Independent Living Skills
Independent living skills training helps students gain more independence as adults. These trainings can help increase independence in the home and in the community. Independent living skills training can include:
- Nutrition Planning and Cooking
- Money Management/Budgeting
- Household Management
- Community Travel - Bus training, para-transit access or acquire driver’s license
- Social Relationships/Human Sexuality
- Affordable/Accessible Housing
- Nutrition
- Planning and cooking healthy meals, understanding the food guide pyramid and the different food groups, planning well balanced meals and healthy cooking.
- Money Management
- Developing a household budget, balancing check books, using ATM cards correctly, balancing bank account after ATM card use, how to spend money wisely and save money for retirement.
- Household Management
- Bill paying, grocery shopping, cleaning the apartment, following the rules of the apartment (understanding lease), being a good neighbor, putting out trash cans and recycling cans for pick-up, etc.
- Community Travel
- Learning bus routes to get to and from desired locations, getting approved to write para-transit service and making reservations for desired trips, taking classes to get driver’s license.
- Social Relationships / Human Sexuality
- Understanding peer relationship, sexually transmitted diseases, prevention strategies, peer pressure, dating and abusive relationships.
- Affordable / Accessible Housing
- Learning about various housing programs available for persons with limited incomes and learning about accessible housing.
These trainings may be taught in various settings. Most students are introduced to independent living skills training in the school setting. However, these trainings are also offered to residents of group homes, adult day center participants, health departments, housing authorities, bus companies, private driving schools, workforce/employment centers and at Centers for Independent Living (CILs).