Para eLink: Where Minnesota's Paraprofessionals Learn Online

competencies | tutorial | glossary | help | site index

K6: Basic understanding of the referral, assessment, planning, and placement procedures specific to teaching students with DCD.

K8: Understanding of how the Individualized Education Program (IEP) is used to design and implement developmentally appropriate instruction for students with DCD.

K11: Knowledge of the role of related service providers (physical therapy, occupational therapy, vision services, etc.).

K12: Understanding of the paraprofessional's role regarding communication with students, students' families, and the community that supports students' learning and well-being.

K13: Understanding of the paraprofessional's role in working with providers of related services (physical therapy, occupational therapy, etc.).

K14: Understanding of the paraprofessional's role within the roles and responsibilities of teachers and support personnel in providing educational services to students with DCD.

Functional Curriculum and the Individualized Education Program (IEP)

Picture of a student sitting at his desk. Students who qualify for special education under the DCD category must have an Individualized Education Program. The IEP determines the student’s educational goals and objectives and guides the work of the educational team. Determining these goals is a team process based on the assessment information and input from the student and his/her parents as well as other members of the educational team.

For students who qualify for special education under DCD, it is important for the team to develop goals and educational objectives to address not only their cognitive disabilities but also their adaptive behaviors. This means the team must identify and address not only what the student needs to know to be successful in school but also what the student needs to learn to become a productive, happy member of their neighborhood and the larger community. Therefore, the educational team must design an IEP and educational program using a functional curriculum approach.

From Unit 1, Lesson 1a—Developmental Cognitive Disabilities: Understanding Related Terminology, recall that functional curriculum is based on instruction that teaches a variety of skills frequently needed in typical domestic, vocational, and community environments. They include basic skills that a student needs in order to adequately function in these environments.

A functional curriculum teaches skills that are useful to the student and improve independence. The skills taught are based on the assessment information and the needs of the student in each of the seven adaptive behavior domains:

a) Daily living and independent living skills,
b) Social and interpersonal skills,
c) Communication skills,
d) Academic skills,
e) Recreation and leisure skills,
f) Community participation skills, and
g) Work and work-related skills.

The student’s goals and objectives are based on improving life skills that are helpful, improving independence, and creating opportunities for social relationships with others who do not have disabilities. These are taught in a natural setting where the skill is typically used. Consideration should also be made for the age-appropriateness of the skill as well as the type of instruction used to teach the skill. One of the many roles and responsibilities you have as a paraprofessional is to support this functional approach to teaching and learning.

References

Minnesota Department of Education. (2004). Promising practices for the identification of individuals with developmental disabilities (draft) (Developmental Cognitive Disability Manual). Retrieved March 21, 2007, from http://www.nesc.k12.mn.us/special_ed/manuals/

A portion of the information for Lesson 2c is used with permission from:

Haring, N. G., McComick, L., & Haring, T. A. (1994). Exceptional Children and Youth (6th ed.) (pp. 278-279). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.