Practicing our Dressing Skills at Kohls!

Today we went on our annual trip to Kohls to try on different clothing! We had a very eventful morning at school as the fire alarm went off during calendar time, and we all had to evacuate to the parking lot where of course it was rainy and cold. Thankfully, our fabulous 8th grade peers were with us, and we were able to find a towel and an umbrella thanks to Ms. J. and her unlocked car. Once we dried off in the classroom, we headed out the door to Kohls. 

Our mission was to complete a scavenger hunt to find different articles of clothing which the students would then have to practice putting on and taking off, zipping/unzipping, buttoning/unbuttoning, et cetera. My assistants and I were tasked with recording students' level of independence on each task on the list. For example, if a student needs the teacher to tell him to pull a sweater over his head, the teacher would record "V" to indicate that a verbal prompt was given. This data helps me see areas of strength and weakness, so I can design instruction to help increase independence.

When we arrived at Kohls, we stopped for a few fun pictures :) I can't say enough how much I appreciate my wonderful students and staff- we truly do enjoy each others' company.

 We were so excited to grab a cart and go that we must've looked like Supermarket Sweep contestants!

 Our first stop involved trying on different gloves.  We had a wonderful guest assistant this morning, Mr. M., who did an awesome job working with the kids on their scavenger hunt!

We found the right sizes and practiced putting them on and taking them off. We even found a goofy hat with a blond wig attached. Too funny!

 The kids did a great job!

 Next we practiced putting on a half-zip sweatshirt; we worked on our zipper skills and practiced taking it off and neatly returning it to the shelf.

 We took a little break in the bedding section to talk about our next task.

 

Kohls had a great selection of fun critter hats- our group enjoying picking out our favorites and trying them on for size!

 We couldn't leave the hat section without a group picture. We made those hats even more awesome!

 Everyone was very focused on buttoning and unbuttoning...

 The kids practiced finding their shoe size and trying on a pair.

 

We even had a few minutes at the end to browse the Bissell products!

 We are very fortunate to have funding for our twice monthly community-based instruction trips. These trips give us the opportunity to practice skills that will help our students become independent adults. Our next trip is to a holiday store where our kids will be able to purchase gifts to take home over Winter Break for their families. Check back on December 6th for some pictures of this awesome annual event!

HAPPY FRIDAY!