DEMYSTIFYING HOW TO CHANGE
EDUCATIONAL DISABILITIES INTO
FUNCTIONAL LANGUAGE
JACKIE BURR
OFFICE OF STUDENT LEARNING AND PARTNERSHIPS, ODE
PETER FITZGERALD
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON
HOOD RIVER, OREGON
FEBRUARY 2011
So…What’s The Big Deal?
FACT: Educators understand academics better than
functional skills!
FACT: Educators have a hard time explaining how
doing poorly in school translates into doing poorly
in work--life!
FACT: Frequently, LIFE demands to know what you
can do rather than what you have learned!
Let’s Get Our Terms Straight!
Academic Achievement
Academic achievement generally
refers to a child’s performance in
academic areas
Examples: reading or language arts,
math, science, and history.
Functional Performance
Skills or activities in which the ability to
function is significant to successful
independence, education and/or
employment.
Examples: dressing, eating, going to the
bathroom; social skills such as making
friends and communicating with others;
behavior skills, such as knowing how to
behave across a range of settings; and
mobility skills, such as walking, getting
around, going up and down stairs.
Source: NICHY.org
Maybe Two More Terms?
Adaptive Behavior
Cognitive Skills
The age-appropriate behaviors
necessary for people to live
independently and to function safely and
appropriately in daily life. Adaptive
behaviors include real life skills such as
grooming, dressing, safety, safe food
handling, school rules, ability to work,
money management, cleaning, making
friends, social skills, and personal
responsibility.
The underlying brain skills that make it
possible for us to think, remember and
learn. These are the skills that allow us
to process the huge influx of
information we receive each and every
day at work, at school and in life.
Source: About.com
Source: LearningRX.com
Differences in What Agencies Need and Want!
Schools want:
Agencies want:
1. To know how the disability
affects the ABILITY to make
progress in the general
curriculum?
1. To know how the disability
affects the ABILITY to do things
like work, live independently,
care for oneself, etc.
2. To know whether or not there is
an impairment to a MAJOR
LIFE FUNCTION that requires
reasonable accommodation?
2. To know whether or not there is
an impairment to a MAJOR
LIFE FUNCTION that requires
reasonable accommodation or a
service they can or have to
provide?
Why are we doing this?
• SOP: A school district must provide the
student with a summary of the student's
academic achievement and functional
performance.
• PLAAFP: The individualized education
program (IEP) must include a statement of
the student’s present levels of academic
achievement and functional performance.
Transition Smoothly from High School to Work
Functional Areas
Interpersonal
Skills
Motor Skills
Self Care
Self Direction
Communication
Work Tolerance
Work Skills
See attachment “What is Functional Performance?”
Communication
Education
Vocational
Rehabilitation
• Is the student able to speak clearly enough
to be understood by peers and staff?
• Do you often have to ask the student to
repeat herself?
• Can the student clearly tell the teacher/aide
what he needs?
• Is the person’s speech difficult to
understand?
• Is repetition often necessary?
• Is the person able to communicate
his/her needs effectively?
Interpersonal Skills
Education
Vocational
Rehabilitation
• Does student have friends? Does student
like to work on teams?
• Does student answer when spoken to?
• Does student know when teacher is giving
constructive criticism?
• Does person enjoy being with other people or
prefer to be alone?
• Is person able to recognize social cues?
• Is person able to handle constructive criticism
Mobility
Education
• Can the student get from one classroom to another?
• Is student able to participate in physical education?
• Do any of the 13 IDEA disability categories impair
mobility?
• Does student have accommodations /modifications
on IEP to improve access due to mobility
impairments?
Vocational
Rehabilitation
• Does person have control and coordination
of fine/gross motor movements?
• Does the person need assistive devices to
mover around?
• Does the person need specialized
transportation?
Self Care
Education
Vocational
Rehabilitation
• Is student able to get to class on time and
organize work for each class?
• Does the student have trouble deciding what he
wants to do after he completes high school?
• Is the student impulsive and/or behave without
thought toward consequences?
• Does the person require an attendant, monitoring
to prevent injury, or to manage money?
• Does the person have difficulty making
decisions?
• Does the person lack “common sense” ability?
• Is the person unaware of the consequences of
behavior?
Self Direction
Education
Vocational
Rehabilitation
• Is student able to read/listen to and follow
directions?
• Does the student complete homework
assignments?
• Does the student learn appropriate behavior in the
resource room but then cannot generalize that
appropriate behavior to her general classes?
• Is the person able to follow directions?
• Is the person able to complete tasks?
• Does the person have difficulty generalizing,
transferring and/or assimilating information
(written, spoken, receptive or expressive)?
Work Skills
Education
• Does the student work on an assignment for
a reasonable amount of time?
• Is the student often tardy for class or
school?
• Can the student start an assignment without
being told to start?
Vocational
Rehabilitation
• Is the person able to maintain attention to
a task for a reasonable amount of time?
• Is the person able to tell time and be on
time for work?
• Does the person take initiative or does he
need cues to perform?
Work Tolerance
Education
Vocational
Rehabilitation
• Does the student have a shortened school
day?
• Can the student sit still for a regular class
period?
• Does the student get along with teachers,
aides, and fellow classmates?
• Can the person work for an eight hour day?
• Can the person sit or stand for more than
two hours? Lift?
• Is the person able to establish adequate
working relationships, especially with coworkers and supervisors?
LET’S SEE HOW IT MIGHT WORK!
The Process
• High School Student
who reads at 3rd Grade
Level.
• Reading
comprehension below
grade level.
Educational
Disability
Functional
Performance
• Reading Technical
Manuals or Instructions
will be difficult.
• May need to ask for
help with a complex
task.
• May avoid cooking
using recipes.
• May have trouble
following medication
directions that require
reading.
Adaptive
Behavior
See Handout “The Process—Angela”
The Process Specific to Jack
(See Handout)
• Without calculator scores
16% on Key Math
Assessment.
• 50% and 60% Decoding and
Comprehension Reading
Skill Respectively.
Educational
Disability
Functional
Performance
• Without a calculator, work
related math tasks will be
subject to error.
• Will need help with
scheduling future work
events on a calendar.
• Will need help with tasks that
require reading.
• Getting places using bus
schedules will be difficult.
• Without adaptive technology,
recipes and other daily living
tasks will be hard to master.
Adaptive
Behavior
See Handout “The Process—Jack”
Jackie Burr
Peter FitzGerald
(503) 947-5639
(503) 522-6973
Jackie.burr@state.or.us
petefitz@q.com
http://www.ode.state.or.u
s/search/results/?id=266
http://www.ytporegon.org/