will be discussing three strategies……infusion life skills into the general education curriculum….using peers to facilitate life skill instruction and service learning.

11. Recommended Procedures for Infusing Life Skills Content
Infusion techniques
Recommended Procedures for Infusing Life Skills Content
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.
 Infusing life skills into the general education curriculum involves four steps.
Familiarity with the comprehensive set of knowledge and skills needed in adulthood (i.e. life skills)
Identification of places in the existing curriculum that can be associated with real-life topics.
Planning life skills infusion activities.
Actual instruction of life skills during ongoing lessons.
Planning life skills infusion activities.
Actual instruction of life skills during ongoing lessons.

12. Step one Familiarity with the comprehensive set of knowledge and skills needed in adulthood
Home living
Interpersonal relationships
Self advocacy/self determination
Money management
Recreation/leisure
Job seeking
Although there are several life skills education modes, knowledge of the general skills needed to live independently is essential when planning to infuse real life topics. It is frequently helpful to refer to a model for guidance and to insure that all areas of need are covered.
Transportation
Personal hygiene/safety
Education planning
Laws
Community involvement
Sex education

13. Step 2
Identification of places in the existing curriculum that can be associated with real-life topics.
The second step to infusing life skills involves identifying places in the existing curriculum that can be associated with the real-life topics. Teachers must thoroughly examine the instructional materials that students use and note where an “infusion moment” can occur. Although it may seem time consuming to identify areas that real-life topics can be infused, this effort provides positive results. First, students are exposed to topics that can be beneficial to them immediately or at some point in the not-too-distance future. Second, Student are more engaged in instruction when topics are meaningful.

14. Infusion Example Content Referent Live Skill Topic Adult Domain Light
Employment/Educa tion
Paints
Employment
Flashlight
Home and family
Vision
Physical/emotional health
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
The following is an example of a textbook page from a science textbook. Read the textbook page. . Identify content areas- life skills to be infused and adult Domain

15. Louisiana: A Study in Diversity – class assignment
Now we are going to try to infuse life-skills into curriculum. Read Louisiana: A study in Diversity. Identify life skills to infuse in the following areas – tornado, flowers, and allow participants to identify other content areas. - Guided practice.

16. Step 3 Planning life skills infusion activities
Once the reference points for a set an infusible moment has been identify, planning how to address them is required. Time is always going to be an issue, so the teacher may need to limit the time or number of activities. Activities might include: listing of information, description of the sequence of tasks that are needed, verbal responses from students.

17. 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 Guide
Note: 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
A teacher may want to identify these infusion moments with some type of spoken tagline that students will recognize. Two examples are listed above. When the kids hear those words they know it’s time for ……………………Also provide a brief overview of what they paln to do during the infusion moment.
Teachers should also get in the habit of evaluation their infusion activities. A good method of doing this is keeping notes on how well an infusion moment went along with some comments on what you might change.
Planning guide for general education teacher- Penny will make

18. Using peers to teach/model independent living skills
As I was researching different strategies, I was immediately drawn to this concept. Using peers to assist in teaching or modeling life skills is an excellent way of assisting with inclusion as well.

19. 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.
Why is it important to include peers in this process? It seems when students with disabilities are in more need of services in order to be fully included, We tend to rely on adult delivered supports, such as a paraprofessional, to provide them. However, the social and academic benefits are not always enhanced with an additional adult. Having an adult walk with a student down a hall or sit next to the student in a classroom is clear sign that this child is not approachable. “The heavy reliance on adult-delivered supports to promote inclusion may not be yielding the social and academic benefits that educational teams intend (Carter & Kennedy, 2006)”. We need to think of alternative approaches for supporting the inclusion of students with severe disabilities. 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 many of you have a Peer Support program or Best Buddies program in your school? How are they utilized?
Peers can help provide a range of academic, social, and/or behavioral supports to their peer with disabilities.

