what is life skills special education

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The Importance of Teaching Life Skills to Special Education Students

Life skills are essential for individuals to navigate their daily lives effectively and independently. For special education students, these skills take on an even greater significance as they often require additional support and guidance to develop them. Teaching life skills to special education students not only empowers them to become more self-sufficient but also enhances their overall quality of life. 

In this article, we will explore the importance of teaching life skills to special education students, discuss various life skills they need to learn, and provide examples of how you could teach each skill. 

The Significance of Teaching Life Skills

Teaching life skills to special education students is crucial because it equips them with the tools they need to navigate their daily routines and interact successfully with their environment. These skills enable students to become more independent, self-reliant, and confident in their abilities. By acquiring life skills, special education students gain a sense of empowerment and develop the necessary foundations for leading fulfilling and meaningful lives.

Essential Life Skills for Special Education Students

Personal hygiene.

Personal hygiene is a fundamental life skill that includes activities such as brushing teeth, bathing, and grooming. I created the “How to Brush Your Teeth” free activity as part of my  Life Skills Curriculum  for special ed. This freebie is a valuable resource that can be used to teach special education students proper toothbrushing techniques. This resource includes a letter home to parents, a digital and printable adapted book, sequencing mats, a task analysis poster, and more. Each component is designed to reinforce the life skill and help students master it.  You can grab a free copy of the How to Brush Your Teeth activities here!

Time Management

Time management is crucial for organizing daily activities and responsibilities, but it’s often so challenging for students . Special education students can benefit from visual schedules, timers, and checklists to help them manage their time effectively. You can create visual schedules using these pictures or symbols to represent different tasks and provide clear instructions on how to follow them.

Money Management

Teaching students basic money management skills enables them to handle financial transactions and make informed choices. Practical activities such as using play money, practicing in a Money Adapted Work Binder , shopping simulations, and budgeting exercises can help special education students understand the value of money, count coins , and make simple purchases.

Cooking and Nutrition

Cooking and nutrition skills are essential for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. You can incorporate cooking activities into their curriculum by introducing simple recipes and teaching students how to read food labels, measure ingredients, and follow step-by-step instructions. These activities can be adapted based on each student’s abilities and needs. Visual step-by-step recipes are often best and keep students engaged the longest!

Social Skills

Social skills encompass various abilities such as communication, empathy, cooperation, and problem-solving. Role-playing exercises, social stories, and group activities can help special education students develop effective social skills. Teachers can create opportunities for students to practice peer interactions through structured games and collaborative projects. Coffee carts are great for this!

Teaching Strategies for Life Skills

Visual supports.

Visual supports, such as visual schedules , social stories, and visual prompts, can enhance learning and comprehension for special education students. These visual aids provide clear and concrete instructions that help students understand expectations and tasks.

Task Analysis

Breaking down complex tasks into smaller, manageable steps through task analysis allows students to learn each step individually before integrating them into a complete process. This approach helps build confidence and ensures mastery of each component of the life skill.

Real-Life Context

Teaching life skills within real-life contexts fosters practical application and generalization of skills. For example, taking a class trip to a grocery store can provide hands-on experience in budgeting, making purchases, and identifying nutritious food choices.

Repetition and Reinforcement

Repetition is key when teaching life skills. Consistent practice reinforces learning and helps students develop automaticity in executing tasks. Providing positive reinforcement through praise, rewards, or tokens can also motivate students and reinforce desired behaviors.

Individualized Instruction

Recognizing that each student has unique abilities and learning styles is crucial when teaching life skills. Individualized instruction allows teachers to tailor lessons according to students’ strengths, preferences, and areas for improvement.

Teaching life skills to special education students is vital for their personal growth, independence, and overall well-being. By focusing on essential skills such as personal hygiene, time management, money management, cooking and nutrition, and social skills, teachers can empower special education students to lead fulfilling lives. Using strategies like visual supports, task analysis, real-life contexts, repetition, and individualized instruction enhances the effectiveness of teaching these skills. By incorporating these strategies and resources into your teaching practices, you can support special education students in developing the necessary life skills for success in daily living.

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Special Education Life Skills Curriculum

As educators, we strive to equip our students with the skills they need to succeed. For students with special needs, this can be especially challenging. While academic skills are important, it’s equally important to focus on life skills that will help these students lead independent and fulfilling lives. That’s where a special education life skills curriculum comes in. This curriculum is designed to teach students the practical skills they need to navigate daily life, such as personal hygiene, time management, and social skills. Curriculum modifications can further tailor this curriculum to each student’s unique needs.

This blog post explores the benefits of a special education life skills curriculum and some key strategies for implementing one in your classroom. So, whether you’re a special education teacher , a parent of a child with special needs, or simply someone interested in supporting the needs of students with disabilities, read on to learn more!

What is the Special Education Life Skills Curriculum?

A Special Education Life Skills Curriculum is a tailored program designed to teach students with special needs the essential life skills they need to function independently and confidently in their everyday lives. These skills include basic personal care and hygiene, household management, money management, social skills, practical job skills, and vocational training. This information aligns with what the National Center for Special Education Research highlights on its site.

The curriculum is developed to address the unique needs of each student based on their strengths, weaknesses, and goals. The focus is on providing instruction and practice in real-world scenarios to make the learning experience as practical and relevant as possible. Effective instructional strategies for special education play a crucial role here.

Special Education Life Skills Curriculum is a crucial component of special education programs, as it helps to ensure that students with special needs can achieve greater independence and autonomy. By teaching life skills, special education teachers and support staff can help students to develop the confidence, competence, and self-sufficiency they need to succeed in school, the workplace, and beyond.

Overall, a Special Education Life Skills Curriculum is an essential part of any special education program, as it helps to empower students with special needs to lead fulfilling and independent lives. By focusing on practical skills and real-world scenarios, this curriculum can help ensure that all students can achieve their full potential and contribute to their communities in meaningful ways.

Examples of Special Education Life Skills Curriculum

Here are some examples of skills that may be included in a Special Education Life Skills Curriculum:

• Personal hygiene: Teaching students how to bathe, brush their teeth, comb their hair, and care for their skin and nails. Information from the American Dental Association can help to reinforce good dental hygiene practices.
• Time management: Teaching students to use a calendar, schedule appointments, manage their time, and prioritize tasks.
• Money management: Teach students how to count and manage money, use a debit card or checkbook, and create and stick to a budget.
• Household management: Teaching students how to clean and maintain a living space, do laundry, and cook simple meals.
• Social skills: Teaching students how to communicate effectively, interact socially, and develop positive relationships.
• Vocational training: Providing students with opportunities to learn practical job skills, such as operating equipment, performing clerical tasks, and working with others in a team.
• Transportation skills: Teaching students how to navigate public transportation or drive a car.
• Health and wellness: Teaching students about healthy eating, exercise, and stress management.

The specific skills included in a Special Education Life Skills Curriculum will depend on the needs and goals of each student. The goal is to give students the practical skills and knowledge they need to navigate their daily lives and achieve greater independence and self-sufficiency.

