Edmonton and area Fetal Alcohol Network Society

We loved this post from https://suchatimeasthis.com/2015/10/30/life-skills-to-teach-your-special-needs-child/

What life skills are you teaching your child and how are you making it successful?

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 a 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.  

Life Skills

1. Potty train
2. Wash hands
3. Brush hair
4. Pick out clothes
5. Dress self
6. Button clothes
7. Shower self
8. Brush teeth
9. Wash face
10. Choose healthy food/snacks
11. Prepare snacks for self
12. Prepare lunch for self
13. Prepare breakfast for self
14. Prepare food for others and self
15. Heat up food in microwave
16. Put food away in proper place
17. Clean off table after meal
18. Put dishes in sink
19. Load dishwasher
20. Unload dishwasher
21. Put on shoes
22. Tie shoes
23. Take trash out of their bathroom
24. Wipe down bathroom sink
25. Wipe down toilet
26. Wipe down mirror
27. Clean up toys and put in toy bin
28. Put away pencils and notebooks after school
29. Ride a bike
30. Bike and Scooter Safety (Where Helmet)
31. Take a walk – learn street safety
32. Mail a letter
33. Retrieve mail out of mailbox
34. Vacuum
35. Sweep
36. Spray mop
37. Dry mop
38. Answer the phone
39. Dial the phone
40. Memorize phone number
41. Memorize address
42. Learn how to count money
43. Purchase items at a store
44. Shop for groceries
45. Order food at restaurant
46. Use a computer
47. Type an e-mail
48. Use a TV (remote)
49. Pour liquid into a glass
50. Learning to read an indoor/outdoor thermometer
51. Dressing appropriately to the temperature
52. Water Safety
53. Learn to swim
54. Make Bed
55. Change Sheets
56. Learn to Use Washer & Dryer
57. Dust furniture
58. Wipe Walls & Railings in Home
59. Read Street Signs
60. 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.