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

2. WHAT ARE INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS ? MONEY MANAGEMENT HYGIENE SAFTEY COOKING/CLEANING LEISURE COMMUNITY PARTPICIAPTON CITIZENSHIP DAILY LIVING SELF AWARENESS SELF CONFIDENCE INTERPERSONAL SKILLS SELF DETERMINATION SELF ADVOCACY PERSONAL/SOCIAL WORK HABITS & BEHAVIOR SEEKING & SECURING EMPLOYEMENT GOAL SETTING OCCUPATIONIAL

3. WHY ARE LIFE SKILLS IMPORTANT TO TEACH?

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 Inclusion Diploma Occupational Choice Paid Work Experience Self Advocacy/Self Determination Parent Involvement Self care Social skills Student support Program of student Exploration

5. Rationale LEASTRESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT

6. FIRST!

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

8. CREATE A LIFE SKILLS PORTFOLIO Home living Money management TransportationLaws Community involvement Personal hygiene/safety Recreation/leisure Interpersonal relationships Self advocacy/self determination Job seeking Education planning Sex education

9. WHERE WILL IT HAPPEN? Home Community Service learningVolunteeringExtra-curricular School During SchoolAfter school programs

10. THE PROBLEM How do we teach students that are in the general education setting life skills? Infusion techniquesPeersService Learning

11. 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.

12. Step one Familiarity with the comprehensive set of knowledge and skills needed in adulthood Home livingMoney management TransportationLaws Community involvement Personal hygiene/safety Recreation/leis ure Interpersonal relationships Self advocacy/self determination Job seeking Education planning Sex education

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

14. Infusion Example LightEmployment/Educa tion PaintsEmployment FlashlightHome and family FlashlightHome and family VisionPhysical/emotional health Content Referent Live Skill TopicAdult 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

15. Louisiana: A Study in Diversity – class assignment

16. Step 3 Planning life skills infusion activities

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

18.  Using peers to teach/model independent living skills

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

20. how to find students ? o Ask the student with the disabilities if there are particular peers in their classes o Make classroom observations o Ask for volunteers o Post announcements on a bulletin board o Make announcements at assemblies o Ask student organizations o Ask other school personnel

21. Screening a Peer Buddy o Teacher Recommendations o Written Applications o Interview Student o Have student observe student with disabilities

22. Here are some steps:  1. Identify your students in need and their goals.  2. Identify periods/times of day that you need mentors  3. 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 mentors  8. 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!

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

24. PREPARING THE PEER

25. What can they teach?

26. 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

27. SOCIAL SKILLS o extending conversational turns o modeling contextually appropriate social skills o reinforcing communication attempts o redirecting inappropriate conversational topics o making initial introductions o highlighting shared interests and other commonalities o extending interactions outside of the classroom o encouraging their partner to interact socially

28. 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 a soak skills 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.

29. 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

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

33. 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

34. WHERE TO BEGIN? o Identify potential activities o Determine activity requirements o Address Logistical issues o Identify peer buddies o Determine support needs o Determine peer buddy responsibilities o Collaborate with Stuff o Address Potential Challenges

35. AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

36. COMMUNITY BASED INSTRUCTION

37. 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

38. 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

39. How to plan a meaningful service learning project ? There are 5 components! 1.Investigation 2.Planning and Preparation 3.Action 4.Reflection 5.Demonstration/Celebra tion

40. 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.

41. 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

42. 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.

43. 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

44. 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!

45. Post test