1. The Checklist of Adaptive Living Skills (CALS)
Kate Fonseca
4/2010

2. What is the Checklist of Adaptive Living Skills?
The Checklist of Adaptive Living Skills (CALS) is a criterion-referenced, individually administered measure of approximately 800 specific adaptive behaviors related to self-care, personal independence, and adaptive functioning in leisure, work, community, and residential environments.
*this definition is provided in the CALS manual on page 1.

3. Purposes The CALS is intended to be used for the following purposes:
As a criterion-referenced assessment of a student's performance across four broad domains and a wide range of specific adaptive skills
As a tool for program planning and development of individualized goals
To determine skills that a child or adult has mastered or needs to master in important environments

4. Domains & Skills Modules
The CALS is based on the assumption that a major goal for students with disabilities is to live as successfully and independently as possible, in natural community settings.
The assessment items contained in the CALS represent the skills that are needed to obtain this goal.

5. The CALS is organized by:
Structure
The CALS is organized by:
4 Broad Domains
Skill Modules
Individual Tasks

6. Uses
The CALS can be used independently or in conjunction with the Scales of Independent Behavior (SIB,) and/or the Inventory for Client and Agency Planning (ICAP.)
A team may choose to use the CALS in conjunction with the SIB and/or ICAP when the following outcomes are desired (in addition to the outcomes listed on the previous slide:)
A standardized measure of a student's performance in the area of adaptive behavior is desired, to identify broad domains that require more detailed assessment.
The ability to predict a range of performance is desired by converting SIB/ICAP scores into criterion-referenced item ranges.

7. Uses (continued)
The CALS can be used in conjunction with the Adaptive Living Skills Curriculum (ALSC,) which contains instructional objectives and units that are linked directly to skills in the CALS assessment.

8. Structure: Domains & Skill Modules
1. Personal Living Skills
1.1 Socialization
1.2 Eating
1.3 Grooming
1.4 Toileting
1.5 Dressing
1.6 Health Care
1.7 Sexuality
2. Home Living Skills
2.1 Clothing Care
2.2 Meal Planning & Preparation
2.3 Home Cleaning & Organization
2.4 Home Maintenance
2.5 Home Safety
2.6 Home Leisure

9. Structure: Domains & Skill Modules (continued)
3. Community Living Skills
3.1 Social Interaction
3.2 Mobility & Travel
3.3 Time Management
3.4 Money Management & Shopping
3.5 Community Safety
3.6 Community Leisure
3.7 Community Participation
4. Employment Skills
4.1 Job Search
4.2 Job Performance & Attitudes
4.3 Employee Relations
4.4 Job Safety

10. Administration Can be administered by one or more professionals.
Tasks can be rated as:
Independent/ Mastered : An item that is scored as independent is one that can be performed with good quality, on 75% or more of occasions it is needed or expected, and without being asked or reminded to do the task.
Partially Mastered: The student can perform the skill, but requires gestural, verbal, or physical prompting to meet with success.
Tasks that are unmarked/unchecked indicate lack of mastery, or skills that have not been started yet.

11. (to be handed out in class)
Example
(to be handed out in class)

12. Report Examples To be handed out in class: Description of CALS
Summary of a Skill Module

13. Pros: Easy to administer
Flexibility of administration: can choose to administer selected skill modules
Allows opportunities for collaboration with related service providers, families, and home and community service providers
Findings of assessment can easily be summarized using a strength perspective
Inexpensive to purchase ($60.00)
Can be used in conjunction with ALSC
Adaptive behaviors cover the continuum of infancy to adulthood

14. Cons Time consuming to administer and to summarize in a report
Some of the skill modules need to be updated

15. Information in this presentation obtained from the CALS manual by L
Information in this presentation obtained from the CALS manual by L. Morreau & R. Bruininks