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THE HORIZONS PROGRAM
The HORIZONS Program is designed for the deaf student who, because of a
combination of cognitive, physical and/ or emotional needs would benefit
from a non-traditional residential environment. In general, the goal of
the program is to prepare students for independent living, whether it is
an apartment, group home, halfway house, or with their own families. The
program stresses pre-work and life skills, along with an emphasis on
emotional and social growth. In order to accomplish the goals, the
majority of the learning experiences take place in settings in which the
skill and knowledge would normally be used. Skills are taught in more
natural settings with the residence being used to refine and reinforce
essential knowledge. For example, money skills are learned by buying
supplies for cooking at the grocery store or purchasing hygiene items at a
drug store.
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The residential curriculum is divided into the
following areas: Travel Training, Safety, Nutrition and Wellness, Home
Dining, Restaurant Dining, Menu Planning, Cooking, Shopping,
Housekeeping, Personal Hygiene, Laundry, Time and Basic Money Skills.
The objectives in each area are separated into development levels. As
the students progress through the Program, the objectives become more
difficult and place more emphasis on student responsibility and
independence. |
Students in the HORIZONS Program are seen as individuals. Each student’s
learning program is designed to enable the student to develop new skills
and apply new knowledge while recognizing that some students progress at a
different pace than others.
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