SOCIAL SKILLS AND LIFE SKILLS

 

Social Skills Training

 

Developmentally-based social skills programs are utilized that provides social stories, role-playing, modeling and opportunities for generalization.  The tools for social success are incorporated in the daily core curriculum and are an integral part of every class. Our small class sizes allow greater flexibility to address social situations in the moment and in context.

 

Conversation Campfire

 

Our students have fun sitting around an imaginary campfire while developing and enhancing their communication skills.  Games such as “Topic Talk” helps our students begin a conversation with a specific topic, ask/answer questions about the topic, make comments, and maintain the topic for a specific time.

 

“Model Me Kids”

 

The Model Me Kids video program sets are used as teaching tools for our students from first grade through high school.  The videos demonstrate social skills by modeling peer behavior at school, on a playdate, at a birthday party, on the playground, at a library, at the dentist, restaurant, and more. Real children model and narrate each skill.  

 

Life Skills Training

 

Innovative programs are employed to develop self-advocacy and problem-solving skills, effective time management and work habits, organization and study skills, and integration and application of their acquired knowledge.  The following instruction objectives represent important major areas of life activity that are taught, in order to prepare students for success in the home, community and future work settings. 

 

1.       Personal Maintenance:  Skills which are necessary for self care.

2.       Domestic Maintenance:  Skills which are necessary at home.

3.       Safety and Health:  Skills which are necessary to ensure safety and health care.

4.       Functional Academics:  Skills which apply academic skills to real life situations at home, on the job, or in the community.

5.       Interpersonal Communication and Social Skills:  Skills which are necessary to communicate and interact with others.                                                       

6.       Vocational Education:  Skills which are necessary to acquire and maintain a job.

7.       Recreation and Leisure:  Skills that are used to engage in recreational activities.

8.       Community Skills:  Skills which are necessary to participate in the community.

 

Life Skills Room

 

Our Life Skills Room is comprised of a kids-sized  restaurant, student store, bank, and post office to practice these vital community-based skills.  Planned field trips are taken throughout the year to practice in the community the skills taught at school.

Community Participation Lessons

 

As part of our Community Participation Lessons Plans, we practice restaurant skills, grocery shopping skills, general shopping skills, post office skills, etc.

At the beginning of each month, our students are assigned various job duties in our “Red Brick Café” restaurant, Student Grocery Store, Post Office and Bank.  In the restaurant, they role play being a cook, waiter and patrons while practicing appropriate conversation skills, and menu reading/ordering skills.  In the student store, they learn to operate a cash register, read food labels, and practice money-related skills while they select and purchase grocery-related items.  In the Post Office, they learn to receive, sort and deliver school-related mail.  The salary earned by each student is entered into their respective bank checking accounts — as they learn to manage money throughout the month. 

 

One of the skill areas practiced in our “Restaurant Lesson Plans” is locating and reading menu items, counting money, and restaurant dining. The purpose of this particular lesson is for students to be able to locate food items on a menu, order a simple meal, and determine the necessary amount of money needed to purchase the meal.  The photos shown below on the left are our students role playing… taking turns being waiters, cooks, and customers.

 

After practicing these skills at our school’s “Red Brick Café,” we then (1) choose a restaurant to dine in and review the actual menu from the restaurant, (2) choose food items from the menu and determine how much money is needed, (3) visit the restaurant and have students order the food items, and (4) pay for the meal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Community Participation Lesson plans are also used for the grocery store, general shopping, and post office.  The pictures on the left show our students sorting and mailing letters in our school’s post office.  The pictures on the right show our students practicing paying for an item in our student store and then performing a similar task at a real grocery store.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Achievement Academy is an accredited private school designed specifically for students in Grades 1-9

with Learning Differences and Social Challenges including Asperger’s Syndrome, High Functioning Autism, and Attention Deficit Disorder.

       * * * Bringing Learning to Life * * *

Where children have the opportunity to achieve their full potential

academically, emotionally, and socially.

SCHOOL POST OFFICE

PAYING FOR AN ITEM

AT THE STORE

RESTAURANT SKILLS