Skills for Life

We begin by looking at the big picture and we ask a “not so simple” question. “What do you need to do in your daily life to manage your personal affairs that will lead you to reach your goals?” Next we assess where the students are regarding the area that we are working on. We can use Nutrition Meals and Cooking as our example. We start with a hands-on assessment beginning with menu planning, grocery shopping, making a meal together and cleaning up. During the process, we explore what worked, what needed to be adjusted and what new learning might need to be done in order to reach the desired outcome. As we work with the student to practice these skills daily, it will lead to increased independence (but not necessarily less involvement) from our coaches depending on the student’s goals and desires. For example, if the student is currently able to make macaroni and cheese but wants to learn how to make exquisite lasagna, we continue to support and participate to help accomplish the desired result.

The life skills pattern is generally the same regardless of the subject matter.

Assessment > Make a Plan > Get Materials > Take Actions Together > Evaluate > Incorporate Feedback in Plan > Take Actions > Repeat.

Life Skills we focus on but are not limited to:

• Cooking, Meal Planning, Nutritional Eating
• Money Management, On-Line Banking and Budgeting, Forecasting and Saving
• Exercise, Physical Wellness, Self-Care, Hygiene
• Organization, Time Management, Physical Environment
• Interpersonal Skills, Listening, Relationships, Family, Friends, Communication, Negotiation, Assertiveness, Self-Advocacy
• Employment, Job Searching and Researching, Job Applications, Resumes, Use of Technology
• Driving, Changing a tire, Jump Starting a Car, Navigation, Trip Planning, Bus and Taxi Riding
• Making Plans, Taking Actions and Evaluating Results