Housing

Housing

Ages: 0 - 6

Skill Building in Young Children to Prepare for Housing as Adults

Skill Building in Young Children to Prepare for Housing as Adults

Helping your child learn life skills and find opportunities to gradually spend time independently can help them reach their full potential and live in the level of housing that is appropriate for them as adults.

It can start as simply as leaving them with a grandparent, aunt, uncle or trusted babysitter. Learning how to feel comfortable being with other people leads to being able to sleep over at a close relative’s home. Having these early experiences gives the foundation for potential sleep away camp and then as an adult living on their own or in a group setting.

Finding activities they like to do on their own so that they can entertain themselves while you do something else helps you balance your day while giving them important skills. Doing fun recreational activities they enjoy will help them learn social skills, listen to a group leader or teacher and know how to handle themself in a group. You’ll find detailed information about leisure activities in the Milestones Afterschool Activities & Independent Leisure Skills Tool Kit as well as this article in the Milestones Autism Planning (MAP).

Self-determination is the ability to make decisions for yourself. This begins very simply with the idea of making choices like what does your child prefer to play with. You can give your child the power and ability to decide what they want by giving them some choices when you can. This lays the groundwork for your child someday handling decisions as an adult.

Teaching your child some simple chores provides them with a first sense of responsibility and pride for taking care of something. They can start to learn some organizational skills like where to put their toys.

Working on life skills like hygiene, self-advocacy, money basics and social communication are important building blocks to prepare for living as independently as possible.

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