Life Skills Support

Curriclum and Instruction

A functional curriculum, based on the following domains of independent living, is utilized to teach skills and provide activities related to daily living skills:


• Functional Academics – Reading, writing and math
• Domestic – Cleaning, meal preparation, budgeting, grocery shopping, and laundry
• Personal Maintenance – Feeding, drinking, toileting, grooming, and clothing care
• Recreation/Leisure – Spectator activities, hobbies, and physical fitness
• Interpersonal Communication – Responding to others, identifying self and others, and exploring self
• Vocational – Prevocational, job specific skills, obtaining and maintaining employment
• Community – Social interaction and travel
• Social/Behavioral/Affective – Responsible behavior and understanding emotions

Individual, small group, and whole group instruction is provided through various means including community-based instruction (shopping, banking, and transportation), which is designed to teach students to use the classroom skills and appropriate behaviors in real-life situations. Secondary students are provided with vocational training opportunities in the community, at the CIU 20 Warehouse and the Career Institute of Technology with an emphasis on obtaining competitive employment. Secondary students in Northampton County also have an apartment site in which to practice daily living skills.

Related services of speech and language support, hearing support, vision support, orientation and mobility, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and adapted physical education are integrated within individualized student programs as appropriate to meet student needs.