Independent Living will cover the basic skills and information needed to live on your own: Decision Making; Economic Systems; Managing your Money: taxes, banking and consumer credit; Building Financial Security: savings, investment, insurance; Making Spending Decisions; Housing, transportation and food.
- Teacher: David Coffey
This course assists students in understanding their own disability, and how it impacts learning, employment and social interactions. Personal strengths and challenges when learning new and/or difficult information in school and on the job are identified. Students will become familiar with the transition process as it relates to their IEP; their current life status in each of the transition areas; basic laws and disability rights in secondary education, post-secondary education, and employment; and how to identify and ask for accommodations in various environments. Self-Advocacy skill development, and understanding community agencies and how to access those resources are key components of this class.
- Teacher: Shalonda McAlester
Learn various aspects of getting and managing credit, using credit cards and debit cards responsibly, identity theft, and being wise consumers. Learn about the importance of having appropriate insurance coverage, insurance vocabulary, and various types of insurance and their benefits. Other current consumer economic topics may be covered.
- Teacher: Shalonda McAlester
Develop skills needed to manage personal money and how to keep track of spending. Students will have a greater understanding of banking services, fees and interest, and how to better understand their paychecks, deductions, benefits, and paying taxes. Students will pick a mock career and salary to build a budget and adjust expenses to maintain financial stability.
- Teacher: Shalonda McAlester
(Prerequisite to Skills for Home Living) Students are introduced to the basic knowledge needed before entering the hands-on environment of the apartment. Topics taught include: safety and sanitation, identification and use of equipment, appliances, and utensils, meal planning, abbreviations, developing a shopping list, assembling ingredients, following a recipe, food storage and cleanup.
- Teacher: Shalonda McAlester
This course discusses and addresses the needed elements to create and maintain healthy relationships. Students learn to identify skills that are required to be a good listener and to manage their anger. The course also assists students in recognizing their feelings and expressing them in an appropriate manner. Students learn to discriminate between appropriate and inappropriate dating behaviors. Students learn about responsibilities and ownership in creating healthy relationships and what it means to have a committed relationship. Students learn the warning signs of trouble and conflict and possible approaches for ending relationships. The curriculum also covers safety related to Internet dating.
- Teacher: Shalonda McAlester
Students will learn to have a better understanding of the history of the legal system that includes the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Civil Rights and identify the differences between Federal and State laws. Students will learn to have a better understanding of their legal rights and responsibilities which include the Miranda rights, rights after an arrest until sentencing, and understanding the different types of crimes. This course also addresses rights and responsibilities of citizens, the legal system, civil rights, and criminal law. Students will learn how secure a lawyer and have a better understanding of legal consequences. Field trips are taken to various governmental agencies. Good citizenship is stressed throughout the course.
- Teacher: Shalonda McAlester
- Teacher: Heather Grebe