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Staff Training
The first phase of training for the improvement of service delivery to students with disabilities in the Job Corps program should focus on developing a general awareness of:
Legal obligations
Types of disabilities
Etiquette
Reasonable accommodation
Accessibility
Inclusion
General strategies and assistive technology
Resources
Continued improvement in the service delivery to student's with disabilities, particularly those student's with learning and attention disabilities, now requires the acquisition of a deeper and broader understanding of LD and AD/HD-how learning and attention disabilities are manifested, their potential causes, and study of theory and practice of remedial interventions and accommodation effectiveness.
For more information on providing training in these areas, visit the Job Corps Health & Wellness Disability website.
SUGGESTED TOPICS OF TRAINING
General Topics
Overview of Learning Disabilities
Provide a general overview of LD including their neurological basis. Emphasize the statistical prevalence and the implications for the Job Corps program. Provide general characteristics of students with LD and discuss generalized strategies.
Overview of Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder
Provide a general overview of attention deficit/hyperactive disorder including its neurological basis. Discuss the three diagnostic types according to DSM IV and provide general characteristics of students with AD/HD and discuss generalized strategies. Include a brief discussion on the significant impact of poor social skills and failed peer relationships in individuals with AD/HD.
Career Preparation Period
Understanding Our Wiring/Career Guidance
Discuss how we are all products of our wiring regardless of disability. Discuss the significance of that as it carries over to the workplace.
Career Development Period
Transition Preparation and Support
Provide staff with basic framework needed to provide adequate and appropriate transition services and support to students with learning and attention disabilities. Transition preparation actually starts with enrollment and not at separation.
Promoting Self-Advocacy
Provide overview of self-advocacy, why students need to be able to self-advocate, and resources to assist.
Screening and Assessment
Use of Learning Style Inventories
What are learning style inventories and how does their use benefit students with learning and attention disabilities? Emphasize that it is simply one tool that provides some insight into the student's preferred learning style but it is not an assessment of strengths and weaknesses and should not preclude exposure to all modes of input and output modalities. Actual practice in administering learning style inventories and developing related curriculum activities should be a core component of this training.
Education/Training
Classroom Design
Physical and Programmatic (UDL and Inclusion)
Review the concepts of access and emphasize that it applies programmatically as well as physically. Discuss considerations in arranging and setting up classroom areas to provide areas of minimal distraction, if possible, traffic flow, organization, and so forth. Explain the concepts of UDL and inclusion and how they benefit not only students with LD but all students (e.g., reduced stigma, improved side benefit of improved performance from students without disabilities, etc.).
Classroom Strategies
- Assessing Effectiveness (Accommodation and Programmatic)
Assessment of program effectiveness is an ongoing function and essential to the provision of accommodations to qualified individuals. If an accommodation is approved and yet is not functional or does not prove to be helpful to the student, then the obligation to accommodate has not yet been met and other alternatives must be tried.
Understanding How Students Learn
Discuss the process by which we learn-how information is assimilated, encoded and becomes part of our long term memory. This is particularly helpful in developing instruction and activities for students with LD and AD/HD as they tend to have memory and organizational difficulties.
ESL and Learning Disabilities
Discuss the difficulties in the identification of LD in a student with limited English proficiency. Discuss potential cultural barriers and biases. Provide instructional strategies found to be effective with LEP learners who have LD.
Teaching Students to Write Using Graphic Organizers and Mind-Mapping Software
Demonstrate visually the process of writing an essay using Inspiration Software (Don Johnston, Inc.). Using this type of software takes some of the fear and dread away from students who struggle with either getting their thoughts organized, with transferring the information to paper, or with significant handwriting difficulties.
Instructional Approaches
Discuss the different models and which ones work best at what times? [Direct, indirect, experiential, and/or interactive instruction, independent study, etc.]
Program models
eXcelerate
Bridges to Practice
Orton-Gillingham
Lindamood Bell
Charter schools
Provide an overview of each model. Discuss negative and positive attributes of each and are how they are successful, if they are, for students with LD.
6. Assistive Technology
Discuss how current technologies can be used to assist students with learning and attention disabilities as well as students without disabilities and limited English proficiency. Discuss the various types (in a broad sense) of technology available, and their applicability and use for students with and without disabilities.
Research
Current research theories and practice
Provide overview of theories and practice in the field and discuss applicability to the Job Corps
Research to Practice
Explain the "Research to Practice" model (e.g., teachers conduct research and share findings with colleagues either in writing or at meetings and conferences for application in the classroom). This could be adapted to include other staff positions as well. Also, provide general overview of existing trends and requirements for the use of research-based practices in general education classrooms.
Research topics
Apply model concepts to classroom
Share results with each other
Use community resources to provide or support center training
