Number 2  OCO FACT SHEET March 2000

Functional, Community-Based Curriculum Guides and Materials for Students

Ages 18-21 with Significant Disabilities

This fact sheet is designed to provide information to teachers or other advocates and professionals looking for age-appropriate community-based and functional academic skill curricula and materials for young adults with significant disabilities not being served in traditional high school programs. The strategies and published materials highlighted here are those most highly recommended by special educators working in the programs in postsecondary settings serving students with significant disabilities across the state of Maryland. On-Campus Outreach is not specifically endorsing the products mentioned herein, but reporting their usage and recommendation from the teachers we support.

Purchase one or two general texts that provide information on the latest research, practice, and materials on this topic.

It is important to know what has worked in the past and what the most up-to-date teaching methods and materials are for instructing functional academics and community-based skills. Having a couple of recent texts can keep you from reinventing the wheel. One of the latest and most thorough texts is the fifth edition of Instruction of Students with Severe Disabilities by Martha Snell and Fredda Brown. The 16 chapters in this book contain teacher friendly explanations of best practices with many data collection forms, the latest research to support every topic, and information on designing or purchasing materials. Chapters 13 and 14 are particularly useful and contain more specific information on everything mentioned in this fact sheet. Another new book, The Transition Handbook, by Carolyn Hughes and Eric Carter contains over 500 research based, teacher tested transition support strategies in the areas of self-determination, social support, peer programs, employment success, and community living. The ready-to-use checklists and observational forms are particularly good. This book contains an exhaustive list of resources including books, resource guides, curricula, videotapes, publishers, organizations, web sites, and journals or newspapers pertinent to transition age students and adults.

Do as much training as possible in work and community sites and don’t expect any publications to include everything you need.

Because most students with significant cognitive disabilities do not generalize learning from a school setting to community contexts, teachers must instruct with materials in the settings where the skill must actually be performed. When instruction does occur in an artificial environment, performance must always be assessed or probed immediately in the real environment to see whether learning has actually occurred. The Snell and Brown text provides excellent examples and research evidence on how in vivo and simulation instruction can be combined. At the very least, real materials from local work, domestic, and community sites must be incorporated into classroom instruction. Some typical examples are local restaurant menus, local banks account materials, local community safety signs and functional words, local transit materials (for travel training), and local newspapers. The best way to determine appropriate skills for instruction and materials is to do an environmental analysis of local work, leisure, and community sites which are currently being used or will be used in the future by your students. The texts mentioned above provide detailed information and forms on conducting environmental analyses.

Purchase curriculum guides that tie assessment and lesson planning together and make sure included forms and materials are truly age-appropriate for young adults.

Two of the curricula most often used in Maryland’s postsecondary programs are the Syracuse Community-Referenced Curriculum Guide for Students with Moderate and Severe Disabilities by Ford, Schnorr, Meyer, Davern, Black, and Dempsey and published by Paul H. Brookes and the Life-Centered Career Education (LCCE) published by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). Most teachers report that having both is valuable because the Syracuse Guide is more appropriate for students with more severe disabilities and has exceptional assessment instruments for determining where to start instruction in functional reading, money use, and time-telling skills. These instruments along with the repertoire charts on vocational, general community functioning, and home-living skills are extremely user friendly. The LCCE curriculum is more comprehensive with exhaustive assessment materials, competencies across daily living skills, personal-social skills, and occupational preparation and detailed lesson plans and teaching materials. This curriculum is more appropriate for students with mild and moderate disabilities. CEC provides training on using the curriculum and information on materials or training can be obtained by calling 1-888-232-7733, extension 448.

Many of the postsecondary programs in Maryland are using curricula and materials from the Attainment Company. Some of the materials that appear most appropriate include the 6 curricula in the Life Skills Development Series, Learn about Life Curriculum, Stepping out Curriculum, and A Way to Work. The inexpensive adapted calculators, coin-u-lators, and talkers from Attainment are also appropriate for community instruction of young adults. The Functional Assessment Resource File from Attainment is a great way to evaluate an older student’s learning progress in housekeeping, grooming, dining, and shopping skills. The toll free number is 1-800-327-4269.

Before deciding on what to instruct or which materials or settings to use, ask families or residential supervisors what skills are most needed.

Parents, guardians, or support persons from community residences should be interviewed to find out exactly what skills are most needed for independence in home or community settings. An interview instrument that directly addresses specific skills and the current level of independence on each are useful for gathering this information. The Syracuse Curriculum Guide, the Transition Handbook, and Attainment’s Functional Assessment Resource File have forms for obtaining this information.

Review materials before purchasing whenever possible.

There is an enormous amount of curricula material available and the cost can really add up. Try to look before you buy and check around to see what has worked for others. We have reported on a few things that we know have been useful in postsecondary programs for students with significant disabilities.