Research reveals that Community-based instruction (CBI) is a strategy or instructional method that promotes the teaching and use of academic and functional skills in the student’s natural environment. The setting, as well as the tasks performed in these settings, should be relevant to the student, facilitate independence and be age appropriate.
Community-based instruction (CBI), a hands-on learning program located within the community, is a critical component of the education program for students with disabilities. This is primarily because, as adults, the community is where they will need to use the skills acquired during their school years. Trips to community locations occur concurrently with classroom instruction. Although students may initially learn and practice a skill in the classroom, they will eventually practice the skill by applying it in a home or community setting. For example, a student who learns math skills in the classroom may later practice those skills during a shopping expedition.
The main purpose of Community Based Instruction is to train students in a natural community environment to live, work, and recreate as independently as possible. Community-based instruction (CBI) is comprised of teaching opportunities with targeted instruction on a consistent basis.
The American with disabilities Acts (ADA) was signed into law in 1990 to prohibit any form of discrimination against persons with disabilities. This important piece of federal legislation also requires most public and private accommodations, buildings and transportation systems to be accessible to persons with disabilities. Government agencies and committees on employment of people with disabilities bring together information about practical steps employers can take to make accommodations for the functional limitations of applicants with disabilities.
In some African countries like Nigeria, students and individuals with disabilities are often not encouraged to participate in complex activities of daily living due to their dynamic disabilities that limit cognitive and functional engagement in their schools and communities. A large number of school leaders do overlook the importance of community-based instruction and forget to provide professional development to teachers in this field.
Research reveals that community-based instruction can help augment students’ executive functioning and improve adapted behaviour. In order words, individuals with disabilities if exposed to community-based instruction will get along in their environment with greatest success and least conflict with typical peers.
The end results of special education are to foster independence and with that being said, all individuals with disabilities can develop their full potential through education and vocational training after school. A critical component of CBI is the involvement of parents and other members of the community such as business owners, teachers and local establishments. The expectation is that students with disabilities will live, work, shop and play in integrated, natural environments in the community with accommodations and supports.
The first goal of CBI is to teach students to function as independently as possible in as many community environments as possible to enhance their quality of life. Through CBI, students learn skills that are identified both on the individual educational plan (IEP) and in the school curricula. The second goal is to provide students with expanded options regarding independent or supported living, employment and leisure time activities.
The core of any CBI program must be directly related to the areas that prepare students to function in their community which are:
Among the domains of community-based instruction are: domestic (daily living), vocational, recreation/leisure, community and social.
The domestic domain (self-management/home living/daily living) includes several areas, such as the following: Eating and food preparation, grooming and dressing, hygiene, health and safety, assisting and taking care of others
The vocational domain covers the following areas: Classroom/school jobs, paid and non-paid work experiences within the community.
The recreation/leisure domain includes the following types of activities: School and extracurricular activities, activities to do alone, activities to do with family and friends, physical fitness activities
The community domain addresses many different areas that relate to the quality of life, including access to community resources, such as the following: Travel, community safety, shopping (food, clothing, etc.), dining out (fast food and restaurants), community services (social security administration, medical, dental, legal services and libraries)
The social domain covers team work, parallel play, turn-taking and activities to share items.
The benefits of implementing community-based instruction are enormous and when government agencies which service the citizens apply aggressive approach to address community-based instruction in our schools, our communities as well as our children will benefit with increased social, behavioural and self-esteem skills that will help develops work habits and enhance quality of life.
Isaac Osae-Brown