What are the Chores in the Functional Life Skills Curriculum?

The functional life skills curriculum, also known as daily living skills, is designed to teach students the essential skills they need to function independently in their daily lives. Chores, or household tasks, are a key component of a functional life skills curriculum.

Chores teach important skills such as time management, organization, problem-solving, and responsibility. When students learn how to do household chores, they also learn how to care for themselves and their living space. This can help build their confidence, increase their independence, and develop a sense of pride in contributing to their home and community.

Some examples of chores that may be included in a functional life skills curriculum are:

• Laundry: sorting and washing clothes, folding, and putting away clean laundry.
• Cleaning: dusting, vacuuming, sweeping, and mopping.
• Cooking: preparing meals, cleaning up after cooking, and storing leftovers.
• Personal hygiene: bathing, grooming, and dressing oneself.
• Home maintenance: changing light bulbs, fixing minor repairs, and caring for plants.

The specific chores included in a functional life skills curriculum will depend on each student’s individual needs and goals. By teaching these skills, students with special needs can develop the competence and confidence they need to lead independent and fulfilling lives. They will be better equipped to manage their homes, care for themselves, and contribute to their communities.

What is the Special Education Cleaning Household Chores Functional Life Skills Curriculum?

Cleaning household chores are an essential component of a functional life skills curriculum for students with special needs. By teaching cleaning skills, students develop the competence and confidence to manage their homes, care for themselves, and contribute to their communities.

Cleaning household chores provide numerous benefits for special education students. These skills teach organization, problem-solving, and responsibility. Students who learn cleaning skills can develop a sense of pride in their ability to contribute to their home and community. Cleaning also promotes safety and health, as it helps to reduce the risk of accidents and illness associated with living in an unclean environment.

When incorporating cleaning skills into a functional life skills curriculum, it is essential to consider each student’s individual needs and goals. Some students may require more support or modifications to succeed, while others may need to work on specific cleaning areas, such as safety or attention to detail.

It is also important to note that cleaning can be challenging and sometimes overwhelming for students with special needs. Therefore, it is essential to break down cleaning tasks into manageable steps and to provide positive reinforcement and support throughout the learning process.

Overall, teaching cleaning household chores as part of a functional life skills curriculum is a valuable way to promote independence and self-sufficiency in students with special needs. By teaching these skills, educators can help students to develop a sense of pride and accomplishment, build confidence, and develop the skills they need to live fulfilling and independent lives.

Digital Functional Life Skills Curriculum

Digital life skills curriculum special education is becoming increasingly important for special education students, as technology is becoming an integral part of everyday life. The digital functional life skills curriculum is designed to teach students with special needs how to use technology to communicate, learn, work, and live independently.

Some examples of digital functional life skills that may be included in a special education curriculum are:

• Typing: The ability to type on a computer keyboard is a critical digital functional life skill that can help students to communicate, complete school assignments, and find employment.
• Internet research: The ability to use search engines, find reliable sources, and evaluate information is essential for students with special needs to conduct research and complete assignments.
• Email and messaging: The ability to compose and send emails and text messages is a critical digital functional life skill for students with special needs to communicate with friends, family, and colleagues.
• Basic computer skills: Using a computer, including basic software such as word processing and spreadsheets, is essential for completing school assignments and finding employment.
• Assistive technology: Using assistive technology such as screen readers, speech recognition software, and alternative input devices can help students with special needs access and use technology more effectively.

The specific digital functional life skills included in a special education curriculum will depend on each student’s individual needs and goals. However, by teaching these skills, special education students can develop the competence and confidence they need to use technology effectively and independently. They will be better equipped to communicate, learn, work, and live in an increasingly digital world.

Other Resources

Is the life skills curriculum special education free? There are several resources available for the special education life skills curriculum. You can search for “life skills curriculum, special education pdf,” “functional curriculum for special needs students pdf,” or “functional life skills curriculum for students with intellectual disabilities” for more information on the subject.

Here are some options:

• National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET): This organization provides various resources for transition planning and life skills for students with disabilities. Their website offers information on independent living, employment, and community involvement.
• The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC): The CEC is a professional organization for educators working with children with disabilities. They offer a variety of resources, including publications and webinars, related to the special education life skills curriculum.
• TeachTown: TeachTown offers a comprehensive life skills curriculum for students with disabilities. Their curriculum covers various topics, including social skills, personal hygiene, and money management.
• Project SEARCH: Project SEARCH is a program that provides vocational training and job placement services for students with disabilities. Their website offers information on their curriculum and training programs.
• Special Education Guide: This website provides various resources related to special education, including information on the life skills curriculum. They offer articles and guides on independent living skills, social skills, and vocational training.
• Edmentum: Edmentum offers a variety of online educational resources, including a life skills curriculum for students with disabilities. Their curriculum covers communication, personal finance, and career exploration.

These are just a few examples of the many resources available for the special education life skills curriculum. It may also be helpful to consult with a special education teacher or school administrator for additional guidance and resources.

I hope you enjoyed today’s discussion of the Special Education Life Skills Curriculum. Have a great day ahead!

Jennifer Hanson is a dedicated and seasoned writer specializing in the field of special education. With a passion for advocating for the rights and needs of children with diverse learning abilities, Jennifer uses her pen to educate, inspire, and empower both educators and parents alike.

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• Teacher Organization , Life Skills

I have been teaching special education for the past 15 years and have often heard teachers not wanting to teach life skills explicitly .  Achieving independence is the single most important thing that we can teach to students with special needs.  

Neurotypical students learn basic functional life skills by imitating their peers, teachers, and other people in their lives.  Many of our students, especially autistic students, struggle with these imitation skills and need that explicit life skills instruction. 

Teach Life Skills Explicitly

It is never too early to start introducing functional life skills to your students.  Remember, this is definitely NOT all that you need to be teaching.  Academic skills are still very important and should be taught every day.

After struggling for a long time on how and what to teach, I finally created materials from scratch on how to teach basic functional life skills.  I wanted a way to integrate these basic life skills into what I was already teaching.  I decided to divide the life skills into 12 different categories that I could teach over the course of 12 months.

12 months of resources

• Personal Care & Hygiene
• Meal Planning and Prep
• Health and Nutrition
• House Keeping
• Money: The Basics
• Social Skills
• Coping with Stress
• Safety & Emergencies
• Money: Budgeting
• Vocational Skills
• Leisure time

Year Long Life Skills Curriculum

Functional Life Skills Curriculum

I like to store my units in these large scrapbook cases!  That fits everything in there, plus there is room for me to add extra things like real money or toothbrushes, depending on which unit it is!

You can grab the entire functional life skills curriculum in my TpT shop!

What does each unit come with?

Here is what will be included in each monthly unit:.

• lesson guidelines
• blank monthly and weekly at a glance
• sample IEP goals to match the content
• related worksheets (including cut and paste activities)
• adapted books and social stories
• differentiated assessments
• parent letters
• file folder games
• visual aids
• student awards for mastery
• data tracking sheets
• craftivity (related crafts and writing activity) – available in  some  units

Task Boxes for Life Skills Curriculum

My favorite part of all of these units in this curriculum is all the task boxes that you get.  I am obsessed with using them in my independent work systems !  

