Independent Living Skills Independent Living Skills Also known

Independent Living Skills

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