COACh stands for Creating Opportunities for Autistic Children. This program is Lynn Public School's initiative to provide a free, appropriate public education for children on the autism spectrum who live in Lynn. Our program collaborates with the May Institute to provide a data-driven and research-based program for students with moderate to severe autism. The foundation of our program is Applied Behavior Analysis, which is the only method of teaching students with autism that has been proven to be highly effective through decades of research. Applied Behavior Analysis is driven by data, which is collected daily and analyzed on a regular basis by classroom teachers. This data is used to measure student progress as well as to develop yearly goals. We have multiple substantially separate and integrated classrooms at the elementary level at Shoemaker School, and two substantially separate middle school classrooms at Pickering.
The COACh program at LCHS consists of two classrooms staffed by two teachers, two classroom paraprofessionals, multiple child-specific paraprofessionals, a Speech-Language Pathologist, and behavioral consultants (BCBA.) Our classrooms are split by age (14-17 and 17-21), and I have the privilege of serving as the teacher for our younger group of students. Our program focuses on teaching students the necessary skills to become adults who are able to integrate into their community, family, and school to the best of their ability. In order to do this, we focus on five skill areas:
- Functional Academics - Skills in this area emphasize increasing a student's ability to acquire and apply academic skills to their everyday lives. Math, Science and ELA are the areas primarily addressed. Examples of skills worked on in this area include demonstrating 1:1 correspondence, telling time, counting money, deciphering word problems, using measuring tools, reading and identifying functional signs, reading functional texts such as menus and schedules, identifying common tools, and writing personal information.
- Communication - Skills in this area emphasize increasing a student's ability to successfully communicate their wants and needs when interacting with those around them. Examples of skills worked on in this area include using a communication device with voice output to make requests, speaking in complete sentences, using sign language to make requests, understanding figurative language, and making phone calls.
- Social/Emotional/Behavioral Skills- Skills in this area emphasize increasing a student's ability to appropriately interact with others in their environment, while maintaining self-control. Examples of skills worked on in this area include responding to peers, turn-taking, decreasing disruptive behaviors and demonstrating a knowledge of stranger safety.
- Pre-Vocational/Vocational Skills - Skills in this area emphasize increasing a student's ability to be successful in a future work environment. Students in our younger group have the opportunity to volunteer once a week at My Brother's Table, while students in our older group work twice weekly at Northeast ARC in a paid workshop position. Examples of skills worked on in this area include identifying functional items, following written or pictorial check lists, filling and delivering supply orders for teachers in our school, and increasing work efficiency on known tasks.
- Daily Living Skills - Skills in this area emphasize increasing a student's ability to be independent in their home. We are fortunate to have a full kitchen to access for our program. Examples of skills worked on in this area include cooking simple meals using the stove/microwave/oven, basic cleaning skills such as sweeping and wiping tables, demonstrating understanding of basic safety skills, transportation training on the MBTA, grocery shopping at Stop and Shop, and personal hygiene routines.
The COACh program at LCHS also boasts a successful peer-integration component. Students are able to volunteer to serve as a student aide in our classrooms each year. They are able to earn one community service credit for doing this. Over the course of the past five years, we have grown from one student aide, to fourteen.
Jessica Ayer
Special Education Teacher - COACh Program
Drama Club Adviser
Classical High School
ayerj@lynnschools.org |