They are so easy to store and use and my students think they are playing games but they are learning.

If you don't follow me on Instagram,  you can do that here . I will be sharing videos about each unit as they come out in my stories, or check out my story highlights!

If you are not subscribed to my email list,  you can do that here . I will be sending out emails as each unit is released and offering them at HALF OFF for the first 24 hours to those that get the email!!

Don't forget, that you can purchase each of these units separately, however, you will be missing out on the 30% discount  if you purchase the bundle.

FOUR FREE TASK BOXES

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I am a High School, self-contained Autism teacher from Central New York, who is passionate about individualizing student learning. I am a mommy of three, lover of all things Disney, married to my best friend and addicted to chocolate!! I hope that you find great ideas and inspiration here, so welcome!!

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How to Teach Life Skills in a Special Education Classroom

I believe teaching life skills ia crucial part of any special education program.  As special education teachers, our goal is to build independence in all areas for our students.  There are a variety of life skills components and these will vary depending on the age of your students.  Primary grades will focus on toileting, hygiene, personal information and independence while high school students will focus on money skills, vocational skills and cooking skills.  Depending on the grade level you teach, and the abilities of your caseload, you will be able to determine which life skills to focus on in your classroom.

Teaching life skills in special education is crucial because it fosters independence and empowers students to manage their daily activities confidently. It equips them with essential tools to navigate real-world challenges, enhancing their overall quality of life. Moreover, life skills instruction helps students develop self-sufficiency, enabling them to participate more fully in their communities.

For today’s post, I will be discussing the life skills I taught in my primary grades classroom.

Teaching Toileting in the Classroom

Teaching independence in everyday life skills is a huge goal in every self contained classroom.  One area of independence is teaching toileting skills to our students.  Toilet training older students in the classroom can be a challenge but it is one of the most important life skills.  It is important to work together with parents when starting toilet training to establish consistency because it is one of the most important essential life skills when working towards independence.

Bathroom Visuals

Visuals play an important role in special education.  I’ve discussed in this post here, Visuals in Special Education, why and how visuals can enhance your special education classroom.  Visuals are also critical for teaching students life skills, such as how to go to the bathroom.  Decorate your classroom restroom with visuals to help students understand the bathroom routine.  You can use a picture strip taped next to the toilet, a mobile visual schedule or a visual lanyard staff members carry.  Below are some pictures of a variety of basic tools including bathroom visuals that can assist you with toilet training.

Bathroom Incentive Chart

Do you need to motivate a student to use the toilet?  Do they need motivation to request the bathroom? What about motivation to attempt to use the restroom.  Either way, positive reinforcement can be extremely motivating.  Create a simple bathroom chart to motivate students to meet their toileting goals.  Each student will have different goals, and as always, these goals will evolve over time.  You may start rewarding a student by attempting to use the restroom and then transition to student successfully voiding in the restroom.  Lastly, motivate students to communicate the needs to use the restroom before having an accident.  

Students can work for a preferred reward.  An incentive to toilet trining is key to some of those students resistance to the idea of toilet training.  You can choose how many times the students need to go in order to earn their reward depending on the students’ ability.  Slowly, over time, you can fade this visual way completely. 

You can grab my FREE bathroom incentive chart HERE.

Bathroom Direct Instruction

The Behavior Basics program has a lesson on bathroom rules.  Using the restroom with staff is one skill, but using a public restroom is a whole different skill.  This lesson will teach students the rules of the restroom using social stories, discussion questions, coloring pages, interactive notebook activities and various reading activities.  Using the restroom successfully is a crucial life skill, and this behavior basics lesson will help you teach students the basic skills needed to use the restroom successfully with peers around them. You can grab this behavior basics lesson HERE .

Here are a few pictures for you to see what is included:

Personal Hygiene Needs

Another life skill we focused on in my classroom was basic personal hygiene needs.  Teaching students to be independent in the area of self-help is very crucial when working towards independence.  In order to teach these skills, consider creating social stores to each these life skills. 

Hygiene Social Stories:

• Washing My Hands
• I Can Brush My Teeth
• Getting Dressed
• I can Take A bath

Teaching hygiene skills in special education is crucial for building independence and promoting overall well-being. By incorporating lessons on basic personal care, such as hand washing, teeth brushing, and proper grooming, teachers can help sstudents with essential routines they can carry into adulthood. Using visual tools, social stories, and hands-on practice, teachers can effectively address the unique needs of each student.  Overtime, staff can fade any prompts needed so that students can eventually maintain all hygiene goals indepdnelty.  As always, consult with families to make sure they are working on the same things at home that you are working on in the classroom. 

Managing Classroom Jobs

Creating classroom jobs is a great way to build functional life skills and teach responsibly to the students.  It also helps build team work and community sills within your classroom.  Using the jobs interactive bulletin board, allow students to choose their jobs each Monday.  Assist students in carrying ou their jobs for the week.  Students can learn the necessary skills to have a job in their elementary school setting.  Depending on the ages of your students and your students’ abilities, the jobs will vary in tasks.

Here is a photo of the classroom jobs I used in my classroom when I wanted super simple jobs.  You can grab these visuals HERE .

Here is a photo of classroom jobs I used when I wanted an intricate job system.  This was a week long job with a pay check in the end.  Students earned something on Fun Friday with their money.  I got this job set HERE.

Both of these jobs helped teach basic life skills and build a supportive environment within the classroom. These simple classroom jobs can help students with their future careers.

Learning Personal Information

Learning personal information is another important life skill to teach students.  It is important for students to work towards learning their personal information such as name, birthday, age, phone number, address and school information.  This information is crucial in case they were ever to find themself in any difficult situations such as getting lost or separated from an adult in public.

I have found that setting up an All About Me book is one of the best ways to learning personal information because it it personalized for each student.  Each student has their own book and I stored them to pull out when we had a few extra minutes within our school day.  We also would work on these in small groups during work center rotations.  To learn more about work center rotations, click HERE .

Here are some pictures of an All About Me Book I made for myself to model to my class how to work through the book.  You can grab these editable All About Me Books HERE .

Direct Instruction on Life Skills

The Behavior Basics Program is a life skills curriculum that focuses on the basics of behavior, classroom rules and social-emotional learning.  There are a variety of lessons within the Behavior Basics Program that address life skills and I will outline them below.  Each lesson comes with lesson plans helping you outline your life skills instruction.  By incorporating the Behavior Basics Program into your daily routine, a lot of your life skills education planning is done for you!  These already made lessons provide a variety of simple ways to work on life skills direct instruction.

Conflict resolution

Conflict resolution is an important life skill that will greatly help students be successful when navigating independence.  The skill of being able to resolve conflicts will help students build healthy relationships form a young age.

