Benefits of Community-Based Instruction

Current research and results from current program implementation suggest the following outcomes may be obtained from involvement in community-based education programs and concurrent on-going classroom instruction.

Benefits to Students:

  1. Increase appropriate social and community behaviors, in addition to appropriate work habits (decrease of self-stimulatory,
    ritualistic, anti-social behaviors).
  2.  Development of specific skills critical to the individual's independent functioning within the community.
  3. General increase of independence in community mobility.
  4.  Development of age-appropriate social skills necessary to complete community transactions.
  5. Development or skills and work habits appropriate to sheltered and/or un-sheltered employment settings.

Benefits to Parents/Caregivers:

  1. Increased parental and caregiver commitment and involvement in program planning.
  2. Increased parent and caregiver responsibility in the identification of skills which a student needs to function within the home and/or community.
  3. General increase in parent-caregiver/school communication, cooperation and participation.

Benefits to Educational Staff:

  1. Increased creativity and commitment to the instructional program as a result of the development of a more functionally based curriculum.
  2. Increased staff communications as a result of program development, coordination, and implementation.
  3. Projected increase in teacher motivation due to implementation of programs in a variety of environments other than the classroom.

Benefits to the Community

  1. Increased positive community awareness of realistic potential of individuals with disabilities.
  2. Increased partnership of the private sector by cooperatively providing instructional settings appropriate to individuals with disabilities.