Curriculum for Students 18-21 Should Help them Transition to Adult Life

Leena Jo Landmark, PhD, FAAIDD
Sam Houston State University

Educators of students aged 18-21 frequently ask about curriculum for their students. There are packaged curricula and state K-12 education standards; however, they are neither individualized nor appropriate for adult students. So, how does a teacher determine what to teach individuals over age 18 in school transition programs?

The first step is a transition assessment that includes person-family centered planning. MAPS or PATH could be used, although any person-family centered process will do. The immediate goal is to learn what the adult student’s living, learning, and working environments will be after school services cease.

The next step is to assess the gap between the adult student’s current functional skills and what skills they need to be successful for living, learning, and working in their chosen environments.

The adult student’s individualized curriculum will indicate their current skill levels, their goal skill levels, and the individualized plan for learning those skills.