Using Community Based Instruction to Teach Functional Life Skills to

Students with Intellectual Disabilities

By Jayne Redelman

EDSE 536

Definition

Life skills are the skills necessary for successful living. A functional life skills curriculum needs to include instruction in the following areas: recreation / leisure; maintaining a home / personal care; and participation in the community. Mastery of a skill is when a student can perform skill in a variety of places for a variety of people.

Why Teach Life Skills

Students with intellectual disabilities require more specific, intensive, and repetitive teaching of skills needed for a fulfilling life. For learners with moderate and severe disabilities, instruction of specific skills should average between 30 sessions, over approximately 4 months while generally fewer sessions are required for students with mild cognitive disabilities. Students will use these skills whether living at home, living in a group home, or living independently.

Community Based Instruction

Teaching life skills starts in the home with the parents. Therefore communication with the parents is vital in the teaching of life skills. CBI includes instruction in the home, classroom, school, and the community. Teachers need to include the parents in all aspects of instruction so skills learned can be generalized into other areas of the students’ life.

Shopping

Definition

Shopping includes purchasing items in grocery stores, department stores, specialty stores, fast food places, and restaurants. It requires the student to locate an item and purchase an item.

Skills Needed

• Communication: ask for assistance, conversation w/ cashier

• Social Skills: waiting in line, staying in your space • Physical Skills: pushing a cart, getting money out,

locating items, putting money in machines• Academic: matching, write shopping lists, following

directions, reading a map, keying in pin number counting coins/bills, rounding up, estimation, change, tax

School Activities

Breakfast/Lunch- selecting items, keying in number (use template in class to teach number routine), communication, waiting in line

Vending machines-counting coins, putting money in

Writing lists, drawing maps, locating items

Community Activities

Grocery Stores- reading lists, locating items, estimation of prices, counting out money, communication w/ cashier, adding tax, purchase items needed in home or classroom, generic vs. brand name items

Restaurants- ordering, counting money, adding tax & tip, eating in public

Banks- learn about money, checking accounts, ATMs

Home Activities

Have parents write or send in items used at home so students can match items

Ask parents what stores or restaurants they frequent Encourage parents to allow student to purchase

items in store as part of weekly shopping trips Encourage parents to have children order meals in

restaurants

Cooking

Definition

Cooking is a skill which involves making healthy meals. These meals include breakfast, lunch, dinner, & snacks. Foods are either raw or cooked and need to include items from all the basic food groups.

Skills Needed

Communication- asking for help, making choices

Social Skills- handling frustration Physical Skills- using utensils, pouring,

stirring, mixing, using the microwave or oven, cleaning up prior to & after cooking

Academic- matching, measuring, reading & following directions, telling time

School Activities

• Plan meals• Make lunch & snack in the classroom• Cook meals in the microwave• Cook meals in Home Ec ovens• Make & sell food items (cookies, coffee, meals) to

staff• Make refreshments for staff or parents (Conference

night)• Make & compare generic / brand name foods

Community Activities

Purchase foods at grocery store (practice skills used for shopping)

Visit a farm, restaurant, bakery to find out how foods are grown / made

Plan, prepare, & have a picnic at school or park

Home Activities

Help plan meals Students make their own meals / snacks

(cereal, sandwich, microwave foods) Student plans & prepares weekly meal Students assist with grocery shopping Students assist with putting food away,

setting & clearing table, washing & drying dishes

Housekeeping

Definition

Housekeeping includes laundry (sorting, washing, drying, folding), dusting, vacuuming, sweeping, washing & drying dishes, cleaning bathroom, making beds. How to manage a household budget is also an important skill.

Skills Needed

Communication- asking for help Social Skills- working with others Physical Skills-using a broom, wiping an

area, folding, washing dishes, hanging up clothes, making a bed

Academic- sorting, measuring detergent, managing a budget

School Activities

Wipe tables in room or cafeteria Sweep room (use free standing dust pan) Wash dishes after cooking Have students do the laundry for school

sports team

Community Activities

• Visit the following sites to see how housekeeping skills can become vocational skills- store (straightening & dusting shelves), hotel, restaurant

Home Activities

Have students assist with housekeeping duties

Have students do their own laundry (use color coded baskets to separate laundry)

Have students responsible for different chores around the house

Leisure Skills

Definition

Leisure skills include indoor / outdoor activities and individual / group activities. Television, computer, and video games should be allowed in moderation. However, students should be taught how to operate a computer. Leisure activities provide for social interaction and exercise for our students.

