Get to Know the "Big 10"
Life skills, activities of daily living, functional skills, adaptive skills or adaptive behavior, it can get confusing that all of these terms are used to describe the skills we need for everyday living.
ADAPTIVE SKILLS FALL INTO 3 CATEGORIES:
Conceptual, Social and Practical Life Skills
Adaptive skills comprise everyday competencies and are defined as practical, everyday skills needed to function and meet the demands of one’s environment, including the skills necessary to effectively and independently take care of oneself and to interact with other people.
Conceptual skills may be the most demanding skills for some people with autism. These skills require applying insights into a situation. Conceptual skills include reading, numbers, money, time, and communication skills.
Social skills are the skills we need to get along well with others, these include understanding and following social rules and customs; obeying laws, and detecting the motivations of others in order to avoid victimization and deception.
Practical life skills are the skills needed to perform the activities of daily living, these include feeding, bathing, dressing, occupational skills, and navigational skills.
What are Conceptual Skills?
These include reading, numbers, money, time, and communication skills.
Communication Skills
Understanding and using verbal and nonverbal language. Speech, language, and listening skills needed for communication with other people, including vocabulary, responding to questions, conversation skills, etc.
Functional Academics
Using reading, writing, and math skills in everyday life. Basic reading, writing, mathematics, and other academic skills needed for daily, independent functioning, including telling time, measurement, writing notes and letters, etc.
Self-Direction
Problem solving, exercising choice, initiating and planning activities. Skills needed for independence, responsibility, and self-control, including starting and completing tasks, keeping a schedule, following time limits, following directions, making choices, etc.
What are Social Skills?
These skills help us to get along well with others. These skills include understanding and following social rules and customs; obeying laws, and detecting the motivations of others in order to avoid victimization and deception.
Social Skills
Maintaining interpersonal relationships, understanding emotions and social cues, understanding fairness and honesty, obeying rules and laws.
Skills needed to interact socially and get along with other people, including having friends, showing and recognizing emotions, assisting others, and using manners.
Leisure Skills
Taking responsibility for one’s own activities, having the ability to participate in the community.
Skills needed for engaging in and planning leisure and recreational activities, including playing with others, engaging in recreation at home, following rules in games, etc.
What are Practical Life Skills?
These are the skills needed to perform the activities of daily living. This includes feeding, bathing, dressing, occupational skills, and navigational skills.
Self-Care
Skills needed for personal care including eating, dressing, bathing, toileting, grooming, hygiene, etc.
Home or School Living
Maintaining our living space including: Housekeeping, Cooking and Laundry. Skills needed for basic care of a home or living setting, including cleaning, straightening, property maintenance and repairs, food preparation, performing chores, etc.
Community Use
Shopping, using public transportation, using community services. Skills needed for functioning in the community, including use of community resources, shopping skills, getting around in the community, etc.
Health and Safety
Ability to protect one’s self, medication management, responding to health problems. Skills needed for protection of health and to respond to illness and injury, including following safety rules, using medicines, showing caution, etc.
Work
Ability to maintain part-time or full-time employment, either competitive or, ability to work under supervision, cooperate with coworkers, be reliable and punctual, and meet work standards. Skills needed for successful functioning and holding a part-time or full-time job in a work setting, including completing work tasks, working with supervisors, and following a work schedule.