1. www.matheny.org
Transition @ Matheny
Sean Murphy
April 14th, CEC
Saint Louis
Presented by

2. Instructional Outcomes
• That everyone will learn at least three new things that they
can use during the presentation
• That we will have fun
• That we will learn how to apply these things to help our
students and ourselves
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3. Sean Murphy
• MA: In School Leadership
• BA: Special Education
• Principal/ Director The Matheny School
• Adjunct Professor, College of St. Elizabeth
• Advisory Board, Centenary College
• e-mail: smurphy@matheny.org
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4. Matheny in General

5. Matheny’s main campus is located in
Peapack, NJ. Matheny is home and school to 100 adults
and children with developmental disabilities.
In addition to their primary diagnoses many children
and adults, have a long list of associated clinical conditions
such as vision and hearing deficits, seizure disorders,
cognitive impairments and dysphagia, with resulting
aspiration problems.
About Matheny

6. Matheny’s Primary Student Population
• Cerebral Palsy
• Spina Bifida
• Lesch Nyhan Syndrome
• Severe seizure disorders
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7. Matheny Accreditations
• Middle States™ accredited school
• JCAHO™ accredited hospital
• CARF™ accredited agency
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8. The Matheny School
• 99% of faculty are highly qualified teachers
• Paraprofessionals (60 college credits or better)
• Integrated therapies
• IEP driven educational process
• Affiliated with multiple colleges and universities as a
teaching institution
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9. Matheny Hospital
• 24 Hour medical and personal care
• Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry
• Transportation department
• Early Intervention Program
• Seven different kinds of therapies
• Affiliated with multiple Universities and Colleges
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10. History of Transition @ Matheny

11. Traditional (Stage 1)
• Everyone did there own thing
• Self contained classrooms making items
• No scope and sequence
• Limited therapy input (pull outs)

12. Kitchen Table (Stage 2)
• Specific teacher for transition
• Birth of Tea-Time Café
• Collaboration with Shoe Box
• Push back

13. Kessler Grant (Stage 3)
• Structured Learning Experiences
• Job Coach
• Transition Committee
• CARF CES Standards
• Introduction of Themes

14. Structured Learning Experience
• Structured Learning Experiences

15. Structured Learning Experience
• Structured Learning Experiences

16. Transition Committee
• Curriculum Supervisor
• SLE Teacher/Job Coach
• Occupational Therapists
• Physical Therapists
• Speech Language Specialists
• Social Workers

17. Transition Mission Statement
• To provide structured learning and living opportunities for
students with medically complex multiple disabilities to
enable them to discover and pursue their highest
independence in vocational and life while exploring available
work and community options.
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18. Objectives
• Discover, obtain and maximize work and life skills necessary to
participate in functional and leisure options
• Identify and utilize adaptive communication and equipment
specific to the individual and task
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19. Objectives
• Increase opportunities for Community Based Instruction
• Maximize student skill sets for voluntary experiences and
employment opportunities within the community
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20. New Direction (Stage 4)
• PCAST – Person Centered Approach to School & Transition
• Greater integration of all curriculum

21. Our Process

22. Pre-Placement
• At age 14 the instructional team facilitated by the social worker
conducts a transition profile (updated annually)
• This was an in-house developed profile, based on many existing
assessments, to meet our students’ unique needs
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23. Pre-Placement – Site Assessment
• Work sites are identified through a meet and greet process
• At identified sites the work environment is assessed
– Physical
– Social/emotional
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24. Pre-Placement – Student Assessment
• TEAM assessment of student for appropriateness for community
placement including:
– Endurance
– Directing task
– Work habits (on-task behavior)
– Themes and Preferences
– Assessment for adaptions, equipment, positioning and communication
needs
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25. Ongoing Assessments
• Student self- assessment every 5 opportunities (State form)
• Structure Learning Evaluation Assessment every 10 opportunities in a
placement (State form)
• Task Analysis
• Data Collection
• Sign In/Out
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26. Ongoing Assessments– (continued)
• Student self-assessment sheet
• Prompting level and endurance
• Adjustment to job
• Adaptations
• Positioning
• Equipment needs
• Environmental needs
• Student meeting goals of the specific task
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27. Work Opportunities in Matheny
• Tea Time Café
• Tea Time on Wheels
• Business Model
• Greeting Cards-Generic and Holiday
• Paper Making
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28. Work Opportunities in Matheny
• Jar Recipes
• Clerical Tasks
• Stocking Supplies
• Dining Room Supply Sorting
• Sorting Size Tags
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29. Work Sites
• TJ Maxx and Home Goods (Bridgewater)
• Bridgewater Library
• Gurukul Yoga Center (Bridgewater)
• Mane Stream Stables (Oldwick)
• It’s All Good (Somerville)
• Second Chance (Peapack)
• Strike N Spare (Bridgewater)
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Copyright © 2003-2015 The Matheny School.

30. CBI Experiences
• Shop Rite
• Michaels
• Restaurants
• Recreational Centers
• Parks
• Museums
• Sporting Events

31. Tea Time Picture

35. .

36. Sample Tasks
• TJ Maxx and Home Goods
• Sizing job
• Hanger set-up
• Organizing racks
• Gurukul Yoga Center
• Cleaning and organizing of work space
• Money sorting
• Filing tasks

37. Sample Tasks
• Bridgewater Library
• Pager (evaluating condition of books)
• Stable
• Cleaning and Kitchen duties
• Raking and sweeping
• Folding laundry
• Watering plants

38. Sample Task Support
• Each task is supported through the therapeutic team
working with the SLE teacher.
• Each student within the specific task is evaluated by the
team in order to determine the appropriate adaptations,
equipment and communication needs necessary for the
student to optimize his performance.
• Prior to placement the student is provided opportunities to
practice each skill set necessary to succeed at the
community placement.

39. How Students Complete Tasks
• Directing
• Sequencing
• Maximizing Communication
• Using Adapting Equipment
• Maximizing Physical Capabilities

40. Ideas for Application in Your Setting

41. Research

42. Research and Resources
• SLEs http://www.state.nj.us/education/cte/sle/
• CARF http://www.carf.org/Programs/ECS/

43. Questions?

44. Acknowledgements
• Jim Hintenach
• Linda Mullin
• Darlene Tammara
• Alex Fraumann
• Cindy Labar
• Lynne Quada
• Jesse Meadow
• Donna Kelly
• Brynna McGuiness
• Bonnie Wilkenfeldt
• Erin McHugh
• Brad King
• Shannon O’Brien
• Alicia
• & Many, Many more