Introduction
Developing social skills is an essential part of any individual’s life, which requires an appropriate level of community-based interaction. Improving the disadvantaged individuals’ welfare and ensuring the establishment of proper social capabilities is a crucial task for any community, which should provide such adolescents with additional instructional experience (Hoover, 2016). These practices are highly relevant for Alex and Paulo, young students diagnosed with autism. In this paper, a potential community-based activity for both young men will be presented in consideration of skills related to restaurant ordering, dining, and payment, and the participation abilities gained will be discussed.
Main body
Alex and Paulo, two 17 and 18-year-old students, respectively, possess several needs that could be accomplished through an instructional experience. To succeed, such practice should refer to the individuals’ personal goals, rely on a specific agenda and itinerary, and aim to produce particular capabilities (Karasik, 2020). Therefore, before constructing a relevant experience, it is necessary to examine the desires of the adolescents. It appears that, while Alex is less proficient in communication activities, Paulo is capable of using additional methods to aid this process, although he is also experiencing conversation difficulties. Thus, it is possible to suggest an itinerary that will include the development of interaction skills, and assisting the individuals in the learning procedure.
The instructional activity suggested contains visiting a local restaurant specializing in burgers and fast food. During the experience, the students should learn about community proficiencies related to order, dining, and paying for the services, interacting with the restaurant staff to complete the exercises (Karasik, 2020). This process encompasses a relatively small amount of interaction in-between other required procedures, meaning that Alex and Paulo will be able to make small breaks between the conversations, thus reducing communication pressure (Bolis et al., 2021). As Alex appears to be interested in fast food, this venture might prompt him to interact with the staff and his companion more freely. Considering Paulo, his ability to successfully explain himself without using a lot of vocalization may empower Alex to participate in dialogue even with people he does not know.
Given the aforementioned factors, the itinerary proposed contains several activities. First of all, it is recommended for the students to travel together to the destination, inducing communication and decreasing the initial pressure of meeting (Karasik, 2020). After that, the young men will stay at the restaurant, ordering food and potentially sharing knowledge. An optional activity might be available for the individuals, which consists of visiting a nearby grocery store to secure the growth of payment skills. Finally, Alex and Paulo will return to the education facility to discuss the events and express their feelings about the experience.
The activity planned adheres to the community skills of ordering, dining, and payment, which are often needed under various circumstances. When staying at the restaurant, it is expected that Alex and Paulo will practice the ability to state their meal choice to the waiter, express any complications that arise in the dining process, and safely conclude the payment. Furthermore, additional proficiencies that relate to the efficiency of communication are to be formed during the experience. It is suggested that the interactions with the restaurant personnel and the necessity to manifest the food desires will enhance the process, prompting the acquisition of communication capabilities (Gilson et al., 2017). These competencies perfectly align with the personal goals of the individuals and the aims of successful transfer of information, self-independency, and conversation maintenance.
Conclusion
To conclude, a community-based instructional activity for Alex and Paolo, namely a visit to a local fast-food restaurant, was explored in detail in this paper. Integration into society and the enhancement of communication skills are necessary for any person throughout life, but it is especially imperative for young people with special needs. Improving their community-related abilities is possible through the implementation of the restaurant-located practice focused on developing interaction proficiency, offering the individuals a possibility to enhance their everyday experiences.
References
Bolis, D., Lahnakoski, J. M., Seidel, D., Tamm, J., & Schilbach, L. (2021). Interpersonal similarity of autistic traits predicts friendship quality. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 16(1–2), 222–231. Web.
Gilson, C. B., Carter, E. W., & Biggs, E. E. (2017). Systematic review of instructional methods to teach employment skills to secondary students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 42(2), 89–107. Web.
Hoover, A. (2016). The role of the community in transition to the adult world for students with disabilities. American Secondary Education, 44(2), 21–30.
Karasik, R. J. (2020). Community partners’ perspectives and the faculty role in community-based learning. Journal of Experiential Education, 43(2), 113–135. Web.