This week has been great! I was able to to a little bit more teaching and get to know the students even better. The classes that I have been teaching range from functional skills, social skills, workplace skills to cooking and baking. Fridays are always exciting as we cook for everyone in the morning, usually a recipe that is easy for the students to reproduce. Then in the afternoons we bake and run ‘PALS cafe’ where the students go around the program and take coffee orders and serve drinks and cookies.
I had a great time running ‘PALS cafe’ last week. I worked with 4 students really excelled at baking. We made sugar cookies as a group and then iced them. It was fantastic to see the students working together and following a recipe, all on their own with little prompting. The end result was great and we were able to see the students’ artistic talents.
During this week I have also had a lot of time to chat with the students during our transition periods and free time. There is a well known phrase around the program “How cool is that!?!” that many of the students say, to just about everything. It is hilarious to hear and gets all the students laughing and having a good time.
As I have not spent any time working with adults before in any capacity, it is neat to have this unique experience of working with adults with autism. They are each such great, unique people with their own quirks and talents. All it has taken is a few days with this group of students for me to appreciate them and everything they have to offer!
It sounds like there is a strong emphasis on community and food is such a great way to build community. I love the idea of the cafe in the afternoon, and am wondering how I can bring that back to one of my schools. Has being part of a program for adults shifted your thinking in terms of what after grade 12 looks like for students? Do you think that this experience will have an effect on your classroom teaching practices?
Food is a big emphasis at this program which is so essential. As you say it is a great way to build community and for these students it also offers them a chance for independence. Learning how to cook a simple meal, bake a treat or interact when taking an order is a great life skill that has the potential to open up a number of opportunities for these students.
Being a part of this program has absolutely changed the way I view what happens after grade 12. So often we get caught up thinking about going to University or Collage that we forget to think about the realities of some students who that just will never be an option for. For these guys in the PALS program, they need more time and support than just grade 12. They need a place to go and continue to learn and grow while still feeling safe, protected and cared for. It has absolutely helped me to see that there are many paths to take and that there need to be way more options out there for young adults graduating from high school who can not work to support themselves yet.