Life Skills Support (LSS)

Chapter 14 Pennsylvania Regulations define mental retardation as a "significantly sub average general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period that adversely affects a child's educational performance."

The program emphasizes functional academics, communication, self-help, social, self-advocacy, vocational, and community living skills. It is for students who have intellectual abilities which prevent them from obtaining meaningful progress in a general education curriculum and who require instruction to prepare them to work, live, and function in the community. Related services such as speech, hearing, vision, physical therapy, occupational therapy, etc. are provided according to the students' IEP.

Community-Based Instruction (shopping, banking and transportation) is designed to teach students to use the classroom skills and appropriate behaviors in real-life situations. Secondary students are provided with vocational training opportunities in the community, at the IU1 Central Office, and in the schools.