How to Act in the community

How I act in the community is another behavior basics lesson that will help students be safe in the real world.  Throughout the school year I was lucky enough to take my students on community based field trips.  Within my district, the high shcool and adult programs went into the community on a weekly/daily basis to work on new skills.  This lesson teaches students how to act appropriately and in a safe manner when out in the community.

how to get to school safely

Getting to school safely is an important lesson that helps students stay safe when getting to school.  It discusses the various modes of transportation and how to listen to adults so that everyone arrives to school safely!  

Teaching accountability

Accountability is an important social responsibility we must teach our students.  Teaching students to be accountable can be a challenge but paired with visual social stories this behavior basics lesson can help you do so.  Teaching personal responsibility will help students navigate social situations and build healthy relationships.

Asking a friend to play

Another life skill we need to teach our students is asking a friend to play .  Communicating with peers and playing safely with one another will build strong relationships from a young age!  

asking for help

When working towards independence and building life skills, we must also teach students how to asking for help .  This Behavior Basics lesson helps build effective communication skills by teaching students how to ask for help.

how to be a role model

The last behavior basics lesson I want to share in the area of life skills is teaching students the importance of being a role model.  Teaching students to be a role model and to be proud of their actions will help them build healthy relationships and interpersonal skills which will help them in any future careers.

In conclusion, teaching life skills in a special education classroom is essential for building independence and enhancing the quality of life for students. By focusing on age-appropriate skills, such as toileting, personal hygiene, and managing classroom jobs in primary grades, we lay the foundation for more complex tasks in upper grades like money management and vocational skills. Incorporating visual supports, incentive charts, and direct instruction can significantly aid in the learning process. Collaborating with parents and creating personalized learning tools, such as “All About Me” books, ensures that each student’s unique needs are met. Ultimately, our goal as special education teachers is to equip our students with the skills they need to navigate daily life successfully and confidently.

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Important Life Skills to Teach Your Child with Special Needs

• Using the bathroom
• Taking a bath or shower
• Washing hands before eating
• Making a bed
• Putting on clothes
• Tying shoelaces
• Brushing or combing hair
• Using a fork, spoon, and knife
• Brushing teeth
• Slow or impaired physical development
• Difficulty in understanding or following directions
• Lack of awareness
• Easily frustrated or acting out when it does not work
• No desire to learn or accomplish tasks
• Cognitive or sensory challenges
• Lack of focus for extended times

• Teach by verbal instructions – explain in detail one step at a time and have your child perform the task
• Teach by demonstrating – show your child how to complete a task while explaining what you are doing then have the child do the same
• Teach step by step – perform each step with your child one at a time until the entire task is complete

• Puberty and Hygiene: How to Support Our Children
• Puberty Help! Great Books to Help You with Questions and Challenges
• Embracing Your Child’s Best Ways of Learning 12 Different Ways to Learn
• A Complete Guide on Dental Care for Children with Special Needs
• Starting Your Day off Right: Making the Most of Morning Routines
• The Importance of Teaching Children Body Safety
• Learning Life Skills: Tech Can Play a Role
• 4 Features of Total Fitness: The Foundations of Better Living
• Simple Finds: Encouraging Good Hygiene & Independence
• Safe and Easy Bathing with Lathermitts, Because Bath Time is Supposed to Be Fun
• Preparing for the First Apartment: Beyond Home Furnishings and Domestic Supplies
• What Are Pre-Employment Skills and How Does My Child Get Them?
• Where to Go if Your Child Needs a Job or Help with Post High School Education
• Best Gluten Free/Casein Free Products and Where to Find Them
• Financial Planning: For Those Who Are at the Starting Line
• Help Your Child Develop Self-Discipline For Life Success
• Baby Steps Tips for Encouraging Your Child Toward Independence
• Making Learning Fun: Teaching Pivotal Skills

Tags: life skills Post High School Life Sept/Oct 2018 strategies

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Teaching Life Skills in the Special Education Classroom

• Daily Living Skills
• Social Skills
• Occupational Skills

•   Use a dustpan and brush to clean up small messes in the classroom. I used washi tape to create a guide on the dustpan to make it easier for students to see where the crumbs need to go.
• Students can wipe the whiteboard daily after class. Once a week, a student can wash the board with a sponge and bucket of water.
• Keep a few hardy plants in the classroom that students can be responsible for watering and caring for.
• Students can tidy up the bookshelves at the end of the day.
• Get students in the habit of washing their hands before lunch time and snack.

• Dressing boards are something that many classrooms have. I have the bear puzzle one from Melissa and Doug, but I also like the Yoovi ones because they're bigger and easier to use (link for the Yoovi ones below).
• Work on social skills by encouraging students to greet others (quietly) in the hallway. During class parties, team up with another class to join in one room and encourage students to introduce themselves, mingle, and talk.
• I set up situations where students   have to speak to other people throughout the day. For example, I might ask a staff member to stand in front of the classroom door during arrival time. Then, as students arrived, I encourage students to get the person’s attention by saying, “Excuse me.” Throughout the year, students become more comfortable with exchanges like this and they often end up having conversations this way.
• You can practice putting away groceries away with either real items or empty boxes and cans in a school kitchen. If you do not have access to a kitchen, you can use this Putting Groceries Away File Folder Game available now in my TPT store . It’s perfect for ABA discrete trials, independent work, or a quiet center activity. When I created this resource, it became my number one best seller almost overnight and I’m just so happy it has helped so many people!

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Teaching Life Skills in Special Education

Posted July 19, 2018 by UWA

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Infographic transcript.

Teaching independent life skills is a process that begins at birth and goes on into adulthood. Children with disabilities sometimes find these skills difficult to perform for various reasons. As their classroom teacher, you can help your students acquire these skills and live as independently as possible.

The State of Special Education

6.7 million.

Number of K-12 students in special education programs in the U.S. (1)

Students With Special Needs Need Exceptional Teachers

Our master's degree in Special Education, K-6 will enhance your understanding of trends and issues in the education of students in kindergarten through sixth grade who have cognitive, behavioral, physical or multiple disabilities.

Percentage of people with disabilities who are unemployed (2)

People with disabilities are 26% more likely to live in poverty than people without disabilities. (2)

A solid education is especially important for students with disabilities as they may face more obstacles in reaching the level of self-sufficiency needed to live happy, balanced lives. Independence gives students a better chance in school, as well, and allows them to develop routine study habits, independence and confidence.

The rate of graduation for students with disabilities is currently 20% lower than the national average. (3)

There are 13 categories of students that meet special education requirements, including: (4)

• Emotional disturbance
• Hearing impairment
• Intellectual disability
• Multiple disabilities
• Orthopedic impairment
• Other health impaired
• Specific learning disability (dyslexia, dyscalculia)
• Speech or language impairment
• Traumatic brain injury
• Visual impairment

For many children in these categories, they are also in need of self-care training. This can include: (4)

As their teacher and caretaker for much of the day, how can you help these children maintain their health and hygiene?

