How to Teach Life Skills to the Functionally Disabled
People who suffer from mental retardation and developmental disabilities may not have the mental capacity of an average person, but this doesn’t mean they are incapable of learning things. Many have the potential to learn skills that allow them to work, attend school and live independently. Before they are able to do these things though, it’s important functionally disabled people have basic life skills that allow them to take care of themselves with minimal or no assistance.
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Instructions
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Create a goal plan. Talk to the functionally disabled person to learn what life skills she wants to focus on rather than choosing one or two for her. Put together a plan that includes steps for how she will master a specific life skill as well as an incentive for achieving it. For example, learning how to cook may result in having the opportunity to take a cooking class or enter a cake or pie in a cooking competition as an incentive. Make sure that you involve the functionally disabled person in the planning as this invests her in learning the life skill rather than receiving a dictate of what she will be doing.
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Demonstrate the skill. Allow the person with functional disabilities to watch you as you show him how to perform the life skill. Talk about what you are doing while you are doing it. No matter how small the detail, it’s all new for a person with developmental disabilities who hasn’t done it before. This is why it’s important to show and explain all aspects of a skill.
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Use hand-over-hand. Explain to the functionally disabled person that you are going to place your hand on his and use a hand-over-hand technique to help teach him a life skill. After he agrees to you touching his hand, take your hand and place it over the disabled person’s hand. Guide his hand in performing the life skill. Repeat this step as often as necessary until the person with developmental disabilities is able to perform the task without assistance.
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Provide verbal cues. Once she physically knows how to perform a life skill, use verbal prompts to help guide and remind her how to perform it if she doesn’t know what to do next. For example, after the person is finished brushing her teeth provide a verbal cue that reminds her to put the toothpaste away if she has failed to do this. This type of verbal indicator over time helps the person commit to memory what she should do next.
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Build on life skills. Continue making plans for new life skills to achieve once a person has achieved the life skill goals he initially set. Teach more complex life skills that move the person toward independent or semi-independent living if possible. Keep practicing life skills he knows, and re-teach any he has forgotten.
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Tips & Warnings
Most individuals with mental or developmental disabilities have an advocate such as a family member, friend or social worker who advocates on their behalf. Make sure to include them in the planning process.
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