Re: [autsupOtt] need help with a past post

[Guest guest]

At 07:58 PM 9/27/2005 -0400, Sharon Gabison wrote:

>

>

>

>Hello everyone,

>

>I once came across an excellent post regarding the importance of teaching

>children functional skills. It went something like this " ...what's the

>point of teaching children numbers if they can't count.... " or what's the

>point of teaching children what a fork is is they can't eat with utensils...

>

>or something like

>

>my child knows what pants and a shirt are, but cannot get dressed...my

>child knows his name, but won't respond when called etc.....

>

>I am going by memory here, but I am wondering if any listmates can send me

>the post directly.

>

>Thanks,

>

>Sharon

A Case for Teaching Functional Skills

By: Preston , Dec. 1987, TASH Newsletter excerpt

It is not uncommon to find instances of curricular content for students with

moderate to severe handicaps based primarily on information derived from

the administration of norm-referenced evaluation instruments. A dilemma

often results when an attempt is made to translate test items failed at

particular levels or mental ages into actual tasks to be taught. Not only

were these evaluation tools never intended to be used in this manner, but

the result is that students end up spending a majority of their school day

being taught skills that are totally artificial and/or extremely

age-inappropriate. Given the time it takes students with moderate to severe

mental handicaps to acquire and maintain even functional skills, there is no

time or justification for devoting instruction to teaching items that are

selected from a developmentally-based hierarchy of supposed " pre-requisite "

skills. A scenario of the outcome for one such student is portrayed below.

My brother Daryl

18 years old, TMH (30-40 IQ).

Been in school 12 years.

Never been served in any setting other than elementary school.

He has had a number of years of " individual instruction " .

He has learned to do a lot of things!

Daryl can do lots of things he couldn't do before!

But he can't put quarters in vending machines.

Upon command he can " touch " his nose, shoulder, leg, foot, hair, and ear.

He's still working on wrist, ankle, and hips.

But, he can't blow his nose when needed.

He can now do a 12 piece Big Bird puzzle with 100 percent accuracy and color

an Easter Bunny and stay in the lines!

But, he prefers music, but was never taught how to use a radio or record

player.

He can now fold primary paper in halves and even quarters.

But, he can't fold his clothes.

He can sort blocks by color; up to 10 different colors!

But, he can't sort clothes; whites from colors for washing.

He can roll Play Dough and make wonderful clay snakes!

But, he can't roll bread dough and cut out biscuits.

He can sing his ABC's and tell me names of all the letters of the alphabet

when presented on a card in upper case with 80 percent accuracy.

But, he can't tell the men's room from the ladies room when we go to

Mc's.

He can identify with 100 percent accuracy 100 different Peabody Picture

Cards by pointing!

But, he can't order a hamburger by pointing to a picture or gesturing.

He can walk a balance beam frontwards, sideways and backwards!

But, he can't walk up the steps or bleachers unassisted in the gym to go to

a basketball game.

He can count to 100 by rote memory!

But, he doesn't know how many dollars to pay the waitress for a $2.59

Mc's coupon special.

He can put the cube in the box, under the box, beside the box and behind the

box.

But, he can't find the trash bin in Mc's and empty his trash into it.

He can sit in a circle with appropriate behavior and sing songs and play

" Duck, Duck, Goose. "

But, nobody else in his neighborhood his age seems to want to do that.

I guess he's just not ready yet.

[Guest guest]

An interesting thing about the items that Daryl can't do is that every

single item I have personally taught to my son in the home setting. On the

other hand, I suspect that those lacking skills in Daryl are what brought

about " Life Skills " type classrooms.

Another thought about some of the inappropriate skills taught such as duck,

duck, goose at age 18 - behavior analysts are taught to ensure the child or

adult can function in society, and even enjoy leisure activities in society.

I can't see a competent BCBA/BCABA teaching an 18 year old duck, duck,

goose.

-Kathy

_____

From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of

jypsy [ janet norman-bain ]

Sent: Tuesday, September 27, 2005 5:10 PM

autismsupportOttawa ; ;

autismsupportOttawa ; parent2parent ;

LISTSERV@...

Subject: [ ] Re: [autsupOtt] need help with a past post

A Case for Teaching Functional Skills

By: Preston , Dec. 1987, TASH Newsletter excerpt

It is not uncommon to find instances of curricular content for students with

moderate to severe handicaps based primarily on information derived from

the administration of norm-referenced evaluation instruments. A dilemma

often results when an attempt is made to translate test items failed at

particular levels or mental ages into actual tasks to be taught. Not only

were these evaluation tools never intended to be used in this manner, but

the result is that students end up spending a majority of their school day

being taught skills that are totally artificial and/or extremely

age-inappropriate. Given the time it takes students with moderate to severe

mental handicaps to acquire and maintain even functional skills, there is no

time or justification for devoting instruction to teaching items that are

selected from a developmentally-based hierarchy of supposed " pre-requisite "

skills. A scenario of the outcome for one such student is portrayed below.

My brother Daryl

18 years old, TMH (30-40 IQ).

Been in school 12 years.

Never been served in any setting other than elementary school.

He has had a number of years of " individual instruction " .

He has learned to do a lot of things!

Daryl can do lots of things he couldn't do before!

But he can't put quarters in vending machines.

Upon command he can " touch " his nose, shoulder, leg, foot, hair, and ear.

He's still working on wrist, ankle, and hips.

But, he can't blow his nose when needed.

He can now do a 12 piece Big Bird puzzle with 100 percent accuracy and color

an Easter Bunny and stay in the lines!

But, he prefers music, but was never taught how to use a radio or record

player.

He can now fold primary paper in halves and even quarters.

But, he can't fold his clothes.

He can sort blocks by color; up to 10 different colors!

But, he can't sort clothes; whites from colors for washing.

He can roll Play Dough and make wonderful clay snakes!

But, he can't roll bread dough and cut out biscuits.

He can sing his ABC's and tell me names of all the letters of the alphabet

when presented on a card in upper case with 80 percent accuracy.

But, he can't tell the men's room from the ladies room when we go to

Mc's.

He can identify with 100 percent accuracy 100 different Peabody Picture

Cards by pointing!

But, he can't order a hamburger by pointing to a picture or gesturing.

He can walk a balance beam frontwards, sideways and backwards!

But, he can't walk up the steps or bleachers unassisted in the gym to go to

a basketball game.

He can count to 100 by rote memory!

But, he doesn't know how many dollars to pay the waitress for a $2.59

Mc's coupon special.

He can put the cube in the box, under the box, beside the box and behind the

box.

But, he can't find the trash bin in Mc's and empty his trash into it.

He can sit in a circle with appropriate behavior and sing songs and play

" Duck, Duck, Goose. "

But, nobody else in his neighborhood his age seems to want to do that.

I guess he's just not ready yet.