Get REAL SaturdaysThe Entrepreneurship Education Solution

for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Barbara GaertigSpecial Education Teacher

Barnett Shoals Elementary SchoolClarke County School District

Athens, GA2009

Get REAL Saturdays ?

What is

Get REAL Saturdays ?

• students-teachers-parents-community group for families with children with

disabilities (primarily with Autism Spectrum Disorder)

Whatare the objectives for

Get REAL Saturdays ?• Provide support for families with children with

autism • Provide a free program easily accessible to all

families • Provide opportunities for students with autism to

learn functional, job related, and social skills

Get REAL Saturdays-How does it work?

Students Meeting Parents Meeting

Meets Once a month on Saturday

Morning

Lunch

Parents Meeting

• Build a Support Team by:

- introducing learning styles

- incorporating team building activities

- addressing the topics according to the families needs and interests

Student activities are based on the REAL curriculum

• Students learn job-related skills including:

- understanding the concept of earning, saving , and spending money

- following directions

- self-help skills (i.e. food safety preparation)

- social skills

Formula for a Successful Meeting

• familiar structure

• visual schedule

• social stories

• visual directions for jobs and activities

• use of sign language

• behavior intervention plans

Student Meeting Components

• transition time – students and volunteers have a chance to get to know each other

Student Meeting Components

Social story is provided to introduce the topic for the meeting –i.e. when we were opening our business, The REAL Food Restaurant, the students were presented with a social story about the Pizza Place.

Students learned: - how the restaurant operates, how the job is divided, how the team works together.

Student Meeting Components

• Structured activities based on the topic of the meeting.

Student Meeting Components

• The REAL Food Restaurant is run by students

• Students prepare lunch for all participants • While working in the restaurant students

earn the “REAL” money• Students learn job related skills including:

rules about food safety, team work, job division, customer service, following the rules and procedures , and more…

The REAL Food Restaurant

How We Earn Real Bucks ?

• Get REAL Saturdays Program does not get financial support from the school budget, therefore we found other ways of funding

Drive-By Pumpkin Patch

Silent Auction

Bake Sale

ACT Grant – Athens Council for Transition