When my son turned 9 years old I came to a startling wake-up call.  I realized that because he has autism, sensory processing disorder, and global delays we would need to really focus on life skills or he would continue to fall further and further behind.  These skills, which are taught more loosely to his developmentally-typical peers … the same skills that some kids just observe and soak in naturally in their environment … these would need to be taught explicitly to my oldest son for him to learn them and to accept them as part of his routine.  For those of you who don’t know, A is almost 13 years old and this is a list of life skills that he has accomplished in the last few years.  Many of these are still on his “practice” list and others he has down pat – but I’m sharing this with you today just in case you are in a place where I was just a few years ago.  You need to start somewhere – so whatever stage your child is in, I’m hoping this list will give you launching off point to help you narrow down just a few skills they could be learning right now.
The key is to be intentional in whatever you teach. Â
Life Skills
- Potty train
- Wash hands
- Brush hair
- Pick out clothes
- Dress self
- Button clothes
- Shower self
- Brush teeth
- Wash face
- Choose healthy food/snacks
- Prepare snacks for self
- Prepare lunch for self
- Prepare breakfast for self
- Prepare food for others and self
- Heat up food in microwave
- Put food away in proper place
- Clean off table after meal
- Put dishes in sink
- Load dishwasher
- Unload dishwasher
- Put on shoes
- Tie shoes
- Take trash out of their bathroom
- Wipe down bathroom sink
- Wipe down toilet
- Wipe down mirror
- Clean up toys and put in toy bin
- Put away pencils and notebooks after school
- Ride a bike
- Bike and Scooter Safety (Where Helmet)
- Take a walk – learn street safety
- Mail a letter
- Retrieve mail out of mailbox
- Vacuum
- Sweep
- Spray mop
- Dry mop
- Answer the phone
- Dial the phone
- Memorize phone number
- Memorize address
- Learn how to count money
- Purchase items at a store
- Shop for groceries
- Order food at restaurant
- Use a computer
- Type an e-mail
- Use a TV (remote)
- Pour liquid into a glass
- Learning to read an indoor/outdoor thermometer
- Dressing appropriately to the temperature
- Water Safety
- Learn to swim
- Make Bed
- Change Sheets
- Learn to Use Washer & Dryer
- Dust furniture
- Wipe Walls & Railings in Home
- Read Street Signs
- Read a Map
To begin just pick one of the skills.  Work on this skill for the next 10 days or 2 weeks.  If the life skill is especially difficult for your child you might choose to break it down into smaller steps and work on these until your child masters it.  The goal is to get these to eventually become incorporated into their typical day to day routine. Â
Source:Â https://suchatimeasthis.com/2015/10/30/life-skills-to-teach-your-special-needs-child/
