Students who opted for in-person learning returned to West Campus on Tuesday, October 13th, to begin implementing our E-Hybrid/In-Person Instruction.

Students at West Campus only will continue to attend in person on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. On Wednesday, students will remain at home for remote instruction. Any family or student who has chosen to opt out of in-person learning will continue to participate remotely in synchronous and asynchronous learning similar to our current e-hybrid model.

Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held remotely on Thursday, October 22nd. You will be receiving an email with details about this event as well as instructions for scheduling a specific time to meet with your student's case manager. We hope you will all attend!

Alex is receiving transition services for the first time this year at West Campus. Prior to coming to West, Alex attended Winston Knolls School in Hoffman Estates. He enjoys engaging with the students and teachers at West. Alex loves bike riding, swimming, walking, playing basketball and participating in any other kinds of sports, especially outside. He also enjoys horseback riding and goes to Equestrian Connection every other Friday. Alex uses an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device to communicate.

International AAC month is celebrated every October with the goal of raising awareness of augmentative and alternative communication and to inform others about the many different ways people communicate using communication devices. Augmentative and Alternative Communication includes the many ways we all share our ideas and feelings without verbally talking. Everyone uses some form of AAC throughout the day such as facial expressions, gestures, emails, or text messages. There are two main forms of AAC systems, unaided systems and aided systems. Unaided systems would include gestures, body language facial expressions and some sign language language. Aided systems include basic and high-tech systems, for example a pen and paper is a basic aided system, pointing to letters, words, or pictures on a board is also a basic aided system. Computers or devices that speak for you, or speech generating devices, when you touch a picture or symbol are considered a high-tech aided system.

Alex uses a high-tech aided system with the LAMP Words for Life program. LAMP Words for Life is a program based on motor learning principles for accessing vocabulary. This vocabulary includes more than 3,000 words and allows for customization of personalized vocabulary such as names, favorite foods, and favorite places. It additionally provides access to verb forms and different word endings. This AAC system allows Alex to access a robust variety of language and vocabulary to meet his communication needs. Alex is a social young man who enjoys interacting with his teachers, peers, and classmates, he is also an active participant in Boy Scouts. Alex’s ability to access and use his AAC system allows him to interact with others in a variety of ways and across a multitude of settings. Alex has been working hard to expand his vocabulary and language skills and can often be heard asking questions to peers and making supportive comments.

Alissa's class participated in a virtual tour of the PACE program at National Louis University!

Path to Academics, Community and Employment (P.A.C.E) is a three-year post-secondary program which is designed to meet the transitional needs for young adults with multiple intellectual, learning and developmental disabilities. P.A.C.E. is one of the leading residential-based programs in the country that integrates employment preparation, independent living skills coaching, functional academic courses and social development into a curriculum that prepares students for independent living through experiential learning.

What we Learned

We learned that the typical age range of P.A.C.E. students is 22 to 28. The Chicago apartments provided for the P.A.C.E. students were absolutely beautiful! The P.A.C.E. curriculum has three main objectives. These objectives are the education and professional training necessary to be workforce ready, the continued development of independent living skills, and the development of age-appropriate social skills. These three objectives are achieved through student engagement in four core areas of learning which are Functional Academic Courses, Employment Preparation, Independent Living Skills, and Socialization and Community Living.

*We have included even more information about the P.A.C.E Program at National Louis University in our Helpful Resources Section at the end of this newsletter.

Student Reflections

What are three things you learned about the P.A.C.E. program?

Caleb - They are located in Chicago. There are a lot of people there. They have small groups.

Quinn - The P.A.C.E. program is located in downtown Chicago, people can take the train to get there, and many people who go grocery shopping go to Jewel Osco or Aldi.

Mathew - It is important to be prepared, make sure you have the rights tools you need to start your education, and try new things.

Charlie - I learned that I would have a strict schedule until Sunday. I learned that there are many different events you could do in the community. I learned that you have different apartments you can live in

What did you think about the P.A.C.E. program?

Caleb - It sounded very interesting.

Quinn - The P.A.C.E. program sounds very interesting.

Mathew - I thought it had a lot of good and important information. It does sound interesting.

Charlie - I really liked it! It sounded very interesting.

Is it something you would consider for yourself? Why or why not?

Caleb - I do not know yet.

Quinn - I may start doing the P.A.C.E. program after I age out of transition.

Mathew - Yes, because I like trying new things.

Charlie - I would definitely see myself living there because I need to work on building endurance and different living skills to make me very independent.

This month, one of the recipes Nick's class made was Gillian's Butternut Mac and Cheese. This is macaroni and cheese with a "secret" ingredient. Bet you can't guess what it is! The overall consensus was that it was delicious.

Our students are continuing to expand their Independent Living Skills by designating time each week towards completing a task list at home. Here are some examples of the important tasks on their lists.

One of the perks of working from home has been spending more time with our families, including our pets! We have also enjoyed getting to see each other's adorable pets through group chats and meetings. We thought it would be fun and uplifting to continue featuring the pets of our Transition Program here in our newsletter.