A new program at Maywood Academy is helping students with complex needs get a strong start to their independence after high school.
The Hangout Program happens once a week, providing “hangouts” where high school and some middle school students can partake in activities with less support from instructional staff.
With the help of their colleagues, the teachers said they wanted to focus on day habilitation (day hab) readiness for their older students who will be graduating from Maywood. The hangouts give their students an opportunity to exercise their independence and build on the functional skills they have developed in previous years.
Students can choose to do yoga, arts and crafts, play bingo or join a dance party— activities you would typically find at a traditional day hab program, according to Special Education Teacher Pamela Petralia, who along with Special Education Teacher Sarah Read, spearheaded the Hangout Program.
Petralia said she visited local day hab programs to get an idea of how she and her colleagues could make the transition smoother for their students.
“The number one need for day hab is independence,” she added.
At hangouts, students can either choose an activity themselves or one is chosen for them based on their needs. Petralia said it is especially important that students learn to make decisions or choices, stick with their choice and learn to keep themselves independently occupied when they are done with an activity. Students entering day hab also need to work well with others who have different abilities.
“Students are learning that they cannot be disruptive and are strengthening their coping skills,” said Petralia. “The Hangout Program gives them the experience of being social and interacting with people outside of their program who are different from them. Students learn to socialize with other people who are different ages, have different needs and levels, etc.”
Read facilitates the dance party and said students benefit most from the program when they are allowed to freely exercise their independence. The dance party operates with a karaoke-like essence with students selecting the songs they want to dance to.
“A student in my class has been really independent and looks forward to Hangouts every week,” she said. “It has been an opportunity for her to feel her independence and show other students and staff how many great skills she has.”
Teaching assistants are allowed to accompany students to their hangouts, but are encouraged not to intervene.
“Support staff are asked to back up, we really want the students to be prepared to wait for support,” said Petralia. Traditional day hab programs generally have less support staff than students may be used to at Maywood.
“The Hangout Program shows us what the students can do on their own and how the space contributes to growth,” said Read.