From my prospective...knowing what's appropriate and inappropriate

One of the discussions I hear a lot in my 18+ circle is "How do you know what's appropriate and inappropriate?" It seems like a reasonably easy question, but it can be applied to so many things in this unique type of program and with this age group of students. I find myself asking this question a dozen or more times throughout the school year...every year...and the jury is out on if they are all the right answers.

When dealing with students age 18-22, there are a lot of things to take into consideration, that teachers in many other, younger, age groups don't have to deal with...such as...

1. Consuming alcohol:

One of my sweet and precious students asked last year, while having lunch at Chili's,"Can I order a Margarita?" To which I squealed in sheer horror, "No way!"

And then reality set in...the student asked because legally, he CAN drink.

This topic always provides teachable moments, but sometimes I have to really consider that, unlike high school students (under 21), these students are in fact of age and can purchase and consume legally. And sometimes, the teachable moment is for me!

So the lessons now are generally about responsible drinking, how much is too much, and the wrecks and effects of alcoholism.

It was, initially, very hard for me to allow myself to acknowledge their age and accept that it is a reality that must be taught, not avoided...and very appropriate for this age group. But accepting it and talking about it could be the seed planted that saves them from a very rocky path.


2. Interactions with other LIFE students:

How easy is it, when you want to get together with another group, to just pick up the phone and schedule some sort of group activity with another LIFE group in the same school district. So easy!
But is it truly appropriate?

Sometimes, my sweet and precious students tend to forget they are "of age" while other students in our district are not...and dating is not "ok" for, let's say, a 15-year-old and a 20-year-old. What gets me most is the parents of the older student questioning why isn't not acceptable and perplexed as to why the younger students parents are threatening a protective order. How easy it is to forget that the rules still apply to our students with disabilities as the general population.

I came to the realization very quickly, during my first year, that intermingling my adult students with those at the junior high and high school level is more inappropriate than appropriate, so we've had to scale back how much time and when it is acceptable, to not encourage these emotional relationships to develop. This probably lends its self to a good, old fashion lesson on stalking and harassment as well, I just haven't been able to figure out the gentlest way to present this lesson. Any ideas?

3. Technology and all its glory:

Technology is a very beautiful thing...or maybe a rotten thing...I haven't made up my mind just yet. Having technology and using technology for purposes intended is the beautiful aspect. Having technology and using technology to look at dirty websites, send nude photos and harass others is a rotten thing.

This year brought the adventure of dealing with some real-life issues...using technology...which provided some very rich teachable moments and the opportunity to teach very honest lessons for those not directly involved. If you don't have it worked into your lesson plans somewhere during the school year, it would behove you to add in "sexting" which will lend its self to "pornography" which could lend its self to "harassment" and "cyber bullying." Those are all very real topics that are becoming increasingly talked about in our society and issues all young adults are experiencing.
It's ugly, but it's real.

I know there are many more moments that will arise which will beckon the question, "Ok, appropriate or inappropriate," and I'm confident asking myself those questions and being reasonable with the answer will only make me a better educator to my students and steward of my society.

Monthly Income....desires vs. reality

This year, since 80% of  my students aging out, it was determined that there needed to be some definition in, the desires we've talked about for the past two years, versus the reality of what their monthly budget might look like post-program.

One student expressed in her ARD that she's interested in moving out on her own, into an apartment. She also would like a car to get her to and from work. We did a week of research on the apartments close to her job and called around to those apartments to gather information on availability, move-in costs, monthly costs and any misc. information we could think up (i.e. "Do you accept pets?") We also looked at vehicles and contacted our local State Farm office to get an insurance quote.

That Friday, my staff and I took the entire group and met with local realtor, Ashlee Clark of Keller-Williams, looking at the various types of rentals, just to we could gauge what the rental market in our area looks like.

Once the student (mentioned above) and I had gathered all of our information, we layed it out on the white board so we could really get a true look at the reality of her moving into an apartment, on her income. This is what it looked like:

This was a great way to really bring this student into a more realistic setting and provide real numbers instead of guesstimates. She was able to see how fast the small expenses add up and what type of apartment housing she could afford at her income level. This also helped us moved into a more open-minded position, to even start exploring group home options in our area, where she can live with little to no cost and also have support as needed.

Happy 2012!

Happy New Year to all of our friends and family! I can't believe we are already into 2012...where did time go?!

We are starting out this year, the final chapter of Transition for most all of my students, by really focusing on each students needs and fears in completing this program. For some three of my five, they have been a part of this program since the doors were opened three years ago, so the final semester is very bittersweet for them.

