The Applied Academic Skills program offers an educational opportunity for Lake Drive Students to apply their academic knowledge base within meaningful contexts. This method of instruction incorporates a trans-disciplinary team approach. The team includes a teacher of the deaf, a speech-language pathologist, and an occupational therapist. Academics and critical life skills are cooperatively taught in the classroom. These skills are then applied in practical settings such as home, work, and community environments. This experiential approach enhances student learning. Students are then able to make connections between their classroom content areas and their practical activities. The Applied Academic Skills program fosters personal, social, and work self-reliance and allows the student a feeling of empowerment and independence.