"Autism at-a-Glance" is a series of practitioner and family-friendly documents created by the Center on Secondary Education for Students with ASD (CSESA) designed for high school staff members supporting students on the autism spectrum, as well as family members of adolescents with ASD. The purpose of the "Autism at-a-Glance"…

The paper defines independent living skills for persons with disabilities and gives samples of a variety of curricular materials available to teach these skills. Frequently asked questions (e.g., how are independent living skills related to survival or coping skills?) and answers precede the listing of 71 commercially available curriculum…

Ten multihandicapped high-school students in the Dayton (Ohio) Public Schools were trained using a curriculum of independent community social skills, focusing specifically on restaurant skills, travel skills, shopping skills, self-care skills, and skills for visiting a business or government agency. The students made weekly trips into the…

Goals are presented for communication skills needed to function independently in the community. The goals, developed for adolescents/adults with severe/moderate mental handicaps, are situation-specific, outcome-oriented, and community-based. They deal with telephone use, shopping, leisure activities, traveling, banking, and going to a restaurant…

The Independent Living Project for Deaf/Blind Youth emphasized the teaching of home management, personal management, social/emotional skills, work skills, and communication skills to increase low-functioning teenagers' autonomy. The project included an independent living apartment in which a video monitoring system was used for indirect…

A group counseling approach was used to enhance the self-concept of 10 congenitally visually impaired adolescents. Group sessions focused on such topics as self-perception, assertiveness, friendship, familial relationships, and independent living skills. Evaluation found significant improvement in self-concept, attitudes toward blindness, and…

Residential specialists (N=759) in public and private facilities for mentally retarded adults were surveyed to identify the skills that they consider essential for mentally retarded adults to function in different residential settings (unsupervised apartment, supervised apartment, and group home). Significant differences were found among settings…

The purpose of Project COMPETE is to use previous research and exemplary practices to develop and validate a model and training sequence to assist retarded youth to make the transition from school to employment in the most competitive environment possible. The curriculum described in this project working paper focuses on personal maintenance and…

This document describes a project that developed a life skills and financial management curriculum for senior citizens and presented a 10-day workshop series using the curriculum to a group of 20 senior citizen adult basic education students. The project was evaluated as very successful and the curriculum developed was made available for…

This guide shares survival skills activities with Oklahoma educators of students in grades 9-12. Thirteen sections are included: (1) self-appraisal; (2) skills employers look for; (3) locating available jobs; (4) investigating job requirements; (5) applying for a job; (6) interviewing for a job; (7) deciding about a job; (8) responsibilities of…

Children with autism cannot be taught independent and responsible behavior in the way that most "sociable" children are taught, due to their deficits in social interaction and communication. Children with autism must first build trust in order to feel secure and to be able to concentrate on learning new skills and behaviors. Environmental supports…

The need to teach functional mathematics to students with learning disabilities to prepare them for independent living is explored. The article discusses questions teachers should ask themselves in reviewing their mathematics curricula, ways to implement a functional math curriculum, and the application of mathematics skills to life-centered…

This paper describes a summer program teaching independent living skills to 20 adults with visual impairments. Results suggest the program had a lasting and profound impact on clients' previously low knowledge of job hunting, decision making, stress management, and self-care skills. Interaction with other adults with visual impairments and…

This book chapter outlines a number of key characteristics crucial to the integrity, utility, and efficiency of a behavioral assessment instrument for community living skills of people with developmental disabilities. In addition to basic psychometric considerations, the paper suggests that the functions of a behavioral assessment instrument could…

This guide, part of a series designed to provide practical resources on topics critical to the process of preparing individuals with disabilities for adulthood, focuses on infusing real-life topics into existing elementary and secondary curricula. Chapter 1, "Teaching Real-Life Content," discusses the basic concepts and rationale for teaching life…