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Statement of Purpose

The Perkins School for the Blind Independent Living Skills curriculum was developed to provide a comprehensive, sequential, and consistent reference for the teaching of independent living skills. It is designed to span a broad continuum of skills, from most basic to advanced. The curriculum reflects content areas and skills that are essential to ensure that our students develop the skills necessary to lead their lives as independently as possible. The curriculum addresses the specific needs of students who are blind or visually impaired including those with additional disabilities or deafblindness.

Independent Living Skills is one of the nine content areas of the Expanded Core Curriculum. The Expanded Core Curriculum proposes that instruction for students with visual impairments should include all the traditional areas of academic instruction and instruction in areas that are affected by a student’s visual impairment. Many independent living skills which sighted student learn by observing others must be taught directly to students with visual impairments.

The curriculum provides adapted teaching approaches to meet the individual needs of diverse learners. Students come to Perkins with different abilities, experiences, and needs. They are often at different levels of achievement. It is important that the curriculum allows teachers to pinpoint a given student’s skill development, while being flexible enough to address earlier level skills that may not have been learned.

Intended Population

The Perkins Independent Living Skills Curriculum has been developed for the students at Perkins School for the Blind. Perkins provides educational programming for students ages 3 to 22 who are blind, or visually-impaired, with additional disabilities including deafblindness. The additional disabilities typically fall within the communication, cognitive, physical, neurological or health domains.

Independent Living Skills Assessment

What is it?

The assessment is a tool to evaluate students’ independent living skills. It covers a full range of skills from basic to advanced. Used from when students enter Perkins until they leave, the assessment will promote the teaching of independent living skills and attitudes in a well-focused and comprehensive manner.

The assessment tells us:

• Where the student is in skill development.

• What we need to focus on teaching now - and what will be next.

• How the student does a specific skill.

When is the assessment used?

• Within three months of a student arriving at Perkins

• Before each IEP/3 year evaluation.

• Before the student moves to the next cottage and before s/he graduates.

How is it used?

Information from the assessment is used to:

• Determine appropriate expectations.

• Share information about the student’s methods.

• Plan objectives.

• Write reports.

It is used in collaboration with students and other team members to analyze performance and strategize.

The assessment is passed from one cottage to the next when a student moves. It goes with the student when he or she graduates. This improves communication and lets the student begin in the new place at a level that is just right. The assessment also lets the staff in the new place know how a student does something so he or she can continue with a familiar method.

With the assessment, many students have a Tips and Techniques section that has descriptions of how a student does some things. It has adaptations or steps that have been developed, for example by the OT and the student, specifically for that student. Sharing these strategies is a critical part of a student being successful across settings. Because the ILSA does not offer ample space to include this information in detail with each skill, it is helpful to have a Tips and Techniques section with the ILSA.

Who performs the assessment?

A residential staff person is the central person to perform the assessment. The student is involved in the process and other cottage staff, O.T.s and independent living skills teachers give input also.

Why is the assessment important?

Whether a student has basic or more advanced skills, the importance of developing independent living skills to the fullest extent possible cannot be overemphasized. Independent living skills are one of the cornerstones to living a free and fulfilling life. The assessment will assure that the student is learning these skills comprehensively and effectively.

Scoring Key

Please use the following scale for the location section:

S – School

C – Cottage

H – Home

O – Other (If other, please specify in comments section)

Please Use the following scale to score each item and record under “score” on assessment:

NE - Not Evaluated or not attempted.

SC - Staff Completes task for student.

PA - Student is given Physical Assistance to complete task. State what kind.

TC – Student is given a Touch Cue to complete the task.

VA - Student is given Verbal/ Signed Directions to complete the task. Please State what kind.

R – Student is given a Reminder to initiate the task.

SD - Student Directs staff through steps of the task.

I – Student initiates and completes the task Independently without reminders.

Next, mark a star (*) next to the skill that the student is actively working on at the time of the assessment.

Also, mark a dot (•) identifying the skill that the team believes to be the priority skills for the student to learn next.

In the comment area, add notes to give specific details about the student and that task, e.g. the equipment they use, and to explain about the kind of assistance that is given. Also refer the reader to the Tips and Technique section for more details, if applicable.

