Independent Living Skills

Also known as: Activities of daily living Daily living skills Adapted living skills Functional skills Life skills

Personal Management Includes: Eating Grooming Hygiene Care and identification of clothing Medical care and management Money skills Telling time and time management

Home Management Includes: Food and diet management Cleaning Basic household repairs Shopping gardening

Back to Lowenfeld Children who are visually impaired must learn these skills without being able to visually observe others and learn from their behaviours Need to be taught independent living skills directly through: - concrete experiences - learning by doing - unifying experiences

The Role of the TVI Assess independent living skills Assessment  Programming

The Role of the TVI Work together with parents and student, and other members of the educational team: - identify priorities - develop strategies for teaching ILS

The Role of the TVI Develop long and short term goals for IEP Provide direct instruction in ILS in natural environments

The Role of the TVI Share resources for teaching ILS with parents and the educational team Explore and plan additional opportunities for ILS, such as after school activities (B/LV department) and summer camps

Basic Strategies for Teaching ILS Start young Simplify tasks initially Teach organizational skills, which are the key to independence in all areas Maintain consistency and routines Provide sequential instruction Use task analysis, backward chaining and repetition

Basic Strategies for Teaching ILS Teach skills in appropriate, natural settings Adjust standards to child’s capacity Allow child time to learn and practice new skills Focus on one specific priority at a time while maintaining other skills Use minimal adaptations to equipment and environment. Better to adapt a technique than a piece of equipment

Basic Strategies for Teaching ILS Develop system for labelling and identifying items Share responsibilities between home and school Koenig, A.J. & Holbrook, M.C. (2000). Foundations of Education, Vol. II. Instructional Strategies for Teaching Children and Youths with Visual Impairments. p. 577