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Empowering Autistic Children Toward Independence: Key Daily Living Skills

Autistic children can unlock a more independent future by focusing on developing crucial skills now. As a parent, educator, or caregiver, it’s your goal to provide the tools and support necessary to help these children thrive in their daily lives. This not only makes routines easier for everyone, but it provides a foundation on which they can build an independent future. Incorporate the following practical approaches to tap into the potential within every autistic child, celebrating their strengths and guiding them toward a future filled with confidence and self-sufficiency. 

Providing Structured Schedules 

Consistency and clarity are key tenets of successful lessons for autistic children. Especially in their daily lives, structured schedules can empower them to navigate their days with confidence. Chore charts for kids and teens, specifically, can be a great visual aid to outline tasks, from making the bed to putting away toys. As things become easier for them, or your child gets older, you can advance to charts with more responsibility — like setting the dinner table or folding laundry.

Being able to tangibly check off each completed task can give your autistic child a sense of reinforcement and belonging in the family unit. Feeling included in this way can give them a self-esteem boost, allowing them to understand that they are an integral part of the household. For autistic kids who thrive on predictability, a structured schedule of chores or even teachings can give them clear expectations and visual cues. This provides a sense of comfort and autonomy, allowing them to confidently engage in everyday activities and take steps toward independent living. 

Developing Daily Living Skills 

Rather than jumping directly to assigning chores, you may want to come up with a schedule to teach your child how to do these tasks. Daily living skills may come naturally to some, but autistic kids may need a bit more instruction with clear-cut rules and steps. Depending on the age of your child, you can even start integrating some life skills like money management and ways to get around your town. Some of the daily living skills to consider implementing into your teachings include:

  • Making and receiving phone calls;
  • Cleaning rooms in the house;
  • Doing laundry and folding clothes;
  • Basic grooming skills;
  • Taking care of a pet;
  • Applying for jobs;
  • Grocery shopping;
  • Cooking meals;
  • Banking; 
  • Budgeting;
  • Credit;
  • Driving;
  • Taking public transportation.

Remember that autistic children will have unique communication strategies and strengths. Tap into these by giving them instructions without using jargon and speaking directly. Often, they will need guidelines to understand how often these tasks need to be done, as well as how to integrate them into their routines. 

Teaching Basic Safety in and Around the Home 

Safety is of utmost importance when teaching autistic children to navigate daily life with confidence. Their communication differences and sensory processing issues may affect their ability to respond to unsafe situations. Just as you provide guidelines for daily activities, you should provide clear, direct instructions on how to stay safe during these activities. For example, you should incorporate knife safety when teaching your kids how to cook for themselves.

Some safety precautions are harder to describe, as they involve unexpected emergencies. To navigate this, try to teach them direct warning signs that something is dangerous and how to respond quickly and appropriately. For example, home fire safety for kids includes instructing them on how fires can start, like in garages, homes, and storage buildings with flammable objects. You can include the whole family in creating an exit strategy if a fire breaks out, and give your autistic child a clear role in the plan.

Regardless of the emergency, teach them how to call for help when needed. Having an emergency number saved in their device and easy to access will help. When preparing your autistic child for emergencies, try to quell their fears by practicing simulated situations like seeking shelter during hurricanes or tornadoes. The more prepared they are, the more calm they can be when an emergency does arise — allowing them to react quickly and effectively.  

Transitioning to Autistic Adulthood 

The ultimate goal is to prepare your autistic child to transition to adulthood. You can sit down with them and discuss what they want their future to look like in five, 10, or 20 years from now. Try to align your goals with theirs, working with them on crafting their desired level of independence. It’s important to foster a sense of trust in them, as well, as to allow them to learn how to live on their own. Taking the time to prepare them for an independent life with empathy and patience will pay off when you may not be there to guide them.


Indiana Lee is a writer from the Pacific Northwest with a personal commitment to shedding light on important issues surrounding autism. Outside of writing, she enjoys the outdoors, reading, and jigsaw puzzles. Connect with her on LinkedIn.

 

The post Empowering Autistic Children Toward Independence: Key Daily Living Skills first appeared on Organization for Autism Research.

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