The Skills for Living Program is a unique program that specializes in supporting
students who have exceptional needs. It provides a classroom environment
intended for students with severe and profound cognitive and physical challenges
or multiple disabilities. The Individual Educational Plan (IEP) or the
Individual Transition Plan (ITP) serves as the basis for an individual
curriculum for students who do not benefit from provincial curricula.
Individualized programming consists of educational experiences that are
functionally appropriate and highly individualized to take into account the
unique learning requirements of the students. The Skills for Living Program
recognizes the importance of providing students with inclusive and appropriate
educational opportunities and experiences. The students work on their IEP goals
and do not acquire the credits required to graduate. The students receive a
Certificate of Completion for an Individualized Seniors Years Program at age 21.
They are eligible to attend the school’s convocation ceremony.
The Skills for Living Program in the high schools aim to:
- Provide a classroom environment which accommodates each
student’s rate of learning, development, and behaviour.
- Develop
functional skills in literacy and mathematics. Instructional strategies and
activities are individualized according to the unique abilities and needs of
each student, and may include: adapted worksheets; computer software such as
Boardmaker, Kid-Biz 3000, Mathematics, Learning A-Z, Raz-Kids; communication
aids such as Mayer-Johnson Picture Communication Symbols, color photographs, and
augmentative communication devices such as iPads, adaptive switches, large key
calculators, to name a few.
- Develop daily-living skills in the areas
of self-care, physical well-being, and recreation and leisure.
- Provide pre-vocational and vocational training according to the needs and
interests of each student.
- Promote student self-control and foster
appropriate social behaviours and interactions with others.
- Facilitate the inclusion of students into the school community.
Individual program goals and objectives focus upon developing
skills in specific domains:
- Personal and Social Development
- Communication
- Academic
- Physical Well
Being/Function
- Daily Living Skills
- Leisure/Recreation
- Vocational
- Transition
Each student’s
individual educational plan (IEP) is developed collaboratively by parents and
teachers, and usually includes input from a variety of sources, namely:
- Occupational Therapists
- Physiotherapist
- Speech and Language Pathologists
- Social Workers
- Psychologists
- School Administrators
- WRHA Nurse
- Skills for Living Program Student Services Coordinator
