As parents, you want the best for your child, and that can be challenging when your child is living with autism, but not impossible. There are plenty of functional skills training ideas that you can do with your teen that will help teach them the necessary skills to function independently. The right functional skills training program can give your teen all of the skills they need in a safe and proactive environment best suited for teaching teens living with autism.
At Camp Worth, we help teens between the ages of 11 and 17 with functional skills training to develop the self-help skills they need to manage their day-to-day lives. Contact us at 855.915.2545 today to learn more about our functional skills training program.
The Importance of Teaching Functional Skills to Your Teen
Your teen living with autism wants to be as independent as everyone else but will not have the necessary skills to do so unless practiced repeatedly and often, such as tying their shoes or reciting important information to safety officers if they are lost.
Functional skills training can help your teen in many different ways, including:
- Improved communication skills
- Able to make better choices for themselves
- Able to take care of themselves independently
- Ability to hold a job
- Enjoying fun activities with friends and family
Repetition and patience are crucial for successfully learning new skills. Remember to reward good behavior when they complete new skills correctly, which will help solidify their new self-help skills.
Functional Skills Training Ideas
There are plenty of life skills that can benefit your teen. The varying symptoms of autism make it challenging to put together a one-size-fits-all type of program, as each child’s needs should be based on their development level and skills they are lacking. You can better help your child by teaching them the crucial life skills they will need to lead a more independent life. These functional skills training ideas may help.
Personal Hygiene
Giving your teen a greater sense of freedom can start with allowing them to take care of themselves.
A well-rounded functional skills program will help them learn how to care for themselves, like:
- Brushing their teeth, hair, and face
- Dressing appropriately for everyday activities and outings
- Using the toilet on their own
- Putting on makeup
- Feminine hygiene cleanliness
Personal hygiene is critical to living independently and navigating life successfully.
Home Skills
An essential function of an adult is taking care of their home and keeping it clean and organized. A cluttered space can cause frustration and lead to negative outbursts.
Some essential home skills that you can help your teen with include:
- Preparing a meal for themselves
- The importance of putting away leftover food
- Safely using utensils
- The importance of proper cleaning
- Taking care of pets
Everyone wants to appreciate and enjoy the space in which they live. Learning to take care of that space can also create a sense of pride in knowing that it can be maintained by themselves.
Day-to-Day Activities and Other Life Skills
A truly independent life means your teen can hold a job, perform common day-to-day activities, and deal with unforeseen situations as they arise. With the proper functional skills training, your teen can look forward to a more independent life as they get older.
You can help them by teaching them essential self-help skills, such as:
- Grocery shopping
- Using public transportation
- Communicating information to police when lost
- Keeping up with work/school schedule
- Maintaining supportive relationships
Each of these skills is crucial to your teen living independently and functioning in their daily lives.
Help Your Teen Build Functional Skills at Camp Worth
When we first meet your teen, we will assess them to see what skills they currently have and how well they perform specific tasks. We will then build an autism therapy program that will give them the needed self-help skills to become higher-functioning adults that will enable them to lead a more independent life.
Our functional skills training program at Camp Worth can help your teen gain the skills they need to lead a more independent life and family counseling and parent training programs that will benefit the entire family. Call 855.915.2545 today to learn more about our functional skills training programs and how they can help your teen living with autism.
