Life with Down Syndrome – Functional Skills Continue to Improve
Recent research indicates that functional skills continue to improve throughout life with Down Syndrome. The American Journal of Medical Genetics published research examining the range of functional abilities found in people with Down syndrome in order to help parents and clinicians. Survey of Life with Down Syndrome A survey was conducted with 2658 parents from […]
5 Ways To Teach Your Children to Be Independent
5 Ways To Teach Your Children to Be Independent As a parent, teaching your children life skills and daily activities is one tough job. It always seems like when your life is the most hectic, you need your children to be more independent throughout the daily routine. As a mother of 6 children, I know […]
Important Information Children Should Know – Life Skills
Important Information Children Should Know Life Skills As children move through development stages, there are many important life skills that need to be learned. Whether it be dressing skills, toilet training, manners, etc, it takes children time and practice. It is also crucial for children to learn important facts about themselves, their school and their […]
Daily Living Skills in Adolescents with Autism
Autism published research examining the daily living skills standard scores on the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales–2nd edition in 417 adolescents with Autism spectrum disorder. All participants had at least average intelligence. Using statistics, a “daily living skills deficit,” was defined as below average daily living skills in the context of average intelligence quotient. The results […]
Task Independence Low-Tech Versus High-Tech
Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities published research on whether a difference existed in levels of task independence when three students with autism completed food preparation tasks while self-monitoring using a low-tech treatment (paper/pencil) and high-tech treatment (iPad). The results indicated: 1. both interventions decreased the need for prompting which increases independence 2. Students […]
3 Hand Strengthening Activities in the Kitchen
Here are three ways to strengthen the muscles in the hands using simple items from around the kitchen: 1. Garlic Press and Mini Sponges: Cut up and wet some sponges. The child puts a mini sponge into the garlic press and squeezes the water out of the sponge. Not only does this strengthen the muscles […]
“Help” or “Helper” for Life Skills
An interesting study was published in Child Development comparing the motivational levels of children willing to help adults based on how the children were asked to help. The participants included about 150, 3-6 year olds, who participated in two experiments. In one experiment, the adults talked to the children about helping then referred to helping […]
Free Life Skills Checklist
Head on over to get a free sample school routine life skill checklist to track quarterly progress towards life skills goals. You can enter the data into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and the graph will automatically create a visual representation of progress. You can edit the spreadsheet to add or remove life skill goals. It […]
Developmental Trajectories of Daily Activities and Cerebral Palsy
Pediatrics has published research on the developmental trajectories of mobility performance and daily activities in 420 Dutch children (ages 1-16 years) and young adults with cerebral palsy (CP)and investigating the influence of gross motor function and intellectual disability on these trajectories. The children were followed yearly over a period of 2 to 4 years. Developmental […]