Progression of Curriculum for Instructing Persons who are Disabled
Context Level %Community-based
14-21 yrs Functional 100%
Secondary school - focus on transition from school to community with emphasis on training in the real settings where the person will live and work. Must have programming outside classroom. Must focus on what the person can do. Must teach attainment of basic functional skills such as those found on the Functional Skills Screening Inventory. The goal is to have the person living and working in natural settings when they attain their 22nd birthday.
8 -12 or 14 yrs Behavioral 75%
Middle school or upper elementary - Shift starts to focus on the person being able to 1) occupy their time in a productive manner (work, self-management, job share, etc.) and 2) live in the community (degree of supervision necessary, location or site of living- family home, supervised apartment, independent living). Thus the school program starts to explore self-regulation, self-direction and planning, and living with others. Any academic content can be taught in the real world and this period starts to focus on real world living and working. If the skill has not been attained through developmental interventions or neuro-muscular preventive techniques, then the skill is trained using behavioral techniques, applied behavior analysis, or behavior modification.
3 - 6 or 8 yrs Developmental 50%
Primary or Lower Elementary - Focus is on identifying developmental levels, deficits and ways to compensate for these, or moving along the expected progression of academic, social, maturational, and growth levels. Half the time must be in the real world - home programs, occupation of time, learning to use resources (libraries, Internet, data storage), and demonstrating how to be part of the community as a productive citizen and how to learn work skills and concepts of work.
0 to 3 years Neuro-Muscular 25%
Early Childhood Intervention - Focus is on defining problems of growth, maturity, and development and then intervening to prevent impairments from dominating development, maturation, and learning. One-quarter of the time must focus on integration of the individual into the community. This means doing what is usual and appropriate for age-mates who are not impaired - handing money to the clerk to learn that items cost money, waiting in line, sharing with others, taking turns, and being part of a group.
Source: Ed Hammer, Ph.D. Functional Resources, 806-353-1114, 1985, Revised 2003
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