Independent Living Assessments: More Than Just Cooking

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Independent Living Assessments More Than Just
Cooking Cleaning

• Amy Gaumer Erickson, Ph.D.
• University of Kansas
• Department of Special Education
• June 2008

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• If a student floated in a lifejacket for 12
  years, would he/she be expected to swim if the
  jacket were jerked off?

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Independent Living

• Independent living includes the skills and
  knowledge an individual needs to direct his or
  her life at home and in the community.

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IDEAs Definition of Transition Services

• Coordinated set of activities for a child with a
  disability that-
• (A) is designed to be within a results-orientated
  process, that is focused on improving the
  academic and functional achievement of the child
  with a disability to facilitate the childs
  movement from school to post-school activities,
  including post-secondary education, vocational
  education, integrated employment (including
  supported employment), continuing and adult
  education, adult services, independent living, or
  community participation
• (B) is based on the individual childs needs,
  taking into account the childs strengths,
  preferences, and interests and
• (C) includes instruction, related services,
  community experiences, the development of
  employment and other post-school adult living
  objectives, and when appropriate, acquisition of
  daily living skills and functional vocational
  evaluation.

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Components of Independent Living

• Home Living
• Household Money Management
• Transportation
• Law Politics
• Community Involvement
• Personal Safety
• Recreation Leisure
• Interpersonal Relationships
• Self-Advocacy / Self-Determination

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Home Living
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Household Money Management
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Transportation
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Law Politics
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Community Involvement
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Personal Safety Health
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Interpersonal Relationships
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Recreation Leisure
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Self-Determination / Self-Advocacy
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Self-Determination/Self-Advocacy

• Self-determination refers to an individuals
  awareness of personal strengths and weaknesses,
  the ability to set goals and make choices, to be
  assertive at appropriate times, and to interact
  with others in a socially competent manner.
• A self-determined person is able to make
  independent decisions based on his or her ability
  to use resources, which includes collaborating
  and networking with others.
• The outcome for a self-determined person is the
  ability to realize his or her own potential, to
  become a productive member of a community, and to
  obtain his or her goals without infringing on the
  rights, responsibilities, and goals of others.
  (Serna Lau-Smith, 1995)

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Teaching Students to be Involved in Transition

• Skill Development
• Self Awareness
• Problem Solving Decision Making
• Goal Setting
• Communication Skills
• Providing Opportunities

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Skill Development for Self-Determination

• Self Awareness
• Identify strengths, needs, preferences
  interests
• Knowledge of disability, learning styles
  accommodations
• Understand legal rights responsibilities
• Take responsibility for actions

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Self-Awareness
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Skill Development for Self-Determination

• Problem Solving Decision Making
• Define the problem
• Gather information
• Identify pros and cons
• Make an informed decision
• Communicate preferences

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Problem Solving
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Skill Development for Self-Determination

• Goal Setting
• Identify vision and long range goals
• Identify all possible resources
• Develop a plan of action to reach goals
• Evaluate outcomes

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Goal Setting
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Skill Development for Self-Determination

• Communication Skills
• Body image and posture
• Clearly express ideas feelings
• Listen to what others say
• Ask questions
• Plan and organize thoughts
• Accept comments and criticism

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Communication Skills
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Self-Determination Model
Environment
Know Yourself Your Environment
Value Yourself
Plan
Act
Experience Outcomes Learn
Environment
Adapted from Field Hoffman, 1994
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IDEAs definition of Postsecondary Goals

• appropriate measurable postsecondary goals based
  upon age appropriate transition assessments
  related to training, education, employment, and
  where appropriate, independent living skills

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Exercise

• Chases IEP
• Example

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The Dignity of Risk

• What if you got into trouble and were sent away
  and you couldnt come back because they always
  remember youre trouble.
• What if you worked and got paid .46 an hour.
• What if you had to wear your winter coat when it
  rained because it was all you had.
• What if you had no privacy.
• What if you could do part of the grocery shopping
  but werent allowed to do any because you werent
  able to do all of the shopping.
• What if you spent three hours every day just
  waiting.
• What if you grew old and never knew adulthood.
• What if you never got a chance.
• (From a parent whose son is in a support work
  program in Richmond, VA published by The Arc.)

• What if you never got to make a mistake.
• What if your money was always kept in an envelope
  where you couldnt get at it.
• What if you were never given a chance to do well
  at something.
• What if you were always treated like a child.
• What if your chance to be with people different
  from you was with your own family.
• What if the job you did was not useful.
• What if you never got to make a decision.
• What if the only risky thing you could do was to
  act out.
• What if you couldnt go outside because the last
  time you went it rained.
• What if you took the wrong bus once and now you
  cant take another one.

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So its importantWhen is there Time

• 18-21 Programs
• Community-based transition programs are
• public school programs operated entirely in the
  community and designed specifically for
• students ages 18-21 to help facilitate the
• movement from school to adult life through a
• comprehensive approach to community
• integration.

