Independent Living and Vocational Skills in Schools

This course details my 14-week doctoral capstone focused on the creation of resources that support the development and monitoring of vocational training and independent living skills, ultimately empowering students to approach their job sites with confidence and increased independence. My program development was informed through direct work with students across all grade levels in the U-46 school district, located in Elgin, Illinois, as well as through collaboration with interdisciplinary team members and job coaches.

The objectives for this session are as follows:

• Support the promotion of independent living and vocational skills prior to accessing formal transition service

• Discuss opportunities for assessing and collecting meaningful data to support transition students’ skill development and progress monitoring

• Examine the implications of my findings and identify potential areas for future program development and student-centered intervention

This course will especially benefit individuals with an interest in school-based occupational therapy services, transition programming, functional assessment tools, and evidence-based practice. Participants of this course will also gain practical strategies and resources that can be implemented across a variety of educational and vocational settings.

While this is a beginners level course, prior knowledge of transition services and their role for students with Individualized Education Plans would be helpful. If you do not have existing knowledge in this area, a quick search on "what are transition services in the schools" is recommended.