“As a disabled man, let my life be a reflection of the endless amount of ability that exists in each and every one of us.”

– Robert M. Hensel, born with spina bifida, distinguished himself as a disability activist, poet, and Guinness World Record holder for the longest nonstop wheelie in a wheelchair: 6.178 miles

The World Health Organization defines life skills as "the abilities for adaptive and positive behavior that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life."

Your average weekday probably goes something like this: You get up on time, shower, brush your teeth, use deodorant, groom your hair, dress, make breakfast, and head to work using your car or public transportation. Then you spend the day interacting, often at a fast pace, with coworkers, customers, computers, phones, and whatever special equipment you need to complete your tasks. When the workday is done, you head home to cook dinner or order takeout, spend time with family or friends, and perhaps cross a chore like laundry, grocery shopping, or paying bills off your to-do list.

These basic skills and activities, essential for everyone, are especially important for young adults with disabilities. They are the keys that open doors to full participation in the life of their community as independent, self-reliant individuals.

Key Life Skills

Essential skills that help young adults with disabilities to develop independence and self-reliance include:

Self-Care – This involves creating and practicing daily routines such as bathing or showering, getting dressed, eating well, and exercising. Good personal habits like these can lead to greater self-confidence and help a young adult make friends or get job interviews.
Household Management – Mastering tasks like shopping for groceries, planning and cooking healthy meals, keeping a clean home, doing laundry, and caring for a pet help prepare a young person with disabilities to live more independently.
Money Management – Making change, budgeting, saving, and opening and maintaining a bank account are skills that prepare young adults to buy their own food, apparel and personal care items, pay rent and bills, and avoid debt.
Communications – Learning basic cell phone and computer skills puts people with special needs in touch with the wider world, from chatting with friends to keeping up with the news and learning about events and activities around town.
Getting Around – Using transportation — whether a bike, car, bus, cab, or ride share —is important for being able to explore the community on one’s own. Understanding traffic signals and being aware of stranger danger is essential to getting around safely on foot.
Being Prepared – This includes miscellaneous practical skills like knowing how to stock and use a first aid kit, what to do in case of a household emergency or severe weather event, and how to dial 911 or the police in case of trouble. A young adult with disabilities who understands these things is one step closer to living more independently.
Job Readiness – For young adults with disabilities, working is more than just a way to be productive and receive pay that allows them to be self-reliant. It’s also a significant way to participate in community life and show others how much they can do in spite of their limitations. To prepare for a job, they need to develop good work habits like being on time, following directions, and working as a team. They also must learn how to fill out a job application and excel in an interview with a potential employer.

“The achievement of these essential skills is a key factor in health, social inclusion, independent living, financial security, and overall quality of life,” notes the team at Advocates for Life Skills & Opportunity (ALSO), a nonprofit in Oregon that provides support services to the disabled.

Great Prospects' Role in Teaching Life Skills

Our participants are developmentally disabled adults 21-40 who take part in our Monday-Friday Therapeutic Day Program or Drop-In Program for those who can attend only 1 or 2 days a week. Once a month, we host a Saturday Funday that offers participants 16-40 a chance to enjoy an outing with their peers. We also have a Summer Friends program for participants in the same age range.

Our therapists teach a variety of life skills that include:

Voice Control

We focus on using proper volume when indoors and outdoors in addition to voice levels when talking to peers.

Peer-to-Peer Safety

Participants practice checking on one another and alerting the proper staff.
Success Story: While on the bus, Alisa notified staff when she saw her peer slumped over in her seat, indicating a seizure. Because of her quick action to alert us, we were able to administer care, and Alisa felt great knowing she had helped her friend.

Fire Safety

Participants practice making fire safety plans; accomplishing the stop, drop, and roll routine; and doing fire drills.

Community Safety

Participants practice safely crossing the street, proper and safe public restroom use, and stranger danger.

Proper Social Etiquette

We focus on how to greet each other, how to introduce peers, how to hold the door for peers, and conversational skills.
Success Story: We have had an increase in volunteers, and Elliot welcomes them by saying, “Hello, I would like you to meet my friends.” We kick off conversations among peers by asking how their weekend was or what their favorite items are. They have learned to offer greetings like “Good Morning” and “How are you?”

Dining Etiquette

Participants practice setting the table properly as they enjoy a fun relay. When we go out for Friday Funday, they make a tremendous effort to dine properly, using forks, knives, and spoons and practicing good table manners.

Emotional Regulation

Participants practice identifying and managing their emotions.

Daily Community Outings

Success Story: Participants advocate for themselves, asking store staff to help them locate items, and practice purchasing as one way to establish independence in the community.

Community Service

Our participants help the community by recycling, volunteering at the animal shelter to make treats and at local parks to help with upkeep.

Practical Independent Living Skills

Participants practice maintaining the bathroom and checking for items to restock.
They help with facility maintenance by sweeping, vacuuming, spraying air freshener, mopping, and taking out the trash.
They garden and help take care of the grounds.

Life skills like these are the tools that help developmentally disabled young adults overcome the unique challenges and barriers that often keep them from being recognized and accepted as equal, contributing members of society.

At Great Prospects, we also have certified and licensed therapists who enrich participants’ lives with activities such as:

Adaptive Fitness
Adaptive Yoga
Art Therapy
Speech Therapy
Music Therapy
Kickboxing Fitness
Adaptive Pickle Ball

An Empowering Journey

Abiliko, Israel’s comprehensive website for living with disabilities, offers this inspiring perspective on the lives of people with special needs:

“Living with a disability is a unique, challenging and empowering journey. Each person with a disability experiences the world in his own way, with his own difficulties and opportunities. …

Despite the challenges, people with disabilities show inner strength, creativity, and determination in dealing with obstacles. …

“Living with a disability teaches about self-acceptance, coping, and appreciation of human diversity. [Those with disabilities] invite all of us to re-examine our notions of ability, independence, and human value.”

Participants in Great Prospects’ programs are highly mobile, continent young adults (21-40 or 16-40, depending on the program) who do not exhibit violent behaviors. We delight in empowering special people! To find out more, please visit our website or call us at (770) 314-4243.

Creating Independence: Daily Life Skills for Adults With Developmental Disabilities