Teaching Life Skills

Many students in special education need help in the following areas of self-care. Here are some ideas for teaching each skill in the classroom. (5,6,7)

Communication and social skills

• Include daily student interaction in your lesson plans
• Get students out of the classroom and into social environments whenever possible
• Use pictures to have children point to describing their current feelings and mood
• Show demonstrations of personal hygiene in class
• Use social stories involving personal hygiene scenarios
• Make an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that involves personal hygiene checks throughout the day

Task analysis and time management

• Help students make calendars for personal routines
• Use check-off lists for morning activities, meals and evening activities
• Walk students through the steps of every activity in class

Personal accountability

• Use skits and role-playing to demonstrate acceptable behavior
• Create superhero characters that embody desirable traits, write stories for them
• Encourage students to take frequent breaks in activities to express their feelings

Respecting property

• Use name tags for personal property
• Institute borrowing system in class, where students are responsible for objects that stay in the classroom
• Visit the school library to practice respect of books and space

Cleaning up personal spaces

• Designate time at the end of each class for clean-up
• Only allow students to move on to another activity when the current activity has been cleaned up or finished
• Use music and a cheerful tone to make clean-up fun and energetic

Cooking and nutrition

• Show the difference between healthy snacks and junk food
• Encourage each child to take multiple water breaks throughout the day
• Do not treat kids with candy—instead use verbal praise or play time

Basic navigation skills

• Use school hallways to help navigate to specific rooms
• Use outdoor areas for games involving direction switches
• Encourage students to follow bus route on field trips using maps

Working in special education is rewarding, and having the right credentials can make you an extremely marketable asset in the education market.

Explore The Online Teaching Degrees at UWA.

• https://nces.ed.gov
• https://www.cec.sped.org
• https://www.huffingtonpost.com
• http://www.understandingspecialeducation.com
• https://www.verywellfamily.com
• https://www.thoughtco.com
• https://suchatimeasthis.com

• Special Education
• Teaching Life Skills to Students with Special Needs

Ideas for instilling essential life skills in learners with special needs.

By Bethany Stagliano

Life skills are essential to living in the real world. Teaching these skills to learners who are in special education classes is not only important, but necessary. Though it may not be easy, there are techniques you can use to teach these important skills: reinforcing already learned skills, modeling, role playing, and practicing in the real world. 

Reinforce Recently Learned Skills

Start each day by reinforcing a certain skill in a creative manner. One great way to do this is by using pictures to garner responses:

• Show a picture of a snowy day. What type of clothing would a person require?
• A photo shows a person lying in the sun wearing winter gloves and a hat, while everyone else is wearing t-shirts and shorts. What is wrong with this picture?
• A man is using a toothbrush to wash his coffee mug. What is wrong?
• The cash register at a store says $1.12. A person hands the clerk a $1.00 bill. What is the problem?

Use a similar format to entice your learners to recall almost any recently learned skill. Once your learners have arrived at the correct answer, discuss and reinforce it with them. A great way to do this is through modeling.

Model Life Skills 

Model as many life skills as possible right in the classroom. If you have any assistants or classroom aides, use them to break up your class into smaller groups. Either in these small groups, or as a whole class, here are some skills that are easily modeled:

• Deciding on a clothing outfit based on weather: It's cool and cloudy outside, I better wear a sweater and carry an umbrella in case it rains.
• Brushing teeth: I need to brush at least twice a day, and make sure I get all my teeth!
• Vacuuming: There are crumbs everywhere! I better take out the vacuum and use it in this manner to make sure I get every last piece.
• Washing and drying dishes: I just need to add a little soap to water and use this washcloth to clean my dirty dishes so I can use them again. I can towel dry the dishes if I need them soon. Otherwise, I'll just let them air dry.
• Using proper utensils: I need to cut my chicken so I will use a fork and a knife like this. Later, I will use a spoon to eat my ice cream!
• Making a sandwich: I'd love to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, so I will use this knife to scoop out the peanut butter and then spread it on my bread.
• Answering the phone: I see that my friend is calling, so I will pick up the phone and say “Hello!”
• Meeting new people: I will extend my right hand to shake the hand of my new friend while I introduce myself.
• Making change: If something costs $1.90, I know that I need to give the cashier $2, and I will receive 10 cents in change. The change could be a dime, 2 nickels, or 10 pennies.

Make sure you have the right props as you model. Describe each step as you go, and repeat if necessary. After you model a certain skill, have your students practice these skills with each other.

Role Play Life Skills

Have students with varying skill levels work together in situations regarding life skills. If they are unable to work together, work with them yourself or ask an aide or assistant to work with them. It is beneficial to seek volunteers to help you teach these skills to your class. Role playing with immediate feedback is one of the best ways to reinforce a new, learned skill. Once the class understands a certain skill, attempt to have them practice it in real life.

It is helpful to have some sort of “guarantee” of mastered tasks before a student leaves your class. Based on the age/skill level of the pupils in your class, create a checklist for families to utilize to ensure that certain skills are being learned. It is important to individualize these checklists as well.

The key to truly teaching life skills is repetition. You may find that you go over the same material again and again. Do not give up. Change your approach if necessary. And remember, the more realistic and true-to-life you can make your lessons, the better chance your pupils will have to pick up your objective, which will in turn, have a huge impact on their lives. Encourage your pupils to be practicing the same skills at home.

It is imperative that the tasks you teach in the classroom are transferred to home life. Parents and caregivers should know exactly how you are teaching a certain life skill so they can reinforce practice at home and look for teachable moments. Also, be sure they are kept informed with regard to their student's progress. Ask that they also keep you informed. When the lines of communication are open, and everyone is using the same framework, teaching life skills becomes less difficult. After all, the reality is that whoever lives the student, is the person who can truly tell if they are learning what you are teaching.

Practice in Real-Life Situations

Create ways to put your students in real-life situations where they can practice their newly acquired skills. The following ideas will help get you thinking about how and where you can successfully and safely help your students use their new abilities:

• Crossing the street: Pay attention to the crossing signals and crossing guards, and always look both ways for traffic.
• Eating at a restaurant: Use proper manners, and do not forget to use your utensils and napkin.
• Purchasing items: Buy only what you need, and make sure you have enough money to make your purchase.
• Buying healthy food: Browse the produce section for delicious fruit and veggies. Next stop, the diary case!
• Getting somewhere on time: We need to be back at school by 1:30 p.m,, make sure you check the time.
• Social skills: If someone says “hi” or “goodbye”, say it back, and make sure you always wait your turn.

Related Lessons:

Cooking Basic Foods

A lesson with explicit details designed to teach your learners how to make noodles. 

Using an ATM

Here you will find an the steps explaining how to use an ATM and write a check.

Face Washing

Use this resource for tips in addressing hygiene.

