Lifelink
State College, Pennsylvania
Contact:
Teresa Lindner
Learning Support Teacher
State College Area School District
351 E. Outer Drive
State College, PA 16801
Phone: 814-231-1037
Fax: 814-231-5024
Email: tk111@scasd.k12.pa.us
Mission
LifeLink helps students reach their own highest level of independence. It fosters real life decision-making, problem-solving and independence in controlled and supportive environments. LifeLink provides a transition curriculum at school, based on the outcomes of the experiences faced in this real-world environment. A team comprised of teachers, students, families and transition coaches help mold the reality of students’ future lives. LifeLink provides an environment and system under which a student can acquire the skills of self-determination and self-advocacy. Students learn to become active members of their community both as employees and friends.
Organization
Organization Type: Education Agency - Local; School; Local: The Arc of Centre County; Penn State University: Helps with many aspects of the program but not implemented through them.
Geographical Area: Urban area
Primary Setting: Community-based training site, Independent living facility, Elementary school, Middle or junior high school, High School - Resource room/Learning Support Class, Competitive employment worksite, Supported employment worksite
Funding: External funding source, Contingency funds from the state
Consumers
Target Population: Secondary education students with disabilities, Elementary education students with disabilities, Teachers or faculty - Elementary education, Secondary education, Postsecondary education, Community service providers, Parents, Business people or employers
Disability Areas: All disabilities
NTA Framework Categories
Description
The origins of LifeLink lie in the efforts of "The Wild Dream Team," a group of mentally challenged special education students who have been exploring the boundaries of self-determination, choice and transition to adult life and independence. They attend high school in State College, PA, where the Pennsylvania State University is also located. For eight months during the academic year 1993-1994, "The Wild Dream Team" planned the elements of LifeLink.
The concept behind LifeLink is an apartment that functions much like a science or computer lab. Just as a science student would go to a science or computer lab that has specialized equipment, a student needing to learn transition skills goes to the LifeLink lab to learn in an atmosphere that is more realistic and effective for learning life skills. Groups of students requiring transition education determine their skills. Groups of students requiring transition education determine their needs, set goals, and then schedule the LifeLink Lab, a "living" classroom.
The students’ eight-month analysis of issues relating to transition convinced them that they need to practice decision-making, problem-solving and independence in controlled and supportive environments, before the supports are removed. They felt that this experience must take place in the real-world. In addition, they believe that the transition curriculum taught in the school should be based on the outcomes of the experiences faced in this real-world environment. They are also convinced that they must not only learn to make their own decisions and manage the consequences, but they must also create the environment and system under which they acquire the skills of self-determination. After working on this project for eight months, the students themselves came to the conclusion that the traditional methods and curriculum that are used to teach transition skills are not sufficient to meet their needs. Therefore, they created a plan which enables them to learn transition skills in the real world.
In their plan, an apartment is made available to them while they are still in high school. The students take turns living in this apartment with a transition coach, who oversees their stay and aids in the teaching of various life skills. Students begin by residing in the apartment for short periods of time and lengthening their stays as they adjust to independent living. In this way, they learn transition skills in an environment that is the real world, not a stimulation of it. The curriculum at school reflects the needs of the students as determined by their experiences in the apartment. Lessons at school are based on students’ experiences at LifeLink and from dialogue with the students, parents and their transition coaches. In this way, the school environment provides an enhanced program that helps the students resolve real world problems that confront them in daily independent living situations. Because the students view the apartment as an educational setting where they can explore the most effective ways to cope with life’s problems, learn about techniques for living, experiment with new ideas, and be on the cutting edge of transition education driven by students themselves, they named the project and apartment: LifeLink: A Transition Lab.
Through this program, the students and their families have time to adjust to the realities of independent living while still having the support of the school system and family units. LifeLink also provides everyone with an opportunity to discover what his/her individual needs are while participating in and benefiting from an educational environment. It allows students the time and ability to explore life while minimizing their risks.
The students have formed various partnerships in order to more effectively implement LifeLink. Dr. James McAffee, a professor in the Department of Special Education at the Pennsylvania State University serves as a consultant, The Arc of Centre County oversees the transition coaches, community businesses provide material support, and an experienced research consultant aided in the design of the research component of this project. LifeLink has also received national support from Ms. Madeline Will, one of the foremost leaders in transition issues since the 1970s. Our local PBS Affiliate, WPSX, filmed the students during the first year of implementing LifeLink. The resulting film, The Wild Dream Team, is a human interest documentary for use by groups that want to replicate the program. WPSX has also made a twenty minute informational video called LifeLink that can be used with school boards, professionals, and potential donors.
LifeLink has been extremely successful for both parents and students. The aim of the students is to promote a new vision of transition education across the United States and elsewhere which will truly prepare students for the demands of adult life.
The program continues to expand and develop. The Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Bureau of Special Education has helped sponsor LifeLink, a second apartment, started in 1996-1997 school year. The purpose of this apartment is for the students to experience a greater degree of independence. The transition coaches do not live with them but in an apartment nearby. This enables the students to make the last step in the transition to independent living, living on their own with little or no supervision.
The students believe that any publicity that is generated by LifeLink will help change people’s perception that students with disabilities are incapable of achieving high goals and directing their own lives. It is important for others to understand that needing support does not imply an inability of students to set goals, make decisions, and help determine their futures. The Wild Dream Team wants other school districts across the United States to replicate LifeLink. They hope to establish LifeLink as a Center for the Study of Transition. Where appropriate, they hope to change the manner in which transition skills are taught by making them more relevant and real to the student. By establishing a network of LifeLinks, making and distributing the videos based on their experiences, preparing publications, and presenting at conferences, the students want to encourage others to create similar products and hope that they will learn to have the same degrees of confidence in their ability to direct their future.
Evidence of Success