Explanation of Scoring Scale

NA- Not applicable

The skill is not applicable to the student you are evaluating.

For example:

• Menstrual care with male students or jock-strap use with female students

• Hearing aid care for a student that does not have a hearing impairment

• Oral eating for a student that is strictly g-tube fed (NPO)

NE - Not Evaluated

Either this skill is not appropriate for the student you are evaluating during this assessment period or you did not have a chance to observe this skill for another reason.

For example:

• Ironing with a 3-year-old

• Nail care with a student whose nails are done at home

SC - Staff Completes

Staff does an activity for the student. This could be for a variety of reasons such as the student has not yet learned the task.

For example:

• Staff folds clean clothes and puts them away

• Staff locates items in a grocery store

• Staff ties the student’s shoes.

PA - Physical Assistance

Staff physically interacts with the student or the materials in order for the student to be able to successfully complete the task. Please write in the comment section what type of assistance was provided.

For example:

• Staff holds the cup while the student pours

• Staff helps the student get his/her pants over their feet, but the student pulls them up

• Student begins an activity, e.g. washing body, but staff completes for thoroughness

• Staff provides hand-over-hand/hand-under-hand assistance to help the student cut his/her food

TC – Touch Cues

Staff physically taps or touches the student to cue him/her through the skill when verbal assistance is not sufficient.

For example:

• Staff taps the student’s arm to cue him/her to bring spoon to mouth

• Staff taps the student’s hand as a cue to release his/her grip on the paper towel he/she is throwing away

• Staff taps the student’s leg as a cue for him/her to put it in his/her pants.

VA – Verbal Assistance

Staff uses language with the student in order for the student to be able to successfully complete the task. Please write in the comment section what type of assistance was provided.

For example:

• Staff tells the student to check the laundry basket to see if it’s empty

• Staff points to a picture of each step of shower routine

• Staff uses sign (including tactile) to tell the student the steps of a cooking activity

R – Reminder

Staff gives student a reminder to do a task. A reminder is a single cue that tells the student to begin the task.

For example:

• Environmental cues: bell rings for meals

• “Don’t forget it’s laundry day”

SD - Student Directs

Student is aware of the need for the activity, is aware of the general process for how it is done, and can describe the steps or direct a staff person to the written/picture steps to complete the task. Note: Please add “R” if the staff reminds the student to do the task = SD/R.

For example: student asks staff to

• cut their food

• measure the laundry detergent

• style their hair

I – Independent

Student initiates and completes the task without any assistance, cues or reminders from staff.

For example:

• Student remembers to brush his/her teeth and does it

• Student initiates and completes their morning routine using their picture sequence

Directions for Implementing the ILSA

1. Familiarize yourself with the assessment:

• Take a look at one of the sections of the assessment.

• Look over the scoring scale on the following page. Also you will find information on that page about how to add your comments to the assessment.

2. Before Beginning the Assessment:

• The staff members who will be completing the assessment meet before the assessment process to determine who will be completing each section. Those staff meet again once the assessment is complete to identify and prioritize skills to work on next.

• The residential staff person who is working with the student on the assessment explains the assessment to the student, plans times to observe the student’s skills, and meets with the student to discuss their progress, as well as skills the student might be interested in learning.

3. Beginning the Assessment:

1. Write the student’s name on the cover sheet and also on each page of the assessment.

2. Write your name and initials on the cover sheet and your initials next to each item that you score on the ILSA.

3. With students who have demonstrated obvious competence and generalized use of all the earliest skills you may draw a line through those skills. The assessment is divided into levels for each skill area. If your student has accomplished all the items on level 1 in a particular area – you do not need to score it – simply begin with level 2 if that is the appropriate place to begin.

4. Assess each skill by observing the student.

5. Use the scoring scale that is on the following page.

6. Initial any comments if there are comments by more than one person for any item.

4. After the Assessment is Complete:

• The residential staff person or the student takes responsibility for communicating new information about the student’s skills to the rest of the cottage and home, so that follow-through is consistent.

• The team will need to decide how to use the assessment in collaboration with the student, for example to analyze performance, plan instruction and instructional strategies.

• Whenever a student becomes more independent with a skill, note it on the assessment.

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