S e c t i o n 13.0 U N D E R S T A N D I N G A N D P A R T ...

1 Section UNDERSTANDING AND PARTICIPATING IN. COMMUNITY. Contents Introduction Part 1: What is a Community? Our Local School Community Physical Space: Creating a Map of My School Residents: Profile of Peers Government/Management Businesses Services Available Connections Between My Program and Local Community Special and Historical Lore (Local Flavor). Culture and Ethnicities Big Picture: If I Were in Charge of My Program The Local Neighborhood / Local Community Physical Layout Residents Government/Management Businesses Civic services and Locations Special and Historical Lore (Local Flavor). Spiritual Places and the Beliefs They Represent Big Picture Thinking: If I Were in Charge of My Neighborhood What is Happening in the Community Community-Building and Community Service Events Finding Information How to Learn About Upcoming Events Getting the Details I Need So I Can Plan Locating Services Section UNDERSTANDING AND PARTIC IPATING IN COMMUNITY.

2 Entertainment and Recreation Where and When to Buy How Do I Spend My Money? Where Do I Like to Shop? Saving Money for Big or Special Items Such as Electronics or Trips My Spending Habits Where to Eat What to Think About When Choosing Where/What to Eat Fast Food Places Restaurants Getting Around Walking Cycling Public Transportation Rides from Friends and Family Taxis and Shuttles General Safety Identifying My Favorite Places, Businesses, and Events Place I Might Want to Visit Where to Meet People Places I Might Want to Volunteer Places I Might Want to Work General Guidance for Being Out and About in the Community with Students Examples of Community-Based Learning Experiences Managing Individual Differences in Core Capacities When Out and About Organization and Planning for Community Outings Preparing for Potential Risks and Obstacles Part 2.

3 Understanding Why We Learn About Society Developing a Community View Developing a State View Developing a Country View Developing a World View Teacher Resources and Links 2015 3 LPlace, Inc. All rights reserved. Section UNDERSTANDING AND PARTIC IPATING IN COMMUNITY. References 2015 3 LPlace, Inc. All rights reserved. Section UNDERSTANDING AND PARTIC IPATING IN COMMUNITY. Introduction The world is so empty if one thinks only of mountains, rivers and cities; but to know someone who thinks and feels with us, and who is close to us in spirit, this makes the earth for us an inhabited garden. Goethe Community-based learning opportunities give students opportunities to use their emerging personal and interpersonal skills in real-world situations. New awareness ignited on campus continues to evolve and expand.

4 Knowledge about how communities and society work becomes more meaningful as it is experienced first-hand. Social engagement skills have the chance to become more sophisticated as they are applied daily in a variety of situations. Most people learn best through experience, and this is especially true for individuals on the autism spectrum. Traditional teaching methods such as instruction, discussion, reading, media, and research are important and necessary teaching tools for knowledge acquisition. For the transition student, however, these methods always should be paired with meaningful and applicable experiences useful in daily living, supported by coaching and modeling. It is within the context of the day-to-day community life that transition students learn to translate knowledge into action, sharpen adaptive and independence skills, and become active, contributing members.

5 Although most students will have experienced community on a small scale (friends, family, school, therapeutic support team, etc.), many may have yet to explore the wider environment. This module provides a bridge for transition students to expand into their communities, at their own paces, and in their unique styles, and leverages that learning to promote understanding of their place in the large society. In support of these goals, the Community module has the following objectives: Understanding Co mmunity Understand what a community is, and what it means to be a member of a community (in some cases several communities). Understand what roles, rules, and infrastructure keep one's community alive and growing Learn the richness of resources and people that exist in one's community Participating in Community Learn to socially navigate a community and interact positively with its members.

6 This includes practicing verbal and behavioral skills needed to navigate spontaneous social interactions Learn to physically navigate one's community effectively and become more independent Apply content learned in the program into real-life situations Strengthen executive function, creative problem-solving, decision-making, adaptability, and resiliency skills in a wider range of social scenarios 2015 3 LPlace, Inc. All rights reserved. Section UNDERSTANDING AND PARTIC IPATING IN COMMUNITY. Gain skills in using local resources and become more self-advocating and self-determined in seeking information, locating resources, and meeting one's needs Reframe distortions or biases about places and people through new positive experiences, in doing so strengthening meaningful self-reflection and the ability to reflect on others Reduce anxiety and dysregulation regarding unexpected factors, crowds and open spaces, strangers and unfamiliar places, unknown outcomes, inability to control one's environment Increase ability to establish and improve relationships with community members Identify and establish community mentors, partnerships, and allies Strengthen and widen affinities, interests, and passions.

7 And discover new ways to leverage them into increased community involvement and social relationships Set educational, career, recreational, social, executive function, self-regulation, and other personal goals that can be worked on within the community and with community members Create community-based, collaborative endeavors to use as vehicles for interacting with community members, skill-building, and expressing creativity and passions Understanding and Participating in Society Strengthen current passions and interests (research, field trips, activities, discussions, projects). Use curiosity to awaken new interests and passions (watching a documentary, following the news, interviewing people). Build independence (self-advocacy, making life decisions, voting, citizenship).

8 Increase community participation (attending a rally, lecture, or cultural performance, visiting the state capitol). Bolster executive function skills (writing a letter to the President, planning a project to raise money for a societal cause, planning a trip). Raise awareness of how our actions affect others (recycling, volunteerism). Develop and expand work and career options Create a bank of topics for conversation with others Support critical thinking (comparing, contrasting, formulating opinions, appreciating diversity, debating). Before beginning This section guides the teacher and learner in experiential learning activities in the community. Section , General Guidance for Being Out and About in the Community with Students, will help with initial planning, contingency planning, organization, plan implementation, and post-experience management, and should be read and considered before beginning or planning activities.

9 2015 3 LPlace, Inc. All rights reserved. Section UNDERSTANDING AND PARTIC IPATING IN COMMUNITY. Part 1: What is a Community? Establish the meaning of the word community.'. The literal definition according to Merriam-Webster is, a unified body of individuals. Although this definition is short and dry, the word unified hints at a deeper, more profound meaning of the word: Community is a group of individuals who come together in the shared human need to have a sense of belonging. This sense of belonging creates emotional connectedness and opens doors to building functional and interpersonal skills. The communication and collaboration found in active communities provide each member with opportunities to build and strengthen relationships, understand the needs and perspectives of others, learn, and self-advocate.

10 Ultimately we want to establish a deep, internal, felt sense of community. To get there, however, we must first lay a foundation of cognitive understanding and then gradually lead them to the more complex layers as they are ready. Establish the concept of community through 1:1 or group discussion: Define the word and brainstorm associated words that help strengthen their conceptual understanding together, sharing, cooperating, friendly, etc. If possible include both action and emotion words to show the multi-dimensional nature of communities Generate examples of communities encourage them to draw from their experiences and knowledge about the world Look at pictures of communities and people doing community-based activities voting, parades, flea market, etc. Apply other creative methods for representing community movement, art, etc.