What is the most important step for a teacher to include when creating a plan to help a student with mild-moderate intellectual disability generalize functional academic skills?

Integrating targeted skills into the student’s various classes and activities is crucial for helping a student with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities generalize functional academic skills. This approach ensures that the skills learned aren't just isolated to one specific context or setting but are applied and reinforced in multiple environments.

When students practice their skills across different classes and activities, they learn to recognize when and how to use these skills in real-life situations. This kind of integration also allows for greater opportunities to practice and reinforce learning in natural contexts, which is essential for retention and application of knowledge. Additionally, it helps foster connections among the skills learned in various subjects, making learning more cohesive and meaningful for the student.

In contrast, stand-alone practice sessions may limit the application of skills, as they may not reflect the variety of contexts in which those skills would typically be utilized. Although homework and one-on-one tutoring can be beneficial, they often do not provide the same breadth of contextual learning opportunities that integrating skills throughout the student's entire school experience offers.