The Bridge: Leveraging Students’ Interests to Spur Progress Beyond the Classroom
Since mid-March, I’ve logged countless hours on Zoom providing special education support to our students across a range of workshops and programs here at Islands of Brilliance. I’ve been blown away by the growth and progress I’ve witnessed with each and every login. Watching a student who was initially hesitant to join Doodle Lounge because of anxiety and change in routine, become a “frequent flyer” who readily shares his creations with immense pride. Observing students in Digital Academy learning new design and software skills begin the program as peers working individually, and move through the experience to become a united team— a team that works together to create a shared product. These are just a few examples of the breakthroughs, or “the magic” we see every day.
IOB programming provides opportunities for students with autism to let their creativity shine while developing important STEM and interpersonal skills. What’s more, it provides an outlet for them to grow these skills outside of the traditional classroom environment. For the past 8 years, IOB has provided students with programming independent of public and private education and homeschooling. But now, things are different. With uncertain times and the need to stay safe and maintain personal health, Islands of Brilliance has been given a new challenge: How do we provide programming that allows students on the spectrum to continue practicing and nurturing their skills beyond the classroom? The answer: We are providing opportunities for students that leverage their interests in an environment where many of their extracurricular options have disappeared. Our programming also allows for an extension of the work being done in the classroom.
Meeting Individualized Education Plan goals outside of school
IOB's team of licensed special educators, an occupational therapist, and other educational professionals welcome the opportunity to collaborate with each student's Individualized Education Plan (IEP) team members in finding ways to align our programming to address their IEP goals. For those unfamiliar, an IEP is a legal document that is individually developed for each student who is eligible for special education services in public schools. The goals and objectives of the plan are developed by a team of district personnel and the student’s parents who are knowledgeable about the child’s needs. The IEP is reviewed and revised at least annually and can be revisited as many times as necessary to best support the student. The purpose of an IEP is to improve the educational outcomes for a student with the support of staff, parents, and other relevant professionals. These are some examples of IEP goals that we may find some of our students working toward:
By the end of the school year, Sam can engage appropriately in conversations with his peers in 5/5 opportunities. In other words, by the end of the school year, Sam can use appropriate language, use self-management strategies to avoid interrupting, maintain eye contact, and participate consistently in conversations with his peers 100% of the time.
In the next 6 months, Julia will be able to utilize emotional regulation strategies when she feels frustrated in 3/4 opportunities. This goal means: Julia will use her emotional regulation strategies (deep breathing, taking a break, using her words to express herself) when she’s frustrated 75% of the time.
Participation in IOB programming not only offers opportunities for student learning and growth in Science/Technology/Engineering/Art/Math (STEAM) areas but also offers exciting opportunities for students to improve the soft skills often identified in IEPs.The soft skills that IOB students learn can be found in the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) competencies: self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, relationship skills, and social awareness. IOB mentors and staff use a coaching model to help students understand and use important strategies to improve SEL skills. Within each IOB program, teaching opportunities, reinforcing, and maintaining these skills are embedded through a student-centered approach.
Meeting students where they are
The soft skills mentioned above are non-technical skills that, once acquired, help our students become job ready. Teaching soft skills and learning soft skills is quite abstract, and can be very challenging for students. In a situation where a student may be playing baseball with friends, the technical skills include hitting the ball, catching the ball, and running the bases. In this scenario, the soft skills include accepting the umpire’s calls and decisions, cheering on teammates, and employing self-regulation (managing excited vs. disappointed emotions).
Because it can be challenging to learn soft skills and apply these skills to real-life situations, we find the most success when we meet students where they are, leveraging their interests. The soft skills coaching IOB provides uses these interests to increase engagement. In general, when students learn new concepts and strategies, it is crucial that the material relates and applies to their lives, and that they feel as if they are stakeholders in the process. Student investment and engagement is key, and is always our goal.
In our Foundation Workshops, for example, the students drive the process, deciding what to create, which tools to use, and what the finished product will look like. The mentors provide coaching in software and support when necessary, but the process is largely self-directed by the students. In Natterdays, programming is used to meet specific IEP goals of our students, typically relating to communication skills (turn-taking, reading body language and facial expressions, and accepting opinions that may be different from their own). IOB programming offers an opportunity to extend and accelerate the strategies and content being taught at school. With our student-centered approach, students can engage in programming that embraces their curiosities, allowing them to continue working towards these goals in a supported environment outside of the classroom. Their interests bring a level of familiarity, comfort, and engagement, that sets the stage for continued progress or “the magic.”
Celebrating strengths, providing hope
The progress our students are making is also being recognized at the school level, as the skills and strategies that are being taught at school are coming alive in other areas. For example, one of our current students recently shared that she will receive art credits for her participation in Doodle Lounge in place of her school’s online art class. This is groundbreaking and so exciting, demonstrating that participation in IOB programming can provide students with additional ways to access their formal education in meaningful ways. We are constantly working together with families to determine how IOB programming can augment what’s occurring in the classroom.
Overall, students who participate in IOB workshops and programming say that they feel better prepared for their school environments and the workforce because of the important soft skills they develop at IOB. With each workshop, our students add to their toolbox of skills, both design/creation and interpersonal, which builds their confidence. Our programming encourages students to celebrate their strengths and interests to achieve their aspirations, promotes being part of a community, and creates a sense of belonging.
Parents share that IOB programming gives them hope that their children will continue to grow and develop the skills required to become contributing members of their communities. Every breakthrough, every magical moment, adds to the hope they feel. We are honored to be able to offer hope to families through our programming and excited to create more partnerships with schools to encourage even more inspiration, creativity, and innovation in our community.
