MyKey Steps PD Training Guide

Stepping back so they can step up

MyKey Steps PD Training Guide is a free, 45-page professional development flipbook for everyone who supports a learner using MyKey Steps. It gives families, teachers, job coaches, agency staff and workplaces one shared path to independence, so the whole team teaches the same way and steps back together as the learner steps up.

Who this training is for

• Families teaching daily living tasks at home
• Teachers and transition planners building work and life skills into IEP transition goals
• Job coaches and agency staff in supported employment and Vocational Rehabilitation
• Workplaces and coworkers who provide natural support on the job

What the training covers

• Caseload: every learner at a glance, with independence and level of support side by side
• Tasks and the Task Library: building picture-by-picture steps, or starting from ready-made tasks
• Learners: setting up each learner and their support team
• Goals and outcomes: connecting tasks to real goals at home, school, and work
• Employment: using MyKey Steps on the job, from first day to independent work
• Passport: a picture of the learner that travels with them
• Progress: seeing independence grow, run by run
• Fading: moving from paid support to natural support to working on their own

Key terms, explained simply

• Task analysis: breaking a job into small, ordered steps, each taught and checked on its own.
• Fading: giving less help over time as a learner masters each step, planned on purpose so independence keeps growing.
• Paid, natural, and on their own: three levels of support. Paid support comes from staff, natural support comes from coworkers, family and community, and the goal is a learner who can do the task on their own.
• Professional development (PD): training that helps a whole team use the same practices with the same learner.

Frequently asked questions

Is the training guide free?

Yes. Read it right here and share it with your whole team.

Do we need MyKey Steps to use it?

The guide is written for teams using MyKey Steps, and its fading and task analysis practices are useful for any team. Start at steps.mykeyplans.com.

Can a school, district, or agency get group training?

Yes. Contact MyKey Plans at hello@mykeyplans.com to talk about training for your team.

Related guides on the MyKey Bookshelf

• MyKey Steps: task analysis app for job coaches and families
• Command Center by MyKey: executive functioning app guide
• The MyKey Family Toolkit: 18 free transition tools for families

About the author

Barb Beck, M.Ed., is a special education transition specialist who has walked beside young adults with disabilities and their families since 1992. She is the author of the My Keys to the Future transition curriculum and the founder of MyKey Plans in Bothell, Washington.