Life skills are those activities that need to be performed in order for an individual to live and work independently as an adult. Students with disabilities should be provided with adequate life skills in order to develop socially, hold a job, have meaningful relationships and take care of themselves as much as possible. According to the ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children, school curricula for kids with disabilities should include instruction on daily living activities, personal grooming, social interaction and job skills. Parents, teachers and caregivers should work as a team to deliver the needed instruction.
Step 1
Give children with disabilities an allowance in order to teach them how to manage money. Show them how to count money and take them shopping so they can learn how to conduct financial transactions and make change. Take kids to a bank and help them open savings accounts; encourage them to save a portion of their allowance each week.
Step 2
Spend time outdoors in the community so children can learn about safety and how to navigate sidewalks and crosswalks. According to the ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children, children with disabilities need to be able to be mobile in their own communities both during the day and at night.
Step 3
Allow disabled kids to clean up after themselves and perform household chores to earn their allowance. According to the Department of Special Education and Child Development at the University of North Carolina Charlotte, important life skills that foster independence include the abilities to do laundry, wash dishes and clean up after an accident occurs, such as a broken glass or spilled water.
Step 4
Enroll kids with disabilities in community leisure activities, such as swimming lessons or summer camp, where appropriate. Encourage siblings and neighborhood kids to play with all of the kids at a neighborhood playground or in a yard so that the children with disabilities can develop social skills and learn the benefits of communal social activities.
Tips and Warnings
- According to the Department of Special Education and Child Development at the University of North Carolina Charlotte, since many children with disabilities are mainstreamed into public schools with a primary focus on academics, they often do not receive appropriate life skills instruction. Parents and counselors should make an effort to provide such instruction so that the children can navigate their environment and find meaningful work upon graduation.
- Children with disabilities often do not easily grasp body language within the scope of human communication. According to the Local School Directory, children with learning disabilities must be specifically taught that, when words and actions do not coincide, they need to rely on the nonverbal communications to understand the intended meanings. Children also need to be taught how to read body language, facial expressions and tones of voice to develop healthy social skills.
References
- ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children: Life Skills Mastery
- University of North Carolina Charlotte: Department of Special Ed and Child Development at Charlotte: Teaching Functional Life Skills to Youth with Disabilities
- Local School Directory.com: Teaching Kids with Learning Disabilities How to Make Friends
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