3 Critical Reasons for Children to Receive Special Education Functional Skill Training!

Are you concerned that your child with autism may need to receive training in all areas of functional skills? This article will be discussing the definition of functional skills, and three important reasons why every child receiving special education services, needs to be given functional skill training.

Functional Skills are defined as life skills that persons use every day, in different environments. Functional skills focus on different areas such as home, family, self help skills, social skills, independent living skills. Also, skills needed for employment and job retention, recreation, community living, as well as functional academics that can be used every day.

While academic skills are important for all children with disabilities, many parents and advocates seem to overlook, the importance of functional skill training and instruction. These skills need to be addressed during a child's school career, but absolutely during the child's transition from high school to adulthood.

Reasons that children need functional skills:

1. To be prepared for post school learning. One functional skill that is often overlooked is social skills, but is important for not only post school learning but in every aspect of a child's life. If the child attends a vocational program after high school they need to learn to interact with other students as well as teachers.

2. To be prepared for employment. A lot of functional skills are used every day, during job hours. For example: Employers expect workers to come in clean, and in uniform. The functional skill of grooming and making sure that they are groomed properly and in uniform, may need to be taught to some children with disabilities, as it may not come natural to them.

3. To be prepared for independent living. Some children with severe disabilities may never be able to live by themselves, but can be taught skills to be independent, in certain areas. These areas could be dressing and grooming, picking what they are going to wear, learning to match clothing to the weather, etc.

Accessing transportation is another functional skill that children with disabilities may need specific instruction in. For example: How to access the bus system, how to read the bus schedule, and how to determine what bus to take to make it to work on time, and back home. Being independent in the area of transportation is an important skill for a child with disabilities to have.

Money skills are also important for children with disabilities to learn. Other skills that are critical to learn for independent living are: How to open a bank account, how to sign checks, how to set up a budget and how to pay bills. Cooking and shopping are other functional skills that young people with disabilities need to receive instruction in.

One area that is often overlooked when thinking about functional skills is the importance of children with disabilities learning appropriate behavior. This is the one aspect that will keep a child or adult from being able to live and work in a community setting. An appropriately developed positive behavioral plan will help a child increase their positive school behavior while decreasing their negative behavior. Specific training needs to be given to the child so that they can learn appropriate behavior, and how to act in school, at a job, and in community settings.

Functional skills are important for all children and soon to be adults with disabilities to learn! They will help the child become as independent as possible as they can be in their life!

JoAnn Collins is a successful special educational advocate for over 20 years and author of the book "Disability Deception; Lies Disability Educators Tell and How Parents Can Beat Them at Their Own Game!" The book is filled with truths about special education, for parents, and lots of easy to use advocacy tips. Check out her blog at: http://specialeducationspotlight.disabilitydeception.com/. For more information on the book and special education as well as testimonials on her book, please go to: disabilitydeception.com. For questions or comments feel free to E mail me at: JoAnn@disabilitydeception.com.

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3 Parenting Tips to Advocate for Functional Skill Training for Your Child in Special Education!

Are you the parent of a child with autism or another disability receiving special education services? Is your child struggling with academics, and you think could benefit from learning functional skills? Learning to read and write are important, but so are functional skills, that can help a child live a full and enriched life! This article will be discussing 3 parenting tips that you can use in your advocacy efforts!

Tip 1: Use Federal special education law Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA 2004 to strengthen your advocacy efforts for functional skill training. IDEA states that every IEP that is developed for a child must contain a statement of the child's present levels of academic achievement and functional performance. What does this mean for your child? Your child's IEP should state what level your child is at in the area of functional skills. Make sure that these statements are based on objective data such as tests and not subjective opinion.

The law also states that the child's IEP must contain a statement of annual goals in not only academic areas, but functional areas as well. Make sure that the functional goals are specific and are measurable.

Also, make sure that any skills training given to your child is written clearly on your child's IEP and has specific amount of times that the training will be given. Training needs to be given in natural environments and at natural times. For example: Teeth brushing training needs to be given after the child has eaten, either after lunch or after a snack. Training also needs to be community based, so that the child will be able to generalize the skills to all environments.

Tip 2: Use the purpose and findings of IDEA 2004 to convince special education personnel how important functional skill training is for your child. The purpose of IDEA is to help prepare children for further education, employment and independent living. Children must have appropriate functional skills in order to be prepared for their adult life.

The findings of IDEA 2004 from Congress state that the law is to help improve educational results for children with disabilities, so that there is equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self sufficiency.

Behavior and social skills are two areas of functional skills that are often overlooked by parents and advocates. Ensure that appropriate social skills and behavior is being taught to your child, so that he or she will be able to be a full participant in the community, when they are an adult.

Tip 3: According to IDEA parents have the right to be full participants in any decision that is made regarding their child's education. The law also includes a section under IEPs, where any information provided by parents needs to be included. Educating yourself not only on why functional skills are important but what is the appropriate type of training that a child needs is important.

Consider writing your own parent input statement about what type of functional skill training needs to be given to your child. Bring this input statement to your child's IEP meeting, and make sure that it is attached to your child's IEP.

Anticipated needs must be addressed by special education personnel and parents. This is a good time to think ahead of the skills that your child will need as an adult, and include functional skill training in your child's IEP or transition plan.

Use these three tips to help you succeed in your attempt to include functional skills training in your child's IEP. They will appreciate your efforts to make sure that they are prepared for adult life!

JoAnn Collins is a successful special educational advocate for over 20 years and author of the book "Disability Deception; Lies Disability Educators Tell and How Parents Can Beat Them at Their Own Game!" The book is filled with truths about special education, for parents, and lots of easy to use advocacy tips. Check out her blog at: http://specialeducationspotlight.disabilitydeception.com/. For more information on the book and special education as well as testimonials on her book, please go to: http://www.disabilitydeception.com/. For questions or comments feel free to E mail me at: JoAnn@disabilitydeception.com.

View the original article here