One of the things I'm trying to do this year is focus on the needs post-program, by offering some after school and additional services to them and their parents. Each student was given a letter to take home offering three opportunities for growth:

1. DayHab/Group Home Exploration
A scheduled visit for myself, the student and their parent(s)/guardian(s) to visit day habs center and group homes in and around our area. For some parents it's of interest, but they just aren't sure about what these services are and what is entailed for their adult child. A day-long visit, as seen with one student and parent last year, puts their imagination into new focus and mind at ease in knowing exactly what services are being offered and what the environment looks like on a daily basis.

2. Daily Home Living Skills...at home!
I appreciate getting feedback from parents more than anything about what works and what doesn't. One parent, who's child aged out last May, contacted me earlier in the year and said, "He can't do anything at home! I thought you said he could cook, clean and do laundry?!" It's true...this student was amazing at all of those things at school, but didn't have the proper transitioning of those skills to his natural environment at home...where mean old Mrs. Virdell wasn't hovering to inspect the quality. What he was lacking was the desire and experience with doing those same tasks in his own home.
So this year I'm offering to meet my student and their parent at home, after school hours, to help transition them into doing things in their natural environment, hoping it will help transfer those honed skills, learned here, to their own home.

3. College Visit
I have a few students who would do very well in a modified college setting and have expressed an interest in doing so. Austin Community College, in Austin, offers what's called VOCAT courses for adults with developmental disabilities. The courses vary in complexity and interests, but all offer a variety of skills levels that college experience. It is my hope that those who are interested will apply for and complete this really neat program and with a visit to the campus, I'm positive that the students and parents interested will be sold too.

A look back at the fall semester

I'm feeling a little ambitious tonight (and my child and husband are both asleep!) so I'm going to try and post a couple of photos from the fall semester.
This fall semester was fast and furious. All but one of my students will age out this coming May, so it's been a rush to make sure everyone is ready, set, prepared for life post-program. They could not have made me more proud this semester.

 Students and teachers worked to get the interior of our facility in order, working on various types of home living skills lessons such as framing art work.

Fire tore apart a small community outside of our city limits. Students and staff purchased a variety of useful items for the victims of the fires and delivered them to the command center.

 One of the top priorities in our program is to have every students employed, whether it be VAC or CBVI employment. The first step in the process is to develop a resume.

Students took some of their scheduled leisure time to prune weeds from the flowerbed areas outside of our facility. Home living skills encompass both the interior and also the exterior of the home.

 Since we are in a new facility and not on a school campus in our district, the Marble Falls Fire Department came to our facility to teach students about the various fire hazards that can be found in a home, demonstration on the use of a kitchen fire extinguisher and assisted in developing an escape route/evacuation plan for our site.

 Every year since the program began (2009) the Transition Training Program at MFISD has been hosting our districts LIFE middle and high school classrooms for an afternoon of food and fun. It is a great way for students to interact and to work together as a team with other students with disabilities whom they do not see on a regular basis.

 We are very fortunate to have a great relationship with several other 18+ programs in our area. One of the highlights in our monthly schedule is having an outing with the other groups. We rotate on picking outings, which often include bowling, visiting a local farm, shopping, eating lunch in the community and having cook outs at our facilities. It's a great way for students to interact with other students their own age and for teachers to collaborate on new ideas in a relaxed setting.

I'm quite proud of our students this year. We hosted 16 people at our new site for a holiday meal. Students baked a ham, cooked all the sides and even baked a few desserts...all within a discussed and set time frame. Time management is something we strive to work on within the facility, but also on the job site. It has clearly been successful and I'm extremely proud of each student for their contribution and diligence.

18+ Programs....uniquely their own

One oF the things I find so unique about 18+ programs is the individuality of each districts program. Unlike K-12 LIFE classrooms, we have the flexibility to create our own curriculum and parameters for the program. I've had the pleasure of visiting many other 18+ programs in my area of central Texas and it's neat to see what others are doing and what can be implemented within my own program.
The hardest part is finding fun and useful ways to tie their IEP goals with the daily living and lifelong learning goals, without repeating the same tasks over and over. Thank goodness for Pinterest! If you aren't a member, I highly recommend it. I'm so eager to get back and try out some new ways to create our own green cleaning supplies and so much more.
For students who are economically disadvantaged, we are always looking for ways to teach them thriftiness and by creating DIY projects, I think it will give the students a sense of accomplishment while saving a few bucks!

Check out this awesome blog: http://www.320sycamoreblog.com/ for tons of great ideas!!

This has been such a busy year and my poor blog has been neglected. But one of my 2012 resolutions is to keep it up-to-date and fresh! Happy holidays.

Article from The Highlander Newspaper, Marble Falls

The Highlander - House helps special needs adults adapt