InCommunity Education for a Student Preparing for Adult Life

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In-Community Education for a Student
Preparing for Adult Life
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Goal

• UCP Rhode Island will provide a
  community-referenced curriculum for transitioning
  students by addressing the IEPs functional
  academics and transition goals in the settings
  the student will use in his/her adult life.

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Students Who Will Benefit

• Ages 18 - 21
• Require 11 supports
• Strong focus on transition areas
• Learn best where they will use the skills
• Have aged out of classroom programs
• Family pursuing specific outcomes

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Why UCP?

• A community-based agency
• A proven, 50-year record in Rhode Island
• Individualized supports
• A natural bridge between children and adults with
  severe and/or multiple disabilities
• Creative solutions to educational dilemmas
• Cost effective

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Program Frequency

• 6 hours/day
• 5 days/week
• School calendar
• 180 or 230 school days

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Family-Centered Practice
FAMILY
SCHOOL
UCP
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Program is Individualized

• Built on strengths/interests of student
• Orientation to home community after being away
  from neighborhood school
• Flexible school hours
• Help establish entrepreneurial business
• Travel training on routes the student needs
• Staff may transition to adult services too

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Comprehensive Program

• Functional academics
• Daily Living Skills
• Community Membership
• Employment
• Recreation/Leisure

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Literacy
This month Hannah will interview guitarist, Tony
Melendez, after his concert and write it up on
her computer. Hannah will be the first person we
support to contribute an article to the agency
newsletter.
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Consumer Math
Hannah asks for her paycheck at work and cashes
it at the bank.
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Vocational Skills

• Hannah takes great pride in contributing
  through work as a
• Volunteer
• Paid Employee
• Entrepreneur

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Social DevelopmentPracticing skills across
settings and with different people helps Hannah
internalize and initiate those skills
independently.
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Behavior Supports

• We begin by
• reinforcing Hannah for communicating
  appropriately
• using a variety of strategies for differing
  situations
• if necessary, give her a choice between turning
  off her sidekick and leaving the
  over-stimulating setting.

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Mobility

• For Hannah, mobility is about normalizing her
• access to the community and increasing the ease
  with which she gets around.

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Transition Planning
As Hannah turned 21, community members gathered
to begin a broader relationship with her.
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Recreation/Leisure

• Hannah has the same emotions of any other young
  adult, so age appropriate activities are
  naturally a part of her program.

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Community Membership

• I make sure that Hannah has opportunities to
  make connections. I keep track of these
  acquaintances so in the future she may be able
  to get to know them even better My role is to
  keep opening the door to
• new friendships. Amy

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Independent Living

• In addition to preparing some of her own meals,
  Hannah now bakes regularly as a member of the
  Service Club of a community college.

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Health, Hygiene, Safety

• Hannah clearly understands
• that she is contributing to the well-being of
  the animals.

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Learning Locations

• Community job exploration, travel training
  volunteerism, citizenship, functional
  academics, leisure
• Home Personal hygiene, food preparation,
  household chores
• School Therapeutic services, socialization
  skills, recreation

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Continued School Involvement

• Program flows from IEP
• Ancillary services
• Standardized assessment
• Socialization with peer group
• Welcome at monthly team meetings
• Receive written quarterly reports
• Ceremonial recognition

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Staffing

• Supervising teacher from UCPRI with Masters
  degree in education of students with
  severe/profound disabilities. More than 5 years
  experience in transition and 20 years experience
  in inclusion
• 11 educational assistants from UCPRI with
  monthly staff development and ongoing supervision

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Accountability

• Daily progress notes
• Weekly supervision
• Monthly team meeting
• Unannounced monitoring by school
• Quarterly documentation on all objectives
• Annual Individualized Education Program
• Annual family assessment of program

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Outcomes for Hannah

• A smooth transition from school to her adult life
• An increased network of people who know and care
  about her
• Varied ways to contribute her gifts to the
  community
• Continued personal growth in multiple settings