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Life Skills Special Education & How It Benefits Our Students

Examples of things that I want for my students to leave high school having learned:

• How to advocate for themselves
• How to ask for help if they need it
• How to deal with hearing the word “no”
• How to deal with and accept change
• What to do if your routine changes
• How to sit and eat lunch with their peers
• How to feed themselves, go through the lunch line independently
• How to be independent in the bathroom
• How to participate in class or games with their peers
• How to contact Mom or Dad via phone
• How to write an email
• How to prepare simple meals independently
• How to do their own laundry
• How to wash dishes
• How to tell time
• How to set an alarm for breaks or when work is done
• How to follow checklists for work

The Problem:

Many parents are hyper focused on academic skills and levels of math, reading etc. I am an educator; I understand how important academics are. I believe in them and I teach them daily to my students. However, we need to all get on the same page on what a life skills curriculum in special education looks like. What math and reading skills will your child need to live as independently as possible in the future? Is it better if they can multiply and divide fractions or if they can add money amounts and pay for a purchase at the store? Which skill will take your child further to be independent in their life?

That year, I was new to the school, this particular student (mentioned above) was used to getting whatever she wanted whenever she wanted for the past few years. Everyone gave into her. She got whatever she wanted all day. If someone said no, she’d become physically aggressive until they gave in. She knew what she needed to do to get her way. I was determined to do something about it. I knew it would be long, hard road ahead. Unlearning learned behaviors took time and a LOT of work and perseverance. As her life skills special education teacher, it was my job to put in the work and to teach her.

********************************************

This is a true story told to me by parents of a child I once taught.

Their son was 16 years old. He was a big kid, about 6 feet tall. Over the years, he learned how to get his way. He’d ask for something, if someone told him no, he became physically aggressive towards them, yell and scream, and jump around until he got what he wanted. One day his parents took him out to a restaurant for dinner. He had said he wanted chicken. They ordered him chicken. The waiter had said there was no more chicken. His parents tried to explain to him there was no more chicken and tried to get him to make another choice.

“Chicken!!! I want chicken!!!” The student became upset, he repeatedly went after his Mom & Dad. He hit them on the arms, in the face, wherever he could make contact. As he hit them, he continued to yell, “I want chicken!” They immediately decided to leave the restaurant.

His parents came to me that next week and told me about what had happened. They asked me to give them ideas on how we could help their child accept “no” and understand that things won’t always go their way. How could they get him to learn that sometimes the answer is no and we have to make another choice? These are the life skills that are important.

Defining a Life Skills Curriculum in Special Education

A life skills curriculum is one in which students are learning skills to enable them to live and function as independently as possible in their environment. Every student is different. Every student has their own strengths and needs. Every student will be capable of different things. It is our jobs as life skills special education teachers to figure out how to best meet the needs of our students.

When working in a life skills special education program, you have to ask yourself…what is more important? Getting your child to read at the 3 rd  grade level where they may or may not be able to comprehend it OR being able to deal with change or hearing the word no? Great, they can divide fractions, but can they prepare themselves a simple snack when alone and hungry? Can they ask for help if they need it? They can calculate 573 x 34 but they can’t tell you when they need to go to the bathroom, so they have accidents.

Which of these will improve their quality of life?

Academics are very important and they are what initially drives our instruction. Life Skills are imbedded into EVERYTHING we do and teach our students. As life skills special education teachers, we will always teach both but the academics should be tweaked to address functional life skills and independence.

We also know that our students learn best in the environment they will need to use these skills. It is important to learn in their community. Initially all life skills curriculums in special education start in the classroom, but the goal is to teach students to generalize these skills into other environments. This also applies to learning job skills as well. Learning those key life skills to be independent could make the difference between a student getting competitive, paid employment vs. spending their adulthood at home.

I know sometimes the task ahead seems daunting. It takes a lot of work and commitment from everyone. As hard as it is for us as educators, it’s just as hard for our students to unlearn years of learning and then learn new things.

Remember, life skills are embedded in EVERYTHING we do with our students.

How to start planning your life skills curriculum?

• Assess current levels of performances for your students
• Find a baseline and an attainable goal for that school year (or quarter)
• Discuss with the team (parents included) to find out what are the most important things they’d also like to focus on, or where they see their child in 5 or 10 years
• Map out how you will get them there, step by step

How to teach specific curriculum in a life skills special education classroom?

• Decide what skills can be taught as a class vs. small group vs. 1:1
• If you have assistants, take advantage! Make groups to teach and work on certain skills
• Most skills will start in class and then work on generalizing those skills into the school and then out in the community
• Which skills need to be instructed in the community? (i.e. grocery shopping) Plan community-based instruction trips for that purpose

Ideas for implementing life skills curriculum in the special education classroom:

• Role playing
• Contrived situations to teach certain skills
• Class or school store (use fake money to purchase items)
• If you have kids on a token economy or some kind of reinforcement plan, use fake dollars as what they earn for being on task. They can use that money to purchase something (reinforcements) from your classroom store.
• Doing laundry for either the PE or cooking departments at your school
• Sweeping or vacuuming the classroom after activities
• Sending a student (and adult if necessary) on an errand. Make sure they are required to say hi to people or ask them for something (delivering mail or things like that).

Many times, we take for granted things the we can already do. They come naturally to us so we don’t even think twice. But for our students, these skills do not come naturally. It is our job as life skills special education teachers to teach them these skills to help them reach their potential and be as independent as possible in their environment. Some examples are below:

• Greeting other people
• How to ask for help if we need it
• Ordering food at a restaurant
• Opening packages/containers for our lunches
• Executive functioning
• Problem solving & many, many more!

The examples from above are just a couple of the students I have had in my classes over the years. I have had students with a wide range of abilities and levels of functioning. Not every difficult student was one who as physically aggressive towards others. Sometimes when a student had difficulties, they would run up and down the hallway yelling or go into classrooms full of students and be disruptive.

I came across many students and situations as a life skills special education teacher. What I have learned and taken from all of that is how important it is that our students learn those core life skills. They need to learn how to be as independent as possible. We need to keep the bigger picture in mind and remember where we want to see our students in 5 or 10 years. What skills do we want them to be able to do? Do they have the ability to take care of themselves? Do a few things on their own? Will they need you for everything?

My hope is that from reading this, people are able to understand what a true life skills curriculum looks like and how it’s beneficial for our students. As educators, academics are also very important and part of everyday instruction, but it’s those life skills that will really improve our student’s quality of life and have a lasting impact on their future.

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Masters in Special Education Degree Program Guide

What is a life skills teacher.

If you’re like most people, you go from day to day using certain skills–for the most part unconsciously–to function in life. From the moment that you wake in the morning you perform certain tasks that are usually called “life skills.” These might includes such mundane activities as making your bed, performing all your bathroom routines, making yourself meals, dressing, communication, and many others. In fact, for most people, the list is practically endless.

But what if you suffered from any of a large number of physical and/or mental disabilities that prevented you from learning these skills readily? That would make you in need of what is generally called a “life skills teacher.” And although the titles and responsibilities for this job vary from locale to locale, the basic mission of those who do the job is essentially the same: to teach those who are lacking these skills not only the skills, but handle the administrative and reporting functions of the job as well.

