Teaching Community and Domestic Skills

Julia Romano

Julia, a petite 14-year-old with moderate intellectual disabilities, is an active, happy eighth grader in middle school. Since Julia's earliest school days, her parents have insisted that she be included in general education classrooms and have full opportunity to participate in the school activities of her choice. Although Julia's eighth-grade schedule was difficult to design, she now attends an array of academic and nonacademic classes with her schoolmates. Julia is also a member of the middle school chorus and an after-school art club. As an active teen with tremendous school spirit, Julia loves to attend school games and dances with her friends.

Early in the school year, Julia's parents received an invitation to attend a transition planning meeting with the school's transition coordinator. This invitation took Julia's parents by surprise. Like many parents of young teens, they were more focused on Julia's current needs as a teenager than on her adult life. Julia had not thought much about her life as an adult either and her goals were uncertain. As they began to talk, both Julia and her parents expressed their dream for Julia to live in her own home someday, work in a job she enjoys, and be active in her community as she has been at school. They recognized the importance of beginning to plan now.

Although the Romanos believed it would be beneficial for Julia to begin learning the daily living and community skills needed for postschool life, they had one unsettling concern. They worried that preparing for adult living would take Julia away from what she loved most-her school classes, activities, and classmates. Julia's parents had worked hard for Julia to be fully included. They were not willing to sacrifice Julia's current needs as a middle school student in planning for her future needs, at least not at age 14. They feared that during the transition planning meeting, they would have to make a choice.

Removing students from inclusive classrooms and reducing beneficial participation in the general curriculum is a serious issue that must be taken into account when providing non-school instruction. Some, such as Kluth (2000), propose that students without disabilities, as well as those with disabilities, can gain great educational benefit from participation in community learning activities.

Based on the goals that Julia's parents have for her, what skills would you start to teach first? How could school-based instruction assist in developing functional community and domestic skills? What are some ways that community and domestic instruction can be provided without separating students with severe disabilities from other students?

Your responses should be well developed, requiring at least one paragraph per question. This activity is worth 30 points, 10 per question. Sources must be cited.