Life Skills Class...what does this mean?

[MindfulMama]

My son with Dyspraxia, adhd, and borderline MIMR was just placed in Life Skills Class, what does this mean for him academically? Can anyone help? I'm so fearful right now, I could use any support offered. He is dyslexic, and has some expressive communication language issues...I finally took the plunge into public school as was recommended, and I just am frightened. If anyone has any knowledge please help. I just got the message and will be trying to speak with someone tomorrow.

[Aridel]

Well, placement should be a team decision, made by the school staff and yourself at an IEP meeting. You do get input into whether you think this is the right place for him. A big goal for kids is the least restrictive environment: where they can succeed best and be most integrated with typical peers. For some kids that means the regular classroom with some support, for others it can mean another classroom or another school.

Life Skills generally means a focus on what a child needs to learn to function in daily life, with the idea that these students won't pick up the skills on their own. Children in Life Skills classes typically are not able to succeed in other settings, and need intense help to learn activities of daily living. So a high school student in a Life Skills class may have a placement at a job site, where they practice work in a supervised setting with help (travel to a store and stock shelves, washing windows) or a class may work on understanding money or bus schedules. The positive thing about life skills classes is that when they are well run they are very functional, focused on what skills the children really and truly need to know, and they work on those skills long term. They are typically smaller classes, with more teachers and aides than mainstream rooms, and the children attending are probably receiving more therapies and showing greater delays than other students at the school.

I don't know if this is the right placement for your son. It would mean the main goal would be basic daily skills, rather than academics per se - those self help skills rather than science or history, like that. I would go into the meeting with a lot of questions. A lot depends on your son's age, and the reasons they think he would be unable to succeed in a different classroom. Labels don't count as reasons - they really need to give you an individual program, and you need to be comfortable that it's appropriate.

How old is he? Where is he at compared to peers, and how does he do in the classroom? Have you received a written assessment report from the school?

[Kaschic]

Hi the PP pretty well summed most of it up. She did a good job. I just wanted to add that most of the time kids in life skills classes are not on a diploma track either. So, in those cases they usually graduated with a certificate and they're usually the ones there until age 21. It would be this fact alone that would make me look into it farther. You know your son and his capabilities better than anyone else. Do you think he can earn a high school diploma? If so then I'd seriously reconsider this placement. I do agree with the PP that this is supposed to be a team decision and you definitely should have been on it. I would not agree to anything until I knew more about it such as if he can be in that class and still on diploma track etc? Like I say I'm not sure about the answers to all of this and not knowing more details like the age of your son etc it's all hard for me to say. I just thought I'd throw it out there to you.

Kelly

[MindfulMama]

This is exactly what has been happening to my son for the last 3 years.  Frankly they do not seem to understand what he needs academically.   I have been fighting the life skills class for my son, who is diagnosed with Apraxia (though very verbal) has a communication language disorder, adhd, dyspraxia, dyslexia, and executive function challenges with working memory etc.  I have been fighting for an appropriate academic education, that fits his strengths and gives him a chance at gaining academic skills.  It has been a horrible battle.  In retrospect I wish he had stayed in the Montessori classroom. It was last time he really learned anything.  Though he needed support and possibly an aid to give him more support, as he needs more repetition than the typical child, the Montessori environment and materials were exactly what he needed.  The term independence just needed to be tweaked to fit this child and how independent he could be.  My son needs social skill lessons, tons of excellent OT, Speech therapy, and a specific learning program geared to his unique gifts and needs.  There is a lot of attention in the Montessori world right now on Special Education and we need to keep pushing it in that direction! Both AMI and AMS philosophies are addressing these needs in serving the whole child.  Find out what they are doing with your son in that environment, what services he is receiving and educate yourself on the law and your child's rights.  Check out Wrights Law online, and keep checking the internet for new services and information about what your child is struggling with. Hang in there and get informed.  Don't wait.  

[MindfulMama]

That's a little scary, I just answered my own post from 2009.....really sad. Yikes.

[imogenlily]

I teach life skills to adults, as a social worker. Many of the adults I'm working with were in a life skills program during their school years, and frankly, many of the adults I'm working with could have done a diploma had they not been ghettoized. It is the right place for some people who need those supports and could not obtain a diploma, but too often anyone who would need extra supports to obtain a diploma gets placed in this track. It sounds like you're a good advocate to your son, and critical and mindful of his placement, and that's probably the best thing he could have. Good luck to you.