Types of Students and Their Needs

The students who require a life skills teacher suffer from a large number of disabilities. They are most often cognitively disabled, autistic, or have other problems. Regardless, they lack the skills necessary to take care of themselves and to get along in the real world. For this reason, these students are taught by life skills teachers.

Unfortunately, what often might appear as little more than “baby sitting” is actually anything but. Teaching life skills involves not only classroom teaching, but working with students in the “real world,” giving these students the skills they need to function. For example, the last time you went to a restaurant you didn’t need to be coached to look at a menu to determine what you wanted to eat and place your order with a server. You just did it. For those with many disabilities, you might just as well ask them to solve quantum physics as to order a sandwich.

But far more than just telling and showing students how to practice these skills in the real world, due to the disabilities being worked with life skills teachers must constantly and closely supervise students so that they not only learn what is being taught, but are also kept safe in the process. http://www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/community-connections/teaching-important-life-skills

Life Skills in the Real World

Just as those who require the services of a life skills teacher, those who work to teach these skills are equally special. A life skills teacher not only has the knowledge and capabilities to teach others, they also have the patience of saints since it is often a matter of constant repetition to teach these basic skills to such severely disabled people.

Closely related to these tasks are the numerous reporting responsibilities that allow those who love and otherwise care for the students themselves and have an interest in their progress. Many life skills teachers work for the states in which they work. Others work for private agencies who are responsible for the care of these students. It is in these capacities that life skills teachers must recognize and report on the situations of the students under their care.

The job of a life skills teacher is far from easy. It often involves days that are long and difficult, but just as is the case with many teaching jobs, the rewards of turning a student’s life around to give it more purpose is beyond any satisfaction.

Teaching Daily Life Skills to Students With Special Needs: Overview & Example

• Categories : Inclusion strategies for mainstreamed classrooms
• Tags : Special ed information for teachers & parents

Daily living skills cover many aspects of home and community functioning: these are all the skills which allow people to operate independently at home or in community settings, and to take control over their own lives. These tasks are relevant to many learner groups, including those with intellectual disabilities , and form an important part of the special ed program. Here are some examples:

• Organizing appropriate clothing for the day’s activities and expected weather.
• Buying food for the week at the market or shopping center.
• Washing a load of clothes.
• Taking care of personal hygiene (showering, going to the bathroom, shaving, brushing teeth).
• Paying bills ( Check this article for more on teaching money management) .
• Organizing household chores (dusting, vacuuming, washing floors, cleaning the bathroom and toilet).
• Putting out trash bins on the correct day and bringing them back in again.
• Reading the local newspaper to find out what is happening in the community.
• Cooking a meal using a simple recipe from a cook book.

Task Analysis for Teaching Daily Living Skills

One of the most effective ways of teaching life skills to special needs learners is to complete a task analysis. For the life skills area, this means doing the following:

• Writing down the steps needed to complete a specific activity of daily living (for example, washing a load of clothes in the washing machine).
• Ordering the steps to complete the task in chronological order (so you can see sequentially how a task breaks up into its component parts).
• Assessing which parts of the task a student can already do in full without help.
• Assessing which parts of the task a student can do in part, or with some adult support (such as co-actively picking up clothes from the basket and placing them in an appropriate color pile).
• Teaching the stages of the task that a student cannot do prior to the teaching program beginning.
• Re-assessing and evaluating the program to check that your teaching has been effective and that learning has occurred.

This task analysis approach makes it easy to set clear goals for teaching life skills to special needs learners, and for completing follow-up evaluations and assessment tasks as needed. It also means you can make choices about appropriate goals to include in an IEP or to set as additional home based priorities with family support.

Washing a Load of Clothes: A Life Skills Example

Here’s how it works for the skill of washing a load of clothing.

Task stages based on task analysis:

• Bring laundry basket to laundry.
• Take clothing out of basket and place on floor.
• Sort clothing into piles of colored and whites / near whites.
• Open washing machine.
• Place one of the piles into the machine.
• Add laundry detergent.
• Turn machine on.
• Wait until machine has finished wash cycle then open machine.
• Take clothes out and check that they have washed correctly.
• Put clothes in the dryer select the appropriate setting and then start the drier, or hang clothes on clothes line outdoors to dry.
• After the drier has completed its cycle, put clothes in the laundry basket and fold, or, if you have hung them on the line, bring clothes back inside.

As you can see, there are lots of stages in a complex task such as this one. It is important to break down the task into manageable parts, and to provide adult support as required to ensure the task is completed successfully. This life skills activity could link easily to various curriculum areas, such as English (reading tags on clothes, reading directions on washing powder, talking to others about the task), or Math (measuring detergent, reading dials and numbers on the washing machine, counting and sorting clothes, estimating space required on the line to hang out a load, timing how long it takes for a load of washing to be washed).

So you can see, if you apply the task analysis method to teaching life skills to special needs learners, you can set achievable goals and ensure your special needs learners experience success both now and in the future.

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The Importance of Teaching Life Skills in Special Education

Blog Posts / The Importance of Teaching Life Skills in Special Education

by Ryan Genoy | November 16, 2021

Achieving independence is one of the cornerstones of our existence and teaching life skills that promote this individuality should be an integral part of the special education system, not an afterthought.

One of the most important jobs parents and caretakers face when raising children is to teach them how to become independent adults that possess all the life skills necessary to become successful and contributing members of society. Throughout a child’s development parents progressively impart knowledge upon them in order to encourage eventual independence through the cultivation of life skills and the ability to impart them in society. At times, this can be a challenging feat for parents due to a multitude of different reasons including recognizing when it is the right time to teach certain skills and realizing what cues your child responds to. In addition to parents and caretakers, school teachers also bear a large portion of the responsibility as it pertains to a child’s development with regard to life skills.

Children spend more awake hours in school than they do at home. It’s almost as if you are creating their worlds.” – Jennah Schuh

In an article discussing the importance of educators’ responsibilities in the lives of the students they teach, Principal Jennah Schuh, an educator at ASHAR in New York, explains to readers that educators and the school system play a large role in the development of children and their future ability to contribute to society.

For those responsible for imparting these impactful lessons upon the next generation of contributing members of society, the task of teaching important life skills can be challenging, but in the sphere of special education, it is crucial to the success of unique learners and our society .

The reason why emphasizing teaching life skills to children with differing abilities is so crucial is because in many cases, these students require additional and/or different forms of education and attention than students within the general education system. Students within the special education sphere have limitless potential; however, if they are not provided with the proper individualized education that their differing abilities entail, the life skills that are necessary for their success many times go overlooked. As Joan Goodship shares in her digest, Life Skills for Students with Special Needs:

Credit: Mind in the Making Several million individuals with learning problems are still denied the opportunity to engage in meaningful employment in the United States. Large numbers of students with disabilities, both high school graduates and dropouts, earn very low salaries (Edgar, 1988). These students do possess the potential to live and work in the community if they receive appropriate life skills instruction (Rusch & Phelps, 1987). A life skills curriculum approach blends academic, daily living, personal/social, and occupational skills into integrated lessons designed to help students learn to function independently in society.”

