I was asked by a supervisor once if I would be willing to collaborate with another school psychologist, a school administrator, and the supervisor to help modernize and improve one of our elementary-level "functional" education classrooms. This process included conducting classroom observations, researching high-quality curriculum, talking to stakeholders, conducting a physical redesign of the classroom, and providing guidance to the teacher and classroom paraprofessionals who worked in the classroom. My primary role within this committee to was to conduct classroom observations to determine what academic needs were present, then to research curriculum and assessments which would help to shape the academic nature of this program. The following is a summary of my findings related to functional and academic curriculum and assessment practices.
Before we go much further, I think it would be useful to define a few terms: "adaptive", "functional", and "low-incidence". I use the term "functional" to refer to content and curriculum which is designed for life skills instruction. Students who are in functional academic programs are sometimes referred to as "low incidence", meaning that there is only a small percentage of students who share similar disabilities. These students are typically not capable of being successful in traditional general education settings, and would likely not be successful in resource classrooms designed for students with higher-incidence disabilities. These students have individualized education plans which tend to focus on life skills, rather than academic skills. Because the focus of these classrooms are not purely academic, a specialized curriculum and set of resources are often used in these settings.
Some schools also offer "adaptive" classrooms. Adaptive classrooms are one step closer to traditional resource rooms. Students with adaptive needs likely have physical impairments which would require physically adapted equipment (think: wheelchair, harness, etc.) to allow them to participate in learning experiences. Adaptive classrooms tend to focus less on life skills (such as toileting, housekeeping, hygiene, etc.) and instead have a higher level of academic instruction paired with career skills development and transition planning for life after graduation.
There is no magic dividing line that separates functional from adaptive programs. Some schools don't offer either of these settings. Other schools may offer only one classroom which contains both functional and adaptive students and curriculum. It is left up to the student's IEP team to determine the appropriate placement for the student. Students with low incidence disabilities may spend some time with functional content and some time with adaptive content. Regardless of the model of classroom used, each student should have specially designed programs and services which are developed to meet his or her needs in the least restrictive environment possible to maintain their success.
I certainly do not intend to represent that this is an exhaustive review of resources on the topic. Information below may no longer be current, especially regarding pricing. You may know of other content, curriculum, and assessments which would be appropriate for this page. If you care to share your suggestions for other content, feel free to contact me and let me know.
Functional Academic Curriculum for Exceptional Students, Revised
See the introduction here.
Freely available; you just have to print the materials
Content Covered: Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Math, Vocational, and Personal Health
Offers a structured teaching model, primarily designed for students with autism
Primary purpose appears support the development of functional life skills
Common Core aligned
The online progress monitoring tool appears very useful
Content is available for upper elementary through post-secondary
Comes with an assessment piece, computerized progress monitoring, and full curriculum
A free two-week trial is available to test drive the program
10 student licenses cost $895 for a year
Strategies for Teaching Based on Autism Research
Three levels of program material
All levels focus mostly on language/communication, with academics, functional and social skills
Designed primary for students on the autism spectrum
Includes a curriculum-based assessment system
$314 for Level 1 kit, $345 for Level 2 or Level 3
Comes with four separate curriculum planing books (each related to specific domains)
Book 1: Life skills and hygiene, Book 2: Communication, Book 3: Academics, Book 4: Leisure and Career
You can purchase all four books for $180, or you can order each book individually for $56 each
Contains a simple assessment and progress monitoring piece for each book
Each book contains activities which can develop skills both at home and at school
Functional Independence Skills Handbook
Comes with criterion assessment system and lesson plans
Teacher's manual is $80; 10 individual student protocols are $33
Recommended Assessments List from the Transition Coalition
ABLLES (and WebABLLES)
ABES
Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales
The Syracuse Community Referenced Curriculum Guide
While published in 1989, it appears to still be a useful tool to review
Offers many elements of a functional/adaptive curriculum
Can be used as a screening tool and curriculum map
Basically a standards list of functional life skills
Dynamic Learning Maps and Essential Elements
Information related to Kansas state assessments for students with significant cognitive impairments