Excellent Activity Checklist For The Classroom Participants will learn useful strategies to include students with severe multiple disabilities into their classrooms as illustrated in the video “Integration - Meeting The Challenge”. Activities combining educational, therapeutic, and non-verbal communication strategies will be shared. Participants will learn useful strategies to include students with severe multiple disabilities into their classrooms as illustrated in the video “Integration - Meeting The Challenge”. Activities combining educational, therapeutic, and non-verbal communication strategies will be shared.

This workshop will introduce activity ideas including the following:  Simple verbal instructions  Consistent use of object cues  Graduated prompts  Backward chaining  Multi-sensory feedback  Time to respond  Simple verbal instructions  Consistent use of object cues  Graduated prompts  Backward chaining  Multi-sensory feedback  Time to respond  Reinforcing the “more” concept  Choice making  Functional hand use  Switch use  Vision  Motivators  Peer involvement

Simple Verbal Instructions  Talk to the student about upcoming activities as well as what he is currently doing  Label activities and objects the student is engaged with to build receptive language  Keep language simple  Don’t bombard with instructions or prompts  Talk to the student about upcoming activities as well as what he is currently doing  Label activities and objects the student is engaged with to build receptive language  Keep language simple  Don’t bombard with instructions or prompts

Consistent Use of Object Cues  Pair familiar objects prior to and throughout an activity  Place it in the finished box/bin at the end of the activity  This builds familiarity for choice making  Pair familiar objects prior to and throughout an activity  Place it in the finished box/bin at the end of the activity  This builds familiarity for choice making

Graduated Prompts

Backward Chaining  To learn new skills involve the student at the end of the activity through partial participation  Experience the success of completing the task  Gradually move backwards and expect the student to do more of the task  To learn new skills involve the student at the end of the activity through partial participation  Experience the success of completing the task  Gradually move backwards and expect the student to do more of the task

Multi-sensory Feedback  Increase the variety of sensory feedback  Combine interesting visual, tactile, and auditory experiences into routine activities  Increase the variety of sensory feedback  Combine interesting visual, tactile, and auditory experiences into routine activities

Time to Respond  Count slowly and silently to 10 to allow the student to process directions and get his/her body to do what they want it to do

Reinforcing The “More Concept”  Stop activities the student is enjoying and ask if they want more  Reinforce vocalizations, gestures, or facial expressions the student might use to indicate the desire to continue  Stop activities the student is enjoying and ask if they want more  Reinforce vocalizations, gestures, or facial expressions the student might use to indicate the desire to continue

Choice Making

 Incorporate opportunities to make choices for familiar activities and objects into daily routines  Depending on the student this might involve single or multiple object or picture choices

Functional Hand Use  Build in opportunities for the student to use their hands (with assistance if necessary) to grasp, release, or sweep during an activity

Switch Use  Build in opportunities for the student to use a switch with the AbleNet Powerlink,and for voice output with the BigMac, or Step- by-Step

Switch Use

Vision  Provide expectations for some use of the student’s vision within real and functional activities

Motivators  Build the student’s motivators into activities whenever possible (e.g. music, movement, favourite people, food, praise).

Peer Involvement  Involve a peer in 1:1 situations and have the peer reinforce a skill the student is working on  Develop a social calendar and have each classmate sign up to do at least one activity a month with the student  Involve a peer in 1:1 situations and have the peer reinforce a skill the student is working on  Develop a social calendar and have each classmate sign up to do at least one activity a month with the student