20. how to find students ?
Ask the student with the disabilities if there are particular peers in their classes
Make classroom observations
Ask for volunteers
Post announcements on a bulletin board
Make announcements at assemblies
Ask student organizations
Ask other school personnel
Find out if any peers have siblings with disabilities
How do we locate students that might be interested in joining a peer buddy group.
Ask the student with the disabilities if there are particular peers in their classes
Make classroom observations
Ask for volunteers
Post announcements on a bulletin board
Make announcements at assemblies
Ask student organizations
Ask other school personnel
Find out if any peers have siblings with disabilities

21. Screening a Peer Buddy Teacher Recommendations Written Applications
Teacher Recommendations : you can hand out forms for teachers to fill out who they think would be a best fit for a particular student
Written Applications : The student interested must fill out an application.
Interview Student : time commitment to the program, explain your expectations, allow students to ask questions
Have student observe student with disabilities (final step is to have student observe the student with a disability if they do not know the student?
Interview Student
Have student observe student with disabilities

22. PEER BUDDY ORIENTATION
SESSION IDEAS
Overview of program
Observe peer buddies
Peer buddies get acquainted with each other
expectations
People first language
Confidentially
instructional strategies
interactional activities
knowing the student: reviewing their Independent life skills portfolio
Addressing behavior and emergency procedures
What many schools will do is to develop a peer buddy manual. On Wiki Spaces, I have given you a couple of websites you can go to of examples of peer buddy manuals. The one think that is

23. Where to use peers:
In School
Out of School

24. What can they teach?

25. 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 fashionable
Topic of conversations are cool
What places are trendy to hang out at
Often peers are more successful than teachers influencing their classmates social behavior
Peers have access to social situations and social cliques
I always found it entertaining that a group of adults in an IEP meeting talk about social skills and what is appropriate and not appropriate. So having two children one with a disability and one with out one was extremely helpful in my realizing what a typical teenage will do. However, if my son had an adult with him at all times, it was difficult for him to act like a teenager without getting into trouble all of the time. I was at a workshop this last week where the presenter was talking about social norms in going to the bathroom.She was stating how girls will announce they have to go to the bathroom and ask their friends to go with them. However, a boy would never announce this . In addition, girls will continue to talk while using the restroom where boys wants. Girls will use the closest stall to the other girl where boys will try to find the farthest urinal. These all social skills that a social worker might not even think about but could get a student into trouble on the job.

26. SOCIAL SKILLS Extending conversational turns
Modeling appropriate social skills
Reinforcing communication attempts
Redirecting inappropriate conversational topics
Making initial introductions
Highlighting shared interests and other commonalities
Extending interactions outside of the classroom
Encouraging their partner to interact socially
I love this idea of peers teaching peers social skills. I could never understand why a social worker (an adult) would sit in a room with a student with social skills issues and teach them strategies but never ever see if these skills would transfer outside of that room. So, let’s put the task in the hands of peers. They can teach how to take conversational turns, model appropriate social skills, reinforce communication attempts, redirect inappropriate conversational topics, help them make introductions, help share interests, extend their interaction outside of the classroom and encourage them to interact with other peers.

27. 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.
This is a checklist to hand out to the peer with a given task
Peer support can promote attainment of social related IEP goals
The peer could even make a video model of the skill to work on with an I poud touch or a phone.

28. SOCIAL STORIES/VIDEO MODELING
Give peers strategies and techniques that could help. For example, Social stories and video modeling (either created by the students or one already developed) are two examples of how to peers could use visual strategies help teach social skills.
Sansosti & Powell-Smith (2008)

29. 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.

30. 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
Peers can also provide academic assistance. Read list:

31. ACADEMIC ASSISTANCE Learning Environment
Remove anything that may distract the student
Make sure the student as a clear view of the teacher and board
Help 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

32. Extra curricular activities
Why are extra curricular activities important?
Youth who participate in extra curricular activities have better grades (Marsh, 1992)
Have high test scores (Gerber 1996)
Have high educational attainment (Hanks & Eckland, 1976)
Attend school more regularly (Mahoney & Cairns, 1997)
Have high self-concepts (Marsh, 1992)
Less likely to drop out of school (Mahoney & Cains, 1997)
Why are extra curricular activities important? Youth who participate in extra curricular activities have better grades (Marsh, 1992) Have high test scores (Gerber 1996) Have high educational attainment (Hanks & Eckland, 1976_ Attend school more regularly (Mahoney & Cairns, 1997) Have high self-concepts (Marsh, 1992) less likely to drop out of school (Mahoney & Cains, 1997)
Identify potential activities: Obtain a list of al clubs, program and other events available with your school. Find out about students’ likes, hobbies and future goals …
According to the NLTS2- Students with disabilities become more involved in extra curricular activities when they already have frequent interactions with friends.