Skills Needed

Communication- express needs & wants, making choices

Social Skills- interacting with others, sharing, turn-taking, knowing the rules of a game

Physical Skills- running, catching, throwing, rolling, fine motor skills

Academic- matching, keeping score

School Activities

Card games (use an automatic shuffler & card holder)

Games- make sure age appropriate and allow enough time to complete game

Computer- teach how to turn on & off, navigate the internet

Start a Special Olympics team

Community Activities

Take a trip to the park, play frisbee Bowling, movie theatre, YMCA-swimming Special Olympics (join with another school to

create a team) Video Arcade, Fun Land, Kings Dominion

Home Activities

Encourage parents to become involved in Special Olympics, Challenger Baseball, church activities, play groups

Weekly family games night Camp outs with family Family get-togethers

Vocational

Definition

Vocational Skills include those skills needed to secure employment. While “hard skills” (job requirements) are important in getting a job, “soft skills” (communication & social skills) are needed to keep a job.

Skills Needed

Communication- looking at people, talking with peers & superiors, asking for help, accepting criticism

Social Skills- eating & restroom etiquette, break time interactions, interactions with peers

Physical Skills- able to complete job tasks Academic- Read & follow a schedule, read & follow

directions, counting money & making change

School Activities

Explore various jobs to find students’ likes & dislikes and areas of skills

Set up classroom like a job site- pay students for work completed

Teach students to follow a schedule Teach students how to communicate with superiors Use Social Story to teach “soft skills” Set up job situations with students making & selling

items to staff

Community Activities

Visit various job sites to explore jobs, what skills are needed at jobs, learn & practice skills

Examples- garden/nursery, department store, restaurant, office, grocery store, bakery, hospital

Home Activities

Encourage parents to contact Department of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) & Community Services Board (CSB) to set up case management

Encourage parents to network with family & friends to find job opportunities

Encourage students to volunteer in the community

Preparation

Talk to cafeteria workers, custodians, office staff, store employees before & after students interact with them, so they know what specific skill you are working on & how well the student accomplished goal.

Know how much money the student has to spend Be familiar with store layout Be prepared to stop other shoppers from “helping”

students

Discuss future goals with parents (job, living situations)

Discuss w/ parents places they frequent & teach skills needed to be successful in those environments

Be structured, but flexible during lessons Have sensory materials with you on CBI trips Keep data on skills learned & mastered

Special Concerns

Make sure enough time is allowed to accomplish goal, but not a lot of down time.

Make sure you have enough staff for proper supervision

Make sure areas are not crowded Write & read social stories before trips so students

know what to expect Make sure students know schedule of events (use a

visual schedule) Teach skills so that students can perform them by

themselves

Use the back of a spoon for spreading instead of a knife

Use color coding for cooking (measuring ingredients, microwave, oven, & stovetop cooking)

Use pre-measured dishwasher & laundry detergent No Money?- check with administration & walk to

community site, split CBI trips w/ another class or school, split trip/staff/students & go to several sites

Students on the Autism Spectrum may take up to 5 years to fully integrate a new routine

Agencies

Rappahannock Community Services Board (CSB) http://www.racsb.state.va.us/

Department of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) (540) 899-4161 Rappahannock Goodwill Industries (540) 371-3070 The Arc of Rappahannock, Inc. (540) 899-3789

http://arc.communitypoint.org/ disAbility Resource Center (540) 373-2559 Special Olympics-Area 11 http://www.area11sova.org/ Autism Support Group of Fredericksburg

http://www.autismsgfred.info/ Local Parent Resource Center / Special Education Advisory

Committee

Resources

Attainment Company http://www.attainmentcompany.com/

PCI Education http://www.pcieducation.com/ Touch Math http://www.touchmath.com/ Abilitations http://www.abilitations.com/ Remedia Publications http://www.rempub.com/ National Secondary Transition Technical

Assistance Center http://www.nsttac.org/ Lesson plans http://edhelper.com/

http://www.moneyinstructor.com/lifeskills.asp