Chapter Ten

Community Participation

Functional Community Skills (skills that are immediately applicable to daily life):

Key Qualities:

1. performed within the context of a "real" activity (rather than going to the grocery store to read food labels for the sake of generalizing reading skills-the learner is actually shopping for groceries to use in the cooking lesson)
2. activity is meaningful to the student (teaching bowling skills in the bowling alley only if the student enjoys and wants to perform this activity in his/her future)
3. person feels the activity serves a purpose (going to the Y to swim because the person likes to swim)
4. would the skill need to be performed by someone else if the student is not able to do it them self (if the student doesn't learn independent street crossing with stop lights, they will need assistance to complete this task; but, if the student is planning to live in a community where there are no street lights-then it would not be a functional skills for them)
5. the skill will be used throughout the students life

Community instruction should focus on current and subsequent environments in which the learner will participate.

Content for Instruction

Notice the major goal areas of community skills instruction identified in Table 10.4. "The first three categories focus on places individuals go to purchase tangible items such as food, clothing, and other necessities. What are these categories?

The services category refers to assistance people purchase from specially trained persons. Can you think of another example for this category?

The public facilities category lists services typically provided by the government of nonprofit organization. Can you think of another example for this category?

The recreation category describes the places where individuals choose to spend their free time. What would be an additional preference of yours that you would add to this category?

Volunteer work is another category in which people give back to society.

The transportation identifies ways that people get around in their community.

Review Table 10.5 (page 267) to develop an understanding of "school" as community for learners to participate.

Review Table 10.6 (page 268) to understand the benefits of community-based instruction.

How does community-based and community-referenced instruction differ? Review Table 10.7 on page 269 to note the differences between community-based instruction, community-referenced instruction, and community-simulation.

Review the "core components" of community based-instruction. You will be using these in the assignment for this chapter.

Review the steps to conducting community assessment. You will be using these in the second assignment for this chapter.

What are the barriers to community-based instruction and how can they be overcome?