The Curriculum Designed for the Preparation of Students with Developmental Disabilities for Transition to Independent Life

Abstract

The present study aims to determine the efficacy of the curriculum designed for students with developmental disabilities (SDDs) for their transition to independent life and to analyze the effectiveness of the curriculum designed based on the determined requirements. The study participants included 44 teachers who instructed SDDs and 13 of these students’ parents, who attended third-tier private education institutions. The study included three stages and was designed as an exploratory sequential mixed-method research. In the first stage, observation, interview, and document analysis methods were employed to determine teacher requirements. Based on the collected data, teacher requirements were determined as follows: (a) personal traits of the individuals with developmental disabilities; (b) independent living skills; (c) transition; (d) behavior management; (e) error-free instruction methods; (f) video modeling; (g) direct instruction; (h) social stories; (i) material design; (j) an individualized education program; and (k) parental training. The TABA model was employed in the design of the curriculum, which included the abovementioned requirements. Based on the curriculum content, a knowledge test that included 35 multiple-choice questions was developed. In the second stage of the study, the knowledge test was applied to the teachers before (pre-test) and after (post-test) the implementation of the curriculum. The comparison of the pre-test and post-test data demonstrated a significant increase in the knowledge level of the teachers. In the third stage, an open-ended questionnaire was used to determine the views and recommendations of the teachers about the program. It could be suggested that teacher views about the curriculum were generally positive. A total of 15 teachers stated that they acquired new knowledge and skills during the program, and nine teachers stated that they revised prior knowledge.