Molly Copple

(Botsula, M. 2021) When working with 18 - 26 year old adults with various disabilities, teaching them life skills can be challenging. Adult Living skills are taught within the classroom and must be transferred to the community or job site with the expectation of the individual transferring the skills independently. The problem is that these individuals have difficulty transferring the skills taught. One skill in particular is the transfer of money skills. In the classroom, the students can count how much money is needed to make a transaction.  However, when we go shopping at Walmart, the money skills do not transfer to the point-of-service. After going to Walmart several times with the students, it was apparent that there were deeper issues to the problem than just being able to transfer money skills to the retail environment. The students had to navigate the store, choose items that were the correct size and dollar amount, and determine whether they were able to navigate the process o

Teaching in the field of Special Education is profoundly rewarding, though it presents unique challenges that significantly impact students, peers, staff, and family members. For instance, I  had a student, “John”, a 22-year-old young man with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and severe Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Autism Spectrum Disorder is a complex neurological and developmental disorder affecting a person’s behavior, communication, learning, and social interactions (Special Olympics Missouri, 2022). Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is characterized by uncontrollable, recurring thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions) that can significantly interfere with daily life ( Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, 2024). The combination of ASD and OCD poses substantial challenges, often leading to behaviors ranging from rocking back and forth to more aggressive actions such as hitting, shouting, spitting, kicking, and throwing objects. Social situations also make John very