Functional and DLM Information

Every child has unique needs – we recognize this in the general education setting and in the special education setting.

A few students have such unique needs that an accommodation or basic modification to the curriculum is not appropriate. These few students still require a rigorous curriculum that supports their present levels and pushes them to achieve as much as possible. This Functional Section of the website was designed to help teachers plan for students to make continuous progress at the student’s maximum rate of growth.

This resources listed below should allow teachers to prepare a functional program for each student’s individual needs.

ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS TO A FUNCTIONAL PROGRAM

When developing a program for a student with very significant needs, a program must have these Essential Components.

There are Non-Negotiables to a Functional Classroom.  Each program should have a classroom structure including Structured Work Systems, a systematic data collection plan, effective organization,  communication that meets each students’ needs, and a curriculum. 

Additional supports in setting up a Functional Classroom:

• Getting Started: Setting Up a Structured Work System
• Creating Independent Tasks: How to Structure and make work tasks that low-incidence learners can complete independently

There is very important professional development that will significantly impact a teacher working with a student with significant needs LINKED HERE

CURRICULUM

Each Functional teacher should use the following as the curriculum to link the standards to instruction:

Resources available in the Functional Classroom settings of Tri-County:

• The Carolina Curriculum or AEPS for students with skills below age 5 years.
  • Birth- 5 years Curriculum The Carolina Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers with Special Needs, Assessment Log and Developmental Progress Chart

• The Carolina Curriculum for Preschoolers with Special Needs, Assessment Log and Developmental Progress Chart

• AEPS, Child Observation Data Recording Form I, Birth to Three years

• AEPS, Child Observation Data Recording Form II, Three to Six years

• Adaptive Skills over age 5: FISH: Functional Independence Skills Handbook: Assessment and Curriculum for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities with FISH Assessment Booklets
• Reading: Edmark Reading Series Level 1, Level 2
• Math: varies by district; (Recommendation: Touch Math)
• Social Studies and Science: varies by district; (Recommendation: News To You)
• Communication for visual schedules (Recommendation: lessonpix.com)
• Safety and Transition: Edmark- Signs in the Community, Grocery Store Words, Job Words, Fast Food Words

STATE STANDARDS

The Essential Elements are the State Standards for students with significant needs.

• K-2 Essential Elements Data
• 3^rd-11the grade Essential Elements by linkage level
• DLM LINK to all Essential Elements with tested items

DLM (State Assessment)

• DLM Participation Guidelines This document must be reviewed with the IEP team and included in the IEP paperwork before making a  decision for a student to take the DLM as the state assessment.
• Teachers that give the DLM should sign up for the DLM webinars that occur regularly throughout each school year which includes “how-tos” and updates. Go to the KSDE DLM page and look at Webinars to sign up.
• DLM and all things DLM