33. FACT: § 300.107Nonacademic services
.The State must ensure the following:
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.
) 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 )(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(1) )
A tidbit of information that you might not be aware of. IDEA states that the school must provide the child with nonacademic and extracurricular services and activities in which all students participate in.

34. Extracurricular activities
Extracurricular activities are program which fulfill two basic conditions:
They are structured in a way where these is a mission or goal
They are not part of the regular curricular program
Why are extra curricular activities important? Youth who participate in extra curricular activities have better grades (Marsh, 1992) Have high test scores (Gerber 1996) Have high educational attainment (Hanks & Eckland, 1976_ Attend school more regularly (Mahoney & Cairns, 1997) Have high self-concepts (Marsh, 1992) less likely to drop out of school (Mahoney & Cains, 1997) Extra curricular activities are programs which fulfill two basic condition…..structured in a way where there is a goal or mission nd not is not part of the general curriculum. So this could be a chess club, computer club

35. WHERE TO BEGIN? Identify potential activities
Determine activity requirements
Address Logistical issues
Identify peer buddies
Determine support needs
Determine peer buddy responsibilities
Collaborate with Stuff
Address Potential Challenges
Identify potential activities: Obtain a list of al clubs, program and other events available with your school. Find out about students’ likes, hobbies and future goals …
Determine activity requirement: parent permission? Fees or dues? Need supplies
Address logistical issues: Wehre..accessibliity issues, how does student get to location
Identify peer buddies: find students already participating in activity
Determine Support needs: Find who is responsible for activity and is that adult on board with a student with a disability
Determine Peer Buddy responsibilities: might have to do an environmental analysis
Collaborate with staff: let staff know the students needs ..discuss emergencies…
Address potential challenges: behavior, communication, physical disabilities

36. AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
For most students these are typical activities enjoyed with friends beyond he school day. Unfortunately, students with disabilities often have limited opportunities to participate with their peers in these everyday activities due to several factors. (Amda, 1993; Nisbet & Hagner, 2000)
1. Students may not have develop friendships with peers 2. many students with disabilities still do not attend their neighborhood school therefore they do not have the opportunity to spend to get know these peers outside of school 3. limited transportation options especially for more severe disabilities

37. COMMUNITY BASED INSTRUCTIONVS
Students with severe disabilities often spend one or more class periods per day receiving instruction in the community or the classroom learning different impendent living skills. However, inclusion changes the dynamics of this idea. So, it is important to include students with disabilities on field trips, possibly going to the library to research a topic or a community play all which independnet living skills can be incorporated in.
Students who participated in community-based training which involved instruction in non-school, natural environments focused on development of social skills, domestic skills, accessing public transportation, and on-the-job training were more likely to be engaged in post-school employment White & Weiner, 2004)
Life Skills Classroom
Community Homeless Shelter

38. 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
ASET National Standards & Quality Indicators2.3.1 Youth participate in quality work experiences that are offered to them prior to exiting school (e.g., apprenticeships, mentoring, paid and unpaid work, service learning, school-based enterprises, on-the-job training, internships, etc.).3.1 Youth acquire the skills, behaviors, and attitudes that enable them to learn and grow in self-knowledge, social interaction, and physical and emotional health.

39. 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

40. How to plan a meaningful service learning project?
There are 5 components!
Investigation
Planning and Preparation
Action
Reflection
Demonstration/Celebration

41. 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.

42. 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

43. 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.

44. 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

45. 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!

46. Post test
Look at original list for including life skills and add what you learned that would assist you ---move into discussion