Meal Planning and Preparation
An important aspect of living independently is being able to plan and shop for and prepare your own meals. Students receive direct instruction in meal planning and preparation. Balanced, weekly menus are planned with staff assistance prior to grocery shopping. Menu selections reflect the student's culinary skills and are chosen with staff assistance. Groceries are purchased with one-on-one assistance from OPTIONS staff; one student from each apartment is accompanied by staff for weekly grocery shopping. Students take turns preparing meals for their apartment mates. Students receive direct instruction during meal preparation until they demonstrate that they are competent to prepare meals more independently.
Social Stratigies
OPTIONS recognizes that understanding social communication and being able to participate confidently in social interactions are important aspects of life. To facilitate growth in these areas, social strategies training sessions are held weekly. The meetings provide formats for addressing specific skills necessary for socialization in more independent settings. Through the activities and discussions, students develop problem solving skills, empathy for others, self-confidence, and effective communication techniques.
Money Management
Being able to manage money and budget within one's money allotment is important. Students are assisted in developing money management skills. Students maintain a local checking account and budget for their spending and expenses. It is recommended that a weekly allowance amount be agreed upon by the student and parents. An instructor/ILC will directly supervise money management until the student demonstrates skills necessary to do so independently.
Community Service
In an effort to help OPTIONS students integrate into the community and to recognize the importance of giving back to the community, students are responsible to participate in one community service project each semester. A project site could be attending a city council meeting, donating blood at a Red Cross station, or volunteering at the Irish Festival; many more opportunities for the student to find a project of interest exist within the community. The OPTIONS students and staff also sponsor Christmas gifts for children through local service agencies as well as a food drive through-out the Spring Semester to provide food for children in need over the summer months. Students, staff and the community gain from these projects.
Study Hall
In order to foster study skills development and assist the student in being successful in classes, study hall takes place for a minimum of two hours, depending on student needs, Sunday through Thursday evenings. Typically, sudy hall takes place in each apartment, with tutors available in the apartments to assist students with homework. There is daily communication between the instructors and the Independent Living staff to facilitate clear expectations in terms of work assigned and student mastery. Students are also expected to record assignments in their daily planners, which assists them in gaining time management and organization skills.
Transporation
Transportation to and from school, work, and recreational activities is provided by OPTIONS or Brehm staff. The OPTIONS Program has vans that are typically used to transport students. Students may gain the privilege of riding in the automobile of another or of having their own vehicles. OPTIONS staff also provides transportation to airports or train stations for travel over breaks.
|
Apartment Living
Students in the OPTIONS Program live in supervised apartments within the community, located near the Southern Illinois University campus. The apartments are less than 2 miles from the OPTIONS instructional building and are within a larger apartment complex. The apartment building is new, opening in the fall of 2008. Three students share an apartment, with each student having his or her own room and own bathroom. Each apartment is furnished, air-conditioned and has an internal sprinkler system. Each apartment has Kenmore appliances that include a dish-washer, microwave and full-size washer and dryer. The apartment complex amenities include a swimming pool, exercise room and basketball court.
Household maintenance of student apartments is a shared responsibility, with students rotating responsibilities for those shared duties. Each student is individually responsible for personal hygiene, laundry, and room and bathroom cleanliness. This provides opportunities for extensive instruction and guidance in various activities of daily living. The apartments are supervised by Independent Living Counselors (ILC) who oversee activities within the apartment setting. There is at least one Independent Living Counselor on duty when students are present in the apartments; typically, there are also other auxiliary staff present, as well.
On a broader scale, within the context of apartment living, there are many "teachable moments" that move the student toward healthy relationships and independence. As adults, we all encounter problems and issues through-out the course of our daily lives, sometimes great, sometimes small. Whether it be managing a budget, dealing with peer relationships or managing a family crisis, the OPTIONS team provides guidance and support for each student. The goal is to assist the student in identifying and implementing steps needed to solve the problem or deal with the crisis and then, to evaluate for effectiveness. At times, unplanned lessons such as these become invaluable.
Personal Development
To move students towards meeting the Mission Statement goal of optimizing and maximizing the full potential of each student, the OPTIONS Team has develop a system of recognizing and tracking individual student performance in key areas identified as important and essential to positive participation in adult life. This system is the Personal Development Record (PDR). The purposes of the OPTIONS PDR are to:
- provide the student with a method of monitoring choices and behaviors in areas identified as important to personal growth and development
- provide opportunities for feedback and growth regarding targeted areas
- provide a method for the student to obtain more privileges (and responsibilities) through demonstrated successes in targeted areas
- provide a method for the student, parents and the OPTIONS Team to monitor students' choices and behaviors
- provide opportunities for OPTIONS staff to assist students in implementing strategies and using accommodations to move forward in a positive manner
The PDR will reflect as the student performs responsibly and appropriately and privileges will increase as the student does so. Determination of what constitutes satisfactory performance will be made with the student's demonstrated abilities in mind. Areas identified as important and essential to positive participation in adult life and tracked by the PDR are:
- Accountability for actions
- Follow-through & preparedness
- Interpersonal communication
- Time management
- Organization
- Personal hygiene
- Honesty and integrity
- Respectful behavior
- Safe behavior
|
 |
Recreation
OPTIONS students participate in planned recreational activities in a variety of ways. Time is allotted each day for recreational pursuits including, but not limited to hiking, bowling, miniature golf, swimming, Southern Illinois University sporting events, and the John A. Logan Recreation Center. Students enroll in a physical education class at John A. Logan Community College which earns them one hour of transferable college credit and helps to establish good individual fitness habits. Each student is encouraged and assisted in identifying and pursuing recreational and leisure activities of interest to him or her.
Weekend activities include traveling to local spots of interest such as Giant City StatePark or Little Grand Canyon. Students also attend fairs and festivals that are held in the area. SIU provides opportunities for students to attend sporting events as well as theatrical, musical, and cultural activities. Frequently, weekend recreation activities include traveling to St. Louis for an excursion to a museum, zoo, sporting event, concert, play, or just to shop. The recreation program is designed to encourage students to participate in structured activities where they may learn new skills, develop balance in their social interactions, increase their self-esteem, gain new experiences, increase awareness of leisure resources, develop culturally, and grow emotionally.
|
|