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18-21 Programs ARE

• In age-appropriate setting
• Designed for students ages 18-21
• Funded by the Local Education Agency
• Individualized for each student
• Interagency endeavors

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18-21 Programs Description

• They ARE located in age-appropriate setting in
  the community, such as colleges, houses,
  apartments, businesses, or offices.

• They are NOT high school classes that go out into
  the community every once in a while (or even part
  of every day) for instruction.

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18-21 Programs Description

• They ARE created for students (young adults ages
  18-21) who need support to increasing their
  independence as adults. This could include
  students with any disability.

• They are NOT work programs, sheltered workshops,
  or enclaves.

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18-21 Programs Description

• They ARE designed for students who are served by
  the Local Education Agency (i.e. still enrolled
  in high school). They may also include young
  adults who are supported by adult service
  providers.

• They are NOT strictly accommodations or training
  provided by colleges, vocational rehabilitation,
  or adult service providers.

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18-21 Programs Description

• They ARE individualized for each student based on
  the students IEP goals which take into account
  interests, preferences, and desired postschool
  outcomes.

• They are NOT self-contained classes with all
  student having the same schedule or experiences.

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18-21 Programs Description

• They ARE interagency collaborations with the goal
  of creating a smooth transition from school
  services to services from adult agencies.

• They are NOT referrals to Vocational
  Rehabilitation or other adult service providers
  without follow-up linkages.

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C-Tran is more hands-on and real life. You
can actually do what youre learningI like it
better. Theres not very many people, and you
can work with the teacher one-on-one.

• Everyone could use a little practice dealing with
  the Big Bad Wolf.

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Components of 18-21 Programs

• Employment experience
• Postsecondary education and training
• Community mobility
• Interagency linkages
• Social communication opportunities
• Self-determination independent living skills
• Peer friendships
• Leisure recreation activities

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Online Independent Living Assessments

• Independent Living Skills Assessment Tool,
  http//www1.dshs.wa.gov/pdf/ms/forms/10_267.pdf
• Ansell Casey Life Skills Assessment,
  http//www.caseylifeskills.org/pages/assess/assess
  _aclsa.htm
• The Learning Clinics Transition Independent
  Living Skill Assessment, http//www.thelearningcli
  nic.org/PDF/TILSAInstructionsandForm.pdf
• Transition to Community Living Self-Assessment,
  http//www.hcbs.org/files/112/5587/Transition_Guid
  e_to_Community_Living.pdf (assessment starts on
  pg. 20)

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Other Related Assessment

• Functional Behavioral Assessment,
  http//cecp.air.org/fba/
• North Central Regional Resource Centers List of
  Assessments, http//www.transitionassessment.north
  centralrrc.org/methodsTools.aspx
• Quickbook of Transition Assessments,
  http//doe.sd.gov/oess/specialed/forms/tacklebox/d
  ocs/tb07/QuickbookIEP20Checklist20Final.pdf

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IEP Team Decision Assistance Form

• Option 1 Go to www.transitioncoalititon.com
• Choose the Best Practices online learning module
• Go to My Library
• Option 2 Go to the Missouri Department of
  Education Website http//www.dese.mo.gov/divspeced
  / Compliance/specedpost-sectransition.html

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Free Self-Determination Assessments

• American Institutes for Research. (1994). AIR
  Self-Determination Scale. Available on the Zarrow
  Center website, http//www.ou.edu/zarrow/AIR20Use
  r20Guide.pdf
• Wehmeyer, M.L., Kelchner, L. (1995). The Arcs
  self-determination scale. Arlington, TX The Arc
  of the United States. Available online at
  www.beachcenter.org.

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Self-Determination Websites

• Self-Determination Synthesis Project. Charlotte,
  NC University of North Carolina. Web
  http//www.uncc.edu/sdsp
• Self-Determination Technical Assistance Centers.
  Colorado Springs, CO Fountain, CO Overland
  Park, KS Monroe County, NY. Web
  http//www.sdtac.uncc.edu/project_description.asp
  
• Self-Determination Educational Materials.
  University of Oklahoma, Zarrow Center
  http//education.ou.edu/zarrow/
• Taking Charge Stories of Success
  Self-Determination. University of Washington,
  DO-IT Self-Determination Videos
  http//www.washington.edu/doit/Video/

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C-Tran Manual

• This manual is based on the development and
  operation of a community-based transition program
  in Lawrence, Kansas. The teachers reveal their
  insights and share many of their resources,
  programming, and curricula to help others develop
  community-based transition programs.
  http//transitioncoalition.org/transition/section.
  php?pageId72

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Learn more about Community-Based 18-21 Programs

• See the Database of 18-21 Programs at
  www.transitioncoalition.org under RESOURCES for
  the most comprehensive list and description of
  18-21 Programs in the United States.

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Contact Information

• Amy Gaumer Erickson, Ph.D.
• Transition Coalition
• KU Department of Special Education
• 521 JR Pearson Hall, 1122 W. Campus Rd.
• Lawrence, KS 66045
• aerickson_at_ku.edu