The Specific Natural Activity Program Curriculum

The SNAP curriculum includes a series of topics - over 200 - dealing with a variety of typical issues faced by adults with developmental disabilities. The material was written to assist agency staff, parents, counselors, teachers, or anyone working with a Special Needs population in presenting basic skills training in an adult age appropriate forum, and provides continuity to presentation of skills training within your program.

Each curriculum was developed from an actual person centered individual service plan, and includes a performance objective, list of materials, and suggestions for instruction.

Each curriculum is intended to be conducted as an informal chat session in the natural setting where the skill will be used. Look for teaching moments when review of a subject such as "Hygiene Manners"(Hygiene) or "Interpreting What People Say" (Communication) would be appropriate, even while in the community. Each curriculum can be presented in approximately 10 minute segments.

HOW DOES SNAP APPLY TO EVERYDAY TASKS?

Create a task analysis - public transit, for example. One task is knowing how to handle a situation such as having gotten off the bus at the wrong location.

Related SNAP curriculum includes, but is not limited to:

Personal Safety - Know Your Address, Know Your Phone Number, Safety Awareness, Calling The 911 Emergency Number

Community Surroundings - Where Am I?, Street Names and Numbers

Stranger Awareness - What Is A Stranger? Can I Talk To A Stranger? Friends and Acquaintances

Communication - How Do I Tell People What I Want(Assertive Communication), How Do I Tell People What I Don't Want(Assertive Communication), Making Choices, Consequences

Emotions - Dealing With Emotions, Developing A Self Control Plan.

That's a minimum of 15 applicable curriculum to one task.

Just before entering a store to go shopping might be an appropriate time to review Social Skills- Stealing. Relaxation- Self Relaxation Techniques - might be a good review while at a quiet community park. Vocational- What Kind Of Job Do I Want? - is a good review while visiting a variety of community facilities. Community Surroundings- Street Names and Numbers - is essential to knowing where you are in the community, and is best learned out in the community, not in a classroom.

Remember that success is based on performance of the skills discussed in the curriculum. Giving you the right answers in a discussion setting is one thing, demonstrating the proper behavior/skill in a natural setting, such as in the community, is another thing.

It is assumed that staff will add their own personal experience to the written material, however all staff will be talking to consumers using the same base of information.

Flash Cards

Green cards indicate very basic concepts
Yellow cards indicate more advanced concepts
Blue cards indicate no distinction in level of concept

There are flash cards included with 9 of the curriculum topics. The cards are to stimulate participation in the discussion by consumers. For example, the flash cards included with Emotions include:

Basic

Recognizing Emotions. (front) You really need to go to the bathroom. (back) Uncomfortable.

Advanced

Recognizing Emotions. (front) You've been offered the choice of working to make money or going to your favorite store in the community. (back) Undecided.

Once you help a person identify and label their emotion, then you can help them learn to deal with that emotion.

Why Adult Curriculum?

Adults are not children. A subtle attitude that interferes with one's ability to view adults with developmental disabilities as independent citizens comes from the perception that these adults are children who prefer toys and games. This allows the view of them as children, thus limiting expectations, and it shapes their perception of themselves as dependent children. It should not be said that "they" prefer to be treated as children unless "they" have been presented with an array of age appropriate options and have been rewarded for their acceptance.

This material should not be considered the final word in how to approach any given situation. It is a guideline and is easily adaptable to populations such as teenagers who are ready to transition from school to the community.

The Author

John Meyers is a Qualified Mental Retardation Professional (QMRP), and is the Horizon Resources Site Director for the Humboldt Community Access and Resource Center in Northern California. He has worked as a line staff directly providing social and behavioral skills training to adults with developmental disabilities in community settings, and as a Service Coordinator writing Individual Service Plans. Years of hands-on experience led him to write the SNAP Curriculum.

Editor Leonard McLaughlin received his first Teaching Credential in Speech and Hearing Therapy in 1975. He returned to school to get his Severely Handicapped Teaching Credential and then taught as a Special Day Class Teacher until his retirement in 2001.

Leonard saw on a daily basis the need for curriculum geared for adults and teens ready to transition to adult life. SNAP Curriculum is that material.

The Humboldt Community Access and Resource Center is a private non-profit agency providing a variety of services to people with disabilities. For more information on their programs, visit www.hcar.us .