Incorporating Life Skills Instruction in Lessons for Students with Disabilities

Incorporating life skills in lessons for special needsas planned.   At any moment in a planned lesson an
students.appropriate and valuable   “teaching moment”
          Are you a special educationcan occur.   Teaching moments need to be
teacher?  Is that special need student in your classrecognized and taken advantage of by educators as
very knowledgeable about Russian geography forthey present themselves.   A teaching moment
example, yet cannot tie his own shoelaces? Are youroffers a unique and unplanned opportunity to connect
lessons almost entirely academically focused?  If youand relate useful and practical information to your
answer yes to any of the above questions, you are instudents during instructional time.   That very
need of some curriculum intervention.  Your lessonsenthusiastic child who comes to the board with his
need to reflect some life skills instruction.  Life skillsunlaced sneakers presents an excellent opportunity for
instruction is a necessary component for all studentsan appropriate “teaching moment” where
with disabilities curriculum.students can learn about safety for example.
        Life skills curriculum is a combination of Team Teaching
academic, daily living, personal skills integrated in your       Special needs learners are generally
lesson.  The purpose of this article is to present someentitled to related services as identified in their IEP. 
basic and simple ways to incorporate life skills in yourBecause related service providers play a major role
daily lesson planning.  Teaching specific skills, teachingand have many responsibilities in the educational setting
moments and team teaching are three (3) of theeducators can work hand in hand with them to teach
diverse ways that life skills instructions can belife skills mastery to special needs students.  Lessons
integrated in the curriculum.can be planned in collaboration with the provider (s) to
  Specific Skills   meet the needs of the students.  That teaching
       A lesson with a specific objective is anmoment on safety mentioned above can be extended
effective way to teach an age appropriate specific lifeto a “ how to tie shoelaces “ lesson planned in
skill to special needs students.  Making ancollaboration with the occupational therapist (s).
assessment is recommended to help you find your      Special needs students face a lot of
students’ specific skills deficits.  One example ofchallenges in a world that is becoming more and more
teaching a specific skill is when your lesson is focusedunsettled. Educators have the responsibility to teach
on teaching students what kind of information shoulduseful and practical life skills to help them achieve self-
be relayed in an emergency situation.  As with anysufficiency and to ease their transition from the
lesson, good preparation is the key to ensure goodclassroom to the real world. Teaching specific skills,
delivery and facilitate learning.teaching moments, and team teaching are three (3) of
Teaching momentsthe multiple ways that educators can combine life skills
     All teachers, experienced and /or novice knowand academic skills instruction in students with
very well that lessons are almost never fully delivereddisabilities lessons.