STEPS stands for Structured Teaching, Educationally Prepared Students, and it has been around since the establishment of the Capistrano Unified School District in 1965. STEPS is run by Dr. Kirstee Radley, and this is her 23rd year teaching special education. The program offers students with disabilities specialized support and instruction and guides them to be strong, productive individuals.
Various clubs at ANHS work with STEPS, such as Best Buddies and Link Crew. Best Buddies aims to support students with inclusion, communication and social skills. Meetings are every other week on Fridays in Room 603, but many members visit daily before school, during breaks, lunch and a Wolverine+ called Unified Lounge on Wednesdays and Thursdays for students to spend time with STEPS.
Link Crew also serves as incredible support for the program.
Taylor Clark (12), the president of Link Crew, says, “It’s honestly such a fun experience and it helps everyone develop their collaborative skills. It’s also such a great opportunity to get to know people you wouldn’t have had a chance to meet otherwise.”
STEPS meets with Link Crew during third period Unified PE where students are able to learn social games based on sports. Unified PE is a class that anyone on campus can sign up for, and the goal is for general education students to be peer models for STEPS students through a “buddy” system. Link Crew and STEPS are also involved with various campus events such as football games and trick or treating.
Dr. Radley explains, “Volunteering within our program is really neat for everyone involved! Our students get to hang out with typical teenagers and the volunteers get to work with some of the neatest kids on campus. Really, volunteering just means hanging out and playing sports, games, or just sitting and chilling.”
STEPS also has a Teal Cafe, where students fulfill coffee and other drink orders for teachers. They take part in the Working Wolverines, in which students work on vocational skills such as cleaning, watering plants and other office-type duties around campus. They are also very involved in ASB lunchtime games and activities.
Aliso just became an official Unified Champion School through Special Olympics, which means providing social activities through whole school engagement. Special Olympics is an international competition for athletes with intellectual disabilities, aimed at creating an inclusive community through sports. Children above eight years old are able to compete, and this organization is supported by hundreds of thousands of volunteers worldwide. STEPS plans to host Special Olympics games in the spring, as well as having a cheerleading team.
Also, on Nov. 15, Dr. Radley will be taking 10 students, including five Link Crew members, to the 2023 Special Olympics Youth Summit to learn about leadership for inclusion on school campuses. It is a great opportunity for ANHS students to expand their knowledge on how to improve their school and community.
Dr. Radley began working in the district as a structured autism teacher, but she decided to be involved in other programs. She always knew that she wanted to be a special education teacher, and for those who are interested in this career, she encourages, “Yes, do it! It will change your life and the students’. Serving students in this capacity is a great honor! Your life will forever be enriched.”
