1. Preparing for College: Personal Becoming an active participant in your life and future

2. Becoming a Responsible Adult
As you get older, you will take on more and more responsibility in navigating various aspects of your life, such as:
Activities of Daily Living
Housework
Money
Etc.
You might need assistance in these areas and that is o.k.! The important thing is that you identify the tasks that you can complete independently and those for which you will need assistance. This will help you determine how best to have your needs met.

3. Activities of Daily Living
You will need to determine how to best complete activities of daily living, with or without assistance. This may include tasks such as:
Personal hygiene
Bathing
Eating
Toileting
Dressing
Transferring (e.g., getting in and out of a wheelchair)

4. Housework
You will need to give some thought to where you will live. Will you live at home with family? In an apartment? In a dorm?
Regardless of where you decide to live, it will be important to take care of your living space. Some examples of housework may include:
Meal preparation
Dishes
Laundry
Cleaning
Yard work

5. Money
Managing your money will be another important skill to develop as you begin making financial decisions for yourself.
Money management will likely include tasks such as:
Opening and maintaining a checking and savings account
Paying bills
Deciding if you will apply for a credit card
Budgeting how the money is spent to ensure that you have enough money to pay for necessities

6. Questions to Consider
As you explore how best to complete tasks related to activities of daily living, housework, and money, consider three questions:
What do I need to know?
What do I need to be able to do?
What resources are available for assistance?

7. Becoming The CEO Of Your Life
As you get older and take on more responsibilities, you will need to develop skills related to self-advocacy, assertiveness, and problem-solving.
For each of these, consider the following questions:
What do I need to know to become more skilled in this area?
What skills do I already possess in this area?
What skills do I need to develop in this area?
What resources are available to support me in strengthening my skills in this area?

8. Characteristics of a Self-Advocate
Speaks up for him or herself
Knows his or her rights and responsibilities
Seeks information about topics of interest
Makes decisions about his or her life
Identifies and uses appropriate resources
Collaborates with others to problem-solve situations

9. Characteristics of an Assertive Person
Uses “I” statements (e.g., I think; I feel; I like/dislike; I agree/disagree)
Maintains good eye contact
Listens attentively to others
Stands up for his or her rights, but is open to compromise
Appropriately handles criticism without becoming defensive

10. Characteristics of a Problem-Solver
Identifies the problem
Brainstorms solutions independently and with others
Selects a solution
Evaluates the effectiveness of the solution

11. Interdependency What is interdependence?
Interdependence is the mutual reliance between two or more groups. In relationships, interdependence is the degree to which members are mutually dependent on one another. This concept differs from a dependent relationship, where some members are dependent and others are not.
What does interdependence look like in your life?
What skills do you need to develop to become more interdependent?
What resources are available to you when you need assistance?

12. Let’s Practice!
To practice applying what you have learned in this powerpoint, go to the “Learning Activities” link to complete some fun exercises with the material that you have learned!