Most parents do not think of accommodations or modifications as part of an actual curriculum. However, it does help to look at it from a different perspective. My goal via these blogs is to help you realize that each of the 5 curriculum areas complement each other to create a life that allows the scholar to reach their full potential. Today's focus is on the expanded curriculum or the disability specific curriculum as well as addressing independent functional skills across environments. Below is the list of all 5 areas addressed in the different curriculums:
1) Genral Education Curriculum
2) Extracurricular and non-academic activity skills as well as recreation and leisure skills
3) Expanded curriculum / Disability specific curriculum /and independent functional skills across environments
4) Assistive technology devices/ services and curriculum
5) Behavioral curriculum
EXPANDED CORE CURRICULUM
The expanded core curriculum defines concepts and skills that often require specialized research-based instruction with scholars who lack functional skills due to their disability.
This may include scholars who are:
Blind or visually impaired
Deaf or hearing impaired
Autistic (high or low functioning)
Have an intellectual disability
Learning disabilities in math, reading or writing
Have a disability that impairs their ability to access academic or functional skills, or
Disabilities that decrease their opportunities to learn incidentally by observing others.
These Functional Skill Areas can include:
Assistive Technology – use of a computer, adding a file
Career Education - Job exploration
Compensatory / Access Skills
Executive functioning
Behaviors
Communication
Sight
Mobility
Hearing
Sensory Efficiency, Modulations and Integration & environmental adjustments
Organizational skills, use of a graphic organizer, doing homework independently
Independent Living – Dressing, shopping, making change at checkout
Orientation and Mobility – not just for those who are blind
Recreation and Leisure -
Self-Determination – make own decisions
Social Interactions – social cue and processing skills that lead to social competency
These skills should be included in elementary and middle school IEPs as well as in transition plans. A comprehensive list of skills is available at Assessment of Functional Living Skills (AFLS ).
Why is an Expanded General Curriculum so important?
Expanded Core Curriculum can address:
Career Education
Provides scholars with an opportunity to learn through hands-on job experiences
Observe people working so they learn incidentally
Learn work-related skills such as responsibility, punctuality, and staying on task.
Career exploration and discovery of strengths, interests, and plan for the transition to adult life
Compensatory Skills
Learn the use of compensatory skills necessary for accessing the general curriculum
Address concept development, communication modes, organization, and study skills
Access to adapted print or audio materials
Camera for a picture of homework - (just the word math vs. pages)
Pre-printed notes
Taping of class or
Books on tape
Independent Living Skills
Learning the tasks and functions performed in Home, Community, School, as well as Participation, Independent Living and Vocational Skills
Increase independence and decrease prompt dependence
Need to generalize across environments learn compartmentally
Using systematic instruction and frequent practice in these daily tasks until mastered and retained
Orientation and Mobility (O&M)
Instruction in motor abilities to be oriented across settings – home school and community
To move as independently and safely as possible.
Spatial relationships, and purposeful movement
Travel in the community and use of public transportation
Recreation and Leisure
Awareness and exploration of recreation and leisure options
Instruction in organized or individual recreation and leisure skills
This is done because it facilitates community inclusion and participation
Self-Determination
Decision and problem-solving skills
Thinking for oneself
Personal advocacy, assertiveness, and goal setting
This can be included in teaching a scholar to facilitate or participate in their IEP meeting
Sensory Regulation
Development of the proprioceptive (where you are in space), kinesthetic (touch), and vestibular (balance) systems
Use of Assistive Technology to use their senses efficiently (optical devices)
Social Interaction Skills
Awareness of body language, gestures, facial expressions, and personal space.
Management of interpersonal relationships like friendship skills
Self-regulation skills
Understanding of one’s sexuality
Instruction in social interaction skills across varied settings
Group participation skills
Expanded Curriculum Includes Disorder Specific Curriculum
Curriculum addresses functional outcomes and may be specific to a disorder of deficit. These include:
Deafness
ASL Sign language
Lip-reading
Blindness
Mobility training
Braille reading
Writing with a Brailler
Autism
Hidden/covert curriculum
Social cognition/ social judgment curriculum
Friendship curriculum
Stranger Danger curriculum (Circles)
Intellectual Disability
ADLs Activities of Daily Living
Language
Functional communication or
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Devices
Speech Generating Device (SGD)
Physical disability
Power mobility training
Behavioral
Pattern recognition, emotional regulation,
Skills that move from mimetic, parallel, automatic, rule, or habit-based to conscious, deliberate, and Theory of Mind analysis based.
Expanded core curriculum must ensure:
Specialized instruction especially for scholars with low incidence diagnoses or presentations.
Availability of resources, including services, technical support, and professional development
Accountability by the development of highly specific outcomes based on areas of need.
Best practices and research-based programming for teaching and evaluating scholars
SAMPLE FUNCTIONAL CURRICULUM AREAS
Awareness of the motivation of others
Bill paying
Clothing and laundry management
Communication skills
Community transportation use
Dressing skills
Eating at restaurants
Grooming
Health, safety & first aid
Household maintenance
Housekeeping and chores
Hygiene
Interacting with co-workers or peers
Interacting with supervisors or teachers
Job search and interview skills
Knowing one’s rights
Leisure skills
Making and keeping appointments
Medication management
Money /banking management
Nighttime routines
Office and organizational skills
Phone use
Preparing, cooking and eating food
Relationship management
Routines and managing other’s expectations
School and classroom skills
Self-determination
Self-regulation skills
Shopping
Social awareness and manners
Support personnel management
Technology access and use
Time management
Toileting
Unwritten curriculum/knowledge
Using bank cards
Vocational skills/payroll
Workplace safety
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