Dayton Public program pushes special education students to thrive after high school
Jan. 28—EDITOR'S NOTE — Each month, Dayton Daily News reporter Eileen McClory highlights a program from local school districts that improves the academic or mental health outcome of students and teachers in the Dayton area.
Walk into the special education classroom at Belmont High School at noon and it's like walking into a haven compared to the chaos of the cafeteria in the school building.
Project Life students are making Valentine's Day cards as part of their curriculum to gain life skills as they age out of the school system.
It's one of the three programs Dayton Public Schools offers for students with special needs. Project Life provides students with higher needs the support they need to become confident to live more independently. The Adult Transition Unit is for the students who need some extra help. Project Search is for the most independent special needs students.
Currently, 14 students are enrolled across all three programs. In Project Life, six students were enrolled, but the program has capacity for up to 25 students.
The Adult Transition Unit and Project Search both help students learn skills they can use in a job. Project Search, for example, gets students into a Kettering Health Network hospital and learning skills in one of 10 different parts of the hospital, such as nutrition services or ambulatory. It's a popular model developed at Cincinnati Children's Hospital to hire the people with developmental disabilities into high turnover, entry level positions, available at other school districts in the region as well.
But these programs were personal for me. My aunt has lived with developmental disabilities her entire life. She has been able to work and live with some assistance. But not everyone has had a life like hers.
It's very easy to ignore people with special needs. But we shouldn't, not just because every life is valuable, but because we should be asking ourselves what we can do to help everyone happily and safely live out their lives.
Christine Daniel, academic coordinator for the Office of Exceptional Children, said parents often ask how much support their child will get. She says with Project Life, it's like giving a full hug. With the Adult Transition Unit, it's a side hug. Project Search is like a fist bump.
"While I don't have data numbers, what I have are anecdotes that say we know these kids are growing because they participate in these programs," Daniel said. "We know what's happening."
One student who went through Project Life was unable to use the toilet by herself or walk down the hallway without holding someone's hand, Daniel said. But by the end, the student was able to do both those tasks alone.
The students in those classes are also able to go outside the classroom to work. The district partners with Poelking Lanes to get students able to clean bowling shoes, with Learning Tree Farm to get kids outside and working with animals and the gardens, and Innovative Plastic Molders to get students doing hands-on work.
Daniel said Innovative Plastics has been one of their longest partners, and the district is looking for more local companies to partner with. Daniel said she wants to add the program in other schools but hasn't found the space.
Jordan Ivy, one of the Project Life students, said at a Dayton Public Schools meeting on Tuesday that he appreciates the program.
"I like Project Life because it helps us get ready for the future and for the outside world," Ivy said.
His mother, Theresa Crawford, said her son often comes home excited about what they are doing in class.
"I love this program because of the enthusiasm every day when he comes home," Crawford said, noting the program provides her son with the skills he will need for the rest of his life."
Dayton Public Schools board member William Bailey said he thought the DPS program was good for people with special needs. In his regular job, Bailey works for the Montgomery County Probate Court, and he often works with adults with disabilities.
"I've been to so many of those day programs, and most of them are nothing like this," Bailey said, referring to adult day programs for people with disabilities.
The program is holding an open house on Feb. 21. Anyone interested in partnering with Project Life should reach out to Daniel.
Eileen McClory is a Dayton Daily News education reporter.
