It is not uncommon for instruction of students with moderate to severe disabilities to be based on a developmental sequence of skills. A dilemma then results when an attempt is made to provide instructional skills failed at a particular developmental level or mental age into additional tasks to be taught. Not only were these developmental benchmarks never intended to be used in this manner, but the result is that students spend a majority of their school day being taught skills that are artificial and/or age inappropriate. Given the time that it takes students with moderate to severe disabilities to acquire and maintain functional skills, there is no time or justification for devoting instruction to teaching items that are selected from a developmentally based hierarchy of supposed "pre-requisite" skills.
A scenario of the outcome for one such student is portrayed by his sibling below....
My brother is 18 years old. He has an IQ of 30 - 40 and has been in school for 12 years. My brother has always attended an elementary school. He has had a number of years of individualized instruction and has learned to do a lot of things!
My brother can do lots of things he couldn't do before!
He can put 100 pegs in a board in less than 10 minutes while in his seat with 95% accuracy.
But, he can't put quarters in vending machines.
Upon command, he can touch his nose, shoulder, leg, foot, hair and ear. He's still working on wrist, ankle and hips.
But, he can't blow his nose when needed.
He can do a 12 piece Big Bird puzzle with 100% accuracy and color the Eastern Bunny while staying in the lines.
But, he prefers music. However, he was never taught how to use a radio or record player.
He can now fold primary paper in halves and even quarters.
But, he can't fold his clothes.
He can sort blocks by color; up to 10 different colors!
But, he can't sort clothes; whites from colors for washing.
He can roll Play- Doh and make wonderful clay snakes.
But, he can't roll bread dough and cut out biscuits.
He can string beads in alternating colors and match it to a pattern on a DLM card.
But, he can't lace his shoes.
He can sing his ABCs and tell names of all the letters of the alphabet when presented on a card in upper case with 80% accuracy.
But, he can't tell the men's room from the ladies room when we go to McDonald's.
He can be told it's cloudy/rainy and take a black felt cloud and put it on the day of the week on an enlarged calendar(with assistance).
But, he still goes out in the rain without a raincoat.
He can point to 100 different Peabody Picture Cards with 100% accuracy.
But, he can't order a hamburger by pointing to a picture or gesturing.
He can walk a balance beam, side ways and backwards.
But, he can't walk up the steps or bleachers unassisted in the gym to go to a basketball game.
He can count to 100 by rote memory.
But, he doesn't know how many dollars to pay the cashier for a $2.59 McDonald's coupon special.
He can put the cube in the box, under the box, beside the box and behind the box.
But, he can't find the trash bin in McDonald's and empty his trash in it.
He can sit in a circle wid appropriate behaviour and sing songs and play "Duck, Duck, Goose"
But, nobody else his age in his neighbourhood seems to want to do that.
I GUESS HE'S JUST NOT READY YET !!
