Transitions into Adulthood- Part 3, Independent Living

As we move further into the discussion about helping our young adults transition into the real world, let's next address the area of Independent Living. Independent Living skills are the the tools that are going to be able to let our kiddos learn to live by themselves, or to live as independently as possible. There are many different activities that you can do to help your child learn and maintain these types of skills. Here are some ideas for you to try:

• Take your child into the community as frequently as possible. There are many important life skills to be learned while in the community. 
• Teach your child how to find the appropriate bathroom independently
• Work on letting your child figure out what they want to eat, think about letting them order independently
• It is SO important to also bring and use any type of augmentative communication device they may be using. The more they use this in a variety of settings and with a variety of instructors, the more likely they will be to generalize and really solidify these skills. 
• Point out and discuss common survival sight signs, especially signs that will help your child be safe. 
• Look for signs that are common in the community and discuss them, maybe even practice using them
• Some examples are: Exit, Slippery When Wet, Please Seat Yourself, etc. There are 100's of signs so the earlier and more exposure to them the better.
• Have your child pick out recipes they are interested in cooking. Once they do this, have them create a shopping list from this recipe. Next, take them to the grocery store to find all of the items on their shopping list. Help them follow the recipe, step-by-step to see the entire process. 
• Break down recipes so they are listed in sequential steps that make it easier for children to follow
• Create a cookbook with appropriate sections (i.e.-breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, etc.) 
• Once your child completes a recipe have them add it to their cookbook for future reference
• Let your child earn an allowance for completing chores at home. Take them to deposit their money in their accounts every couple of weeks. 
• Help them get a debit card connected to this account that they can use when they are out in the community. 
• Let them use this card if they go on Community Based Instructional Outings in school. 
• Keep the receipts and have them keep track of their money. Here is an example of a modified register they can use to keep track of their money. 



Click here to download & print

• Let your child pick different activities in the community they would like to participate in like going to the movies, which restaurants to eat at, stores they want to shop in. 
• Let them pick out the clothes they are interested in
• Create a size chart they can keep in their wallet to reference when picking out the clothes they want. Here is an example: 

  

  Click here to download & print

• Discuss and explore different options for transportation in your community. Take some time to help your child learn how to use these different types of transportation. 
• Practice reading the schedules, buying tickets and appropriate behavior on the transportation 

While there are many different types of activities you can do to help your child transition into adulthood, these tips are intended to help you help your child with their independent living skills. It is my sincere desire that some of these activities and tips will help you and your family during this process! Best wishes!