Blog #227~Daily living skills you can work on at home with your kids during the COVID-19 Crisis
So, your stuck at home with your kids during this COVID-19 crisis, now what? This is actually the perfect time to work on daily living skills with your kids. Why are these skills important to know?
Let’s go back to the purpose of the Individual Education Plan (IEP): To promote further education, employment and independent living skills.
Often, in our busy lives it’s easier to skip over teaching daily living skills on a consistent basis with our kids. So now that time has slowed down, why not take a few of these skills and hone in on them? Not only will this help your child become more independent, it will also promote confidence, family teamwork and as a bonus– many skills provide sensory input. My son Nick is 26 years old and has a dual diagnosis of Down syndrome and autism (DS-ASD). Over the years we have built in many daily living skills into his routine at home.
Here are a few of the jobs that Nick does around the house and how they provide sensory input:
*Recycling (replacement behavior for throwing)
*Can crushing (sensory and motor activity and replacement behavior for throwing)
*Carry laundry basket and load washing machine (heavy work/ organizing)
*Put away groceries (organizing activity)
*Empty Dishwasher (organizing and sensory activity)
*Cleaning/ wiping down countertops and windows (organizing activity)
*Vacuuming (heavy work which is calming)
The following link below is a full list of daily living skills in the areas of self-care, personal hygiene, kitchen skills, home management skills, to name a few. Focus on one or two skills at a time. You can access visuals and task strips off of Google Images and videos on YouTube:
This is a time of uncertainty and anxiety levels are running high for all of us. First of all breathe, our kids take cues from how we are reacting during this crisis. Next, cabin fever is a real thing, so try to enjoy each other and find ways to work together at home. This will benefit the whole family. Give you kids a sense of purpose and foster new skills to bolster their confidence. This will help them grow to become more independent. Be well and don’t forget to keep those iPads charged 🙂
My book A New Course: A Mother’s Journey Navigating Down Syndrome and Autism is packed with more strategies and story about navigating a dual diagnosis of DS-ASD @https://amzn.to/2W3Un6X
One last thing– World Down Syndrome Day is this Saturday 3/21– Here are 3 easy ways that you can help promote awareness, acceptance and inclusion: https://nickspecialneeds.com/2018/03/19/blog-200world-down-syndrome-day/
That’s what is in my noggin this week,
Teresa 🙂
Follow Nick to see even more daily living skill activities and videos:
Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest @Down Syndrome with a Slice of Autism
Twitter @tjunnerstall
