A list of 3 essential 'daily life skills' for a successful social life! (ASD youth edition)

 

Among the intervention goals, one that is not often emphasized is 'daily living skills'. Most people acquire these daily living skills naturally, but for people on the autism spectrum, it takes a little longer for various reasons.

It is important for children to practice these daily life skills so that they can better take care of themselves as adults.

What are some 'daily living skills' that children should learn before they become adults?

Today, I read an article from the Organization for Autism Research.

Daily Living Skills | Organization for Autism Research (researchautism.org)

1. General Skills

• Making a phone call: Making a phone call is a necessary skill for communicating with people, but it is also necessary for asking for help later on. It is also necessary for social life. Please teach the phone call in this step.
• Find a person's name in your phone list
• Knowing/Listening to What to Say When Making a Phone Call
• Knowing/Listening to What to Say When You Answer a Phone Call
• Listen to important information and write it down
• Save new phone number

• Cleaning: Learning how to clean and maintain your space means you will be able to clean your surroundings in other institutional settings or public places.
• Demonstrates cleaning products for different areas, including floors, bathrooms, and toilets, emphasizes safety, and shows how to use the right tools, such as paper towels, sponges, and gloves.
• If appropriate, please share with us some visual material.
• Let your child follow you around and observe you as you clean the house.
• Finally, give your child a small task to do and have them clean and keep the area clean every day.
• Please increase my role gradually.

• Laundry and folding clothes: Doing laundry or folding clothes may seem like daunting tasks at first, but try starting with the easier tasks and working your way up one at a time.
• Teach your child how to sort clothes into different types of laundry. If your child has difficulty, help him sort them by attaching pictures or text related to the fabric of the clothes to different baskets.
• Please tell me how to measure detergent and how to use the washer and dryer.

2. Money Management Skills

• Managing Your Banks: Learning how to use your bank accounts is essential to achieving financial independence.
• Please tell me step by step how to save and withdraw money, and how to use a check card.
• You can also help your child manage their money by using a banking app that allows family members to monitor and manage their finances, like Famzoo.

• Manage your budget : By teaching your child how to plan when and how they will spend, they will become more independent and able to make more decisions on their own.
• Please tell me how to calculate how much I spend in a week and help me figure out for myself what I spend and how much I spend on what items.
• Decide with them how much they should spend on each item on average per week, and then practice sticking to that budget.
• Take the time to review your child’s accounts and budget weekly or monthly. You can increase or decrease the budget or spend more, or talk about what has changed.

3. Public Transportation

• Using public transportation: When children learn that they can freely use public transportation to get where they want, when, and how they want, it means they can move around independently and engage in social and hobby activities.
• View train or bus timetables : The app lets you decide the right time and route to your destination.
• Checking directions : Teach your child how to use a map to check where they are and where home is.
• Discuss cost and time : Plan together how you will pay for public transportation and how long it will take to get to places.
• Practice : Practice going very short distances. Be sure to call for help when you need it, and practice taking public transportation while writing down the steps you need to take.

 

We've looked at a variety of life skills that children can learn to help build their independence before they become adults.

In fact, a college student friend of mine (now in his late 20s) learned various life skills by riding public transportation with me, exchanging text messages on KakaoTalk, and even ordering food at a restaurant.

I don't think there's a more important skill than living independently while working now :)

 

Don't be too afraid that your child will not be able to do it, but think about what you can teach your child today so that he or she can learn about the world one step at a time and become rooted in society.

 

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