A new program in the Burrell School District is giving Life Skills students a dose of reality with an emphasis on preparing them for postgraduate living.
The new Instruction in Work and Independent Living program launched this year at Burrell High School is a culmination of life skills, speech and occupational therapy.
The program, said Life Skills teacher Chelsey Kriley, actually gets the students into the community to work on what’s called Instrumental Activities of Daily Living skills.
There are nine high school life skills students in the program, with a range of different abilities.
Instrumental Activities of Daily Living skills are the more complex, sequenced skills that allow a person to live independently, said Kristin DeStefano, an occupational therapist who works in the Burrell School District.
“It’s more higher order, critical thinking skills,” she said.
It includes things such as housekeeping, communicating, financial planning and preparing meals.
“They’re really getting to do, and learn about, the little things that we typically just do,” said Sara Schwartz, a speech therapist at Burrell.
The program’s first large event was a Thanksgiving meal last week at The Craft Escape. Students coordinated the meal from beginning to end — including going to the grocery store, managing a budget, planning and preparing the meal, cooking, serving and cleaning up afterward.
It was paid for by proceeds made by the Bucco Bean, a coffee cart-type store the students operate every Friday morning.
“It’s been a good opportunity for them to work on these skills in a real-life situation instead of just in the classroom,” Schwartz said.
And that’s exactly what the program aims to do.
Previously, Life Skills students may have just gone over scenarios in the classroom instead of interacting and dealing with real-life situations and independent living skills.
“It’s getting out there and doing the real tasks our in our community,” DeStefano said.
Kriley has big plans for the program. Eventually, she would like to get her students experience at real jobs within the school district such as clerical, janitorial or cafeteria work.
For now, DeStefano is seeing growth in the students, including increases in their confidence and self-esteem. Instead of asking for help, the students are asking how they can help, she said.
“The hope overall is we get them to be able to go through the steps of certain activities independently,” DeStefano said.
