MFISD looking to expand special needs students’ program

One Marble Falls Independent School District administrator would like to change that for some students, and she’s looking for some community members to help out as part of a new planning and implementing committee.

Director of Special Services Susan Maughan has proposed an innovative program for students who have graduated through the LIFE Skills program but still haven’t reached their 23rd birthday. LIFE Skills (Living in a Functional Environment) students are typically those with a learning disability or a physical impairment that doesn’t allow them to take the traditional curriculum.

Though the current LIFE Skills program at the high school addresses most of these students’ needs, many are still struggling several years after graduating, Maughan said.

“We’re seeing more and more of our LIFE Skills students come back,” she said. “Because they are LIFE Skills students we can serve them until they are 22 years old.”

But the district was left wondering how best to serve them. Many other services such as state and regional mental health and mental retardation programs geared toward adults are also facing funding cuts, she said.

Maughan decided to research ways MFISD could help former students who still needed assistance making the transition into independent adulthood. The first thing she did was review LIFE programs at larger public schools.

“Most of those were a lot like our high school program,” she said. “The high school program does some great things but it wasn’t necessarily helping all the students make the transition to adulthood. They weren’t learning some of the basic things, such as taking care of a house or the yard. Even though they have a kitchen, the students don’t necessarily know how to plan and prepare meals.”

Maughan wanted to develop a program that would help LIFE students who were struggling after graduation with some of the skills needed to live independently and acquire jobs.

“I thought about how would you best teach these students to be more independent,” she said.

Her solution — build a separate, fully-functional house where students can attend daily classes to learn independent living skills such as mowing, preparing meals, cleaning up and even vocational job skills.

But Maughan said her plan goes beyond just the LIFE Skills students, including other facets of the high school. Some of the resources she plans to tap to help develop and create the program are the Career and Technology Education students and staff. Those classes include building construction, landscape design and interior design.

“I know our construction (class) has built a house before,” she said. “So I approached David Smith, who heads up the high school building trades program, and asked if he thought his class would like to build another house. He thought it was a great idea.”

Along with being the building trades teacher, Smith is also the high school career and technology department chair. Maughan said there are several other opportunities for CATE students to help develop the program.

Before she could push forward with the project, Maughan met with Superintendent Ryder Warren about the chance the district had some property available for the house.

She left the meeting buoyed by the idea that there would be a place for the project. Though the plan calls for a home, Maughan said it wouldn’t be a residence where people actually lived. It would include all the things found in a home so the students could learn all the things that goes into living independently. But there would also be classroom and meeting space so teachers and lecturers could instruct the students about living independently and finding a job.

With the initial thumbs-up given by the board, Maughan said the next step is funding.

“The CATE classes are going to work up some estimates,” she said. “Once we have those estimates, I can start applying for grants.”

Maughan said she also hopes to partner with community members and businesses.

“We’re going to need things you would find in a garage for lawn care and things you would find in the house such as kitchen appliances,” she said. “So, I’d like to get the community involved here in the early stages.”

Maughan is putting together a committee to help with the development and funding of the program.

For more information on the program or the committee contact Maughan at (830) 693-4357 or smaughan@mfisd.txed.net.

Even when the house is completed, Maughan said she hoped the other high school programs such as the CATE department can still play a role in the transition program.

“I really hope in the long run, it will impact a lot of students at the high school — not just the LIFE Skills students,” she said.

daniel@thepicayune.com