Since in many cases these students spend more time in school than they do at home , it is essential to provide students with special needs an education that incorporates the three major life skills categories , including daily living skills, social skills, and occupational skills. However, the successful implementation of this kind of curriculum is much easier said than done.

In school districts with thousands of students, the ability for a special education teacher to provide each student with an individualized education experience that extends beyond the set curriculum and promotes real-life skills is extremely difficult. And to make things even more challenging, the COVID-19 pandemic has provided yet another barrier for special needs students to receive the individualized attention and education that they need to thrive in society .

“That really led to this whole cascading nightmare where many school districts felt they didn’t need to provide everything if they couldn’t do it in person, and they didn’t need to provide services for the same amount of time or in the same way. And unfortunately, many schools provided very little in terms of special education.” – Melinda Macht-Greenberg

This feedback that Melinda Macht-Greenberg, a school psychologist, received from parents and teachers while working at the Eliot-Pearson Children’s School depicts the growing concerns within the greater special education community, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has magnified the pain points that the special education community already faces and has further raised the concerns of teachers and parents calling for more assistance in providing a more accessible and individualized education experience for students.

Digital Education Resources

Credit: Tutoring with a Twist

School districts and teachers have begun to turn to digital resources to assist with bringing an individualized education experience to the classroom. Other resources schools are using include platforms such as ClassDojo , Mystery Science , and N2Y which each respectively emphasize one aspect of education, such as providing an engaging way to learn the special education curriculum in N2Y’s case. These platforms have provided crucial assistance for teachers and students, especially in the special education sphere, which has been particularly magnified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, in addition to these platforms that address aspects of education including reading and science, FrenalyticsEDU has offered a much-needed solution for a life skills education that is critical to the development and success of students in the special education sphere.

FrenalyticsEDU makes personalized life skills lessons easy for teachers and fun for students. Plus, since FrenalyticsEDU doesn’t require any special downloads, students can use their computer, tablet, or smartphone to participate in learning sessions anywhere, anytime.

“It’s so life-skilled based and there is not a lot of programming out there for it … just because we go back into the classroom doesn’t mean we won’t still be doing it.” – Jen Gentile

In one of our Teacher Features , Jen, a special education teacher at Escondido High School, describes the necessity of FrenalyticsEDU in the classroom due to the nature of the platform’s ability to teach life skills in a way that is individualized and easy to use for students.

FrenalyticsEDU is loved by students in special ed schools from kindergarten all the way through high school. We are the first comprehensive and interactive software platform to streamline life skills learning within special education, including enrolling students, managing transitions, and reporting outcomes. Our team at Frenalytics works extensively with educators to craft a one-of-a-kind software platform that helps students live more independent lives while saving time and money for parents and schools.

Want to see how Frenalytics helps special needs students live more independent lives? Click here to learn more , or give us a call at (516) 399-7170.

Ryan Genoy is a sophomore at Boston College studying Finance and Entrepreneurship. As a member of the Frenalytics team, Ryan has enjoyed contributing a large portion of his time to working on developing new sales initiatives and onboarding users while also assisting in marketing initiatives. Outside of work and school, Ryan enjoys spending his time volunteering and playing sports, especially lacrosse and basketball.

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Have a special child , is posible to get a collage for life skills. Will greatly appreciate your assistance.Thanks

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What are Functional Life Skills in Special Ed?

• fullspedahead
• August 30, 2021
• Classroom Structure , Curriculum , Functional Life Skills , Helpful Tips , Teacher Tips

Introduction

Functional life skills are the skills that are necessary for daily living and for establishing quality of life. These are the skills that if not done by an individual him or herself, others will have to do.

Functional life skills include:

• Communication – A way to make wants and needs known though language, pictures, signs, etc., including how to say “NO”
• Choice-making – Choosing a preferred item or activity
• Safety – Knowing what to do to keep oneself safe in a dangerous situation, such as in an accident, or in case of a fire, or when encountering a stranger
• Self-care – Taking care of toileting, bathing, and other health and hygiene issues
• Leisure and recreation – Relaxation and having fun
• Vocational skills – Work skills

Why teach functional life skills?

Individuals in special education programming often struggle to learn functional skills. It is important to develop these skills in order to increase an individual’s ability to achieve greater independence.

Teaching functional skills also helps mitigate some maladaptive behaviors (for example, self-injury, aggression) by encouraging the individual to choose an appropriate replacement skill.

For example, teaching a child to make choices and indicate what he wants gives him a way to express his preferences. This may reduce frustration and the likelihood of engaging in maladaptive behaviors.

How to select the functional life skills to teach

It is important to select skills that are meaningful to the individual and your family and skills that will allow the individual to be as independent as possible. It is important to distinguish between skills that are necessary and skills that are helpful.

For example, while it may be great that a child has a sight word vocabulary of over 100 words, if he or she cannot distinguish the men’s room from the women’s, what good is the sight word vocabulary? It would be helpful for the individual to be able to read the signs and know which rest room applies to him or her (and be able to use it).

How are functional skills taught?

Functional skills are in a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). IEP goals related to functional skills must specify the level of mastery. This is what is required for the goal to be met and any adaptations that need to be made.

Some skills are taught with 80% mastery. For example, brushing teeth to 80% mastery may be appropriate. Including tooth brushing more than twice per day may help compensate for less thorough brushing. Similarly, safety skills, are taught to 100% mastery due to associated risks. For example, an individual will learn his address and phone number. However, if he or she is not able to give a police officer this information, it is not useful.

Adaptations

There may be a need for adaptations. For example, if individuals are unable to repeat important information, perhaps he or she can have a laminated card. This card has the information that needs to be given to a police officer.

Another great functional life skill is putting on shoes. For many individuals, shoe tying may not be necessary. There are shoe options including Velcro straps, bungee laces, and slip-on shoes that are put on independently and worn appropriately.

Task Analysis

An effective way to teach functional life skills is to use task analysis. A task analysis breaks down the skill or routine into its component parts and create routines. The routines should be consistent. They need to be practicing across varying settings and with different people in order to teach the individual to apply the routine in any relevant situation. This leads to effective generalization.

For those who have difficulty with generalization, it is important to teach in context from the start. For example, when teaching the individual how to put on shoes, the individual should also learn that he or she needs to wear shoes when he leaves the house and that shoes stay on when out in public.

Practicing the Functional Life Skills

Make sure the individual has enough opportunity to practice the skills. Reinforcement is an important component of teaching functional skills. Following routines with motivating items and activities increases the likelihood that the learner will engage in the skill or routine at the next opportunity. Visual supports are a tool that can support the task analysis. These include picture schedules, video modeling, and choice cards.

Don’t forget to work on flexibility with the individual. In the shoe example, while it is appropriate to wear shoes most places, there are exceptions. An emergency situation may necessitate leaving the house without shoes. Also, removing shoes before entering the house is customary for some families. While it is not usually possible to think of every exception, teaching flexibility will make the learned skills truly functional.

Looking for more ideas to create vocational task in your classroom? Check out this post!

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