Tom, I would like to see some report of the answers you get from your
students.  Do you have the numbers?

Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt





-----Original Message-----
From: learningdisabilities-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:learningdisabilities-bounces at nifl.gov]On Behalf Of Woods
Sent: Friday, November 09, 2007 12:27 AM
To: The Learning Disabilities Discussion List
Subject: [LearningDisabilities 1504] Re: Transition discussion


Thanks for sharing your expertise, Arlyn. In my correctional setting
students transition out of school and prison into adult life in the
community and it can be quite a shock. It seems like most of the effort
in transition goes to preparation for work and career and postsecondary
education so I am glad to hear from you about concerns with 'readiness
for community living.'

The majority of our students have disabilities, mostly emotional, but
also quite a few learning disabilities and ADHD. Our students seem to
have few tools for planning. They have many deep desires and broad
goals, but no clue how to achieve them. There are many areas in which I
feel they need preparation, but I hesitate to say to them that they need
A, B, and C. Rather, I feel it is important for them to come to their
own realizations of what they feel they need. It needs to come from them
and they need to own it. Otherwise they would sit passively while I
spoon feed them and then when they are on their own, they will continue
to sit and wait for someone else to lead them around.

 I made up a self assessment that asks them about where they stand in
various aspects of life. For instance, they may tell me they have a
place to live but when I ask for their mailing address they can't give
one. Hopefully the question will get them thinking about where will they
actually be staying. I ask about their immediate needs. What kinds of
clothes do they have, how much money do they have, what is the number to
call to get the electricity hooked up. Will they have a drivers license,
what do they have to do to get it back, how will they transport
themselves to the grocery store, to work, to the doctors office. What
will be the costs to live on your own? How will you pay for it? What
hobbies do you have? How much spare time will you have to engage in
hobbies or recreation?

When students say, 'wow. I never thought about that before,' then I know
the self assessment has started a few wheels turning in their heads and
it gives us a place to start a discussion.

I would love to hear what others are doing specifically. I hope to
gather more items to put in my self assessment. In another email Fern
mentioned self-advocacy. What specifically might that look like in
community and job settings?
Tom


Arlyn Roffman wrote:


>Hi-

>I wrote earlier about some of the practical skills students in transition

to

>the community need. I'm wondering what any of you have done in your

settings

>to foster readiness for community living.Are you working on functional

>literacy? If so, how's it working? Any tools to suggest?

>

>I'll be posting more responses to your questions later tonight and

tomorrow.

>Feel free to ask new ones as well or to make some comments. Let's have a

>discussion about moving on into adulthood and what teachers can do both in

>high school and in ABE to help people with LD transition effectively.

>

>I will definitely not have all the answers, but it's clear from past

>postings that there's loads of expertise among the readers of this

listserv,

>so let's be resources to each other!

>Arlyn

>

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