Adults with disabilities need to exercise control over decisions that affect their daily living. They want to study at college, get a job or learn a whole new way of life.
Being independent in these skills enables a person to live independently. Adjusting to life with a disability is never easy, but several development activities aim to build your capacity to manage day‐to‐day life.
Social Skills
Social skills are the skills we use to interact with each other. Our social skills greatly determine our success in life. However, it has been found that more than many individuals with disabilities have social and behavioral difficulties.
Persons living with disabilities need to explore their passions, develop their skills, discover new interests, and meet new people. These are the skills they need to be independent.
Demonstrating strong interpersonal skills can also help them accomplish career goals and greatly reduce stress and anxiety in their life. Therefore, direct social skills training is highly recommended to help adults living with disabilities.
Cooking Skills
Cooking can be a fantastic hobby for people of all ages. It is an incredibly versatile activity that can be used to teach a wide variety of skills. For adults living with disabilities, cooking can present challenges as well as opportunities for creative problem-solving.
Adults with disabilities tend to be visual learners, and may not be able to read text. Choosing food items that provide the chance to meet multiple personal goals will allow adults living with disabilities to build on fine motor skills and the basics of meal preparation. They need to develop these skills so that they can go out in the community and use them.
Communication Skills
Communication is a basic human right.
All people need to be able to communicate to work and build relationships. This is particularly the case for people with disabilities. People with disabilities often face greater problems when it comes to communicating with others. The challenges may be severe enough to interfere with an individual academically or occupationally. Some disabilities affect both comprehension and expression.
Consequently, people with disabilities need to develop positive and appropriate interactions with other people. Besides, they should foster communication skills through “alternative augmentative communication.”
Personal Hygiene
An appropriate level of personal hygiene is vital for social interaction. Educating disabled individuals about personal hygiene is the best way to keep them healthy and clean. While these skills aren’t crucial for survival, they are incredibly vital for anybody who lives in a community.
Adults with disabilities can be taught how to complete tasks like going to the bathroom, washing hands, brushing teeth, and showering. In most cases, you must develop a hygiene plan and make good hygiene fun.
You can create a social story with the disabled person’s daily routine following a typical hygiene schedule. Be sure to put down a secure bath mat to prevent any slips.
Physical Fitness
Disabled people need to adopt a physical fitness routine to ward off an increased susceptibility to health issues. Being physically fit means you can engage in regular exercise.
Exercise gets your heart racing and even helps you sleep. At the same time, stronger muscles and improved body symmetry mean that you can handle machines with extreme precision.
Unfortunately, disabled adults may feel that there are obstacles that hinder them from being as physical as they should. For example, many gyms do not feature equipment that is set up for disabled people to use.
For people living with a disability, there are ways of getting your fitness fix. Generally, you should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity daily.
Healthy Eating
People with disabilities have a harder time getting healthy than people without disabilities. That’s because many adults with disabilities don’t know that making nutritious food choices is one of the best ways to stay healthy.
That’s why some organizations have begun offering nutrition classes for adults with disabilities. These classes help people with disabilities stay healthy by learning about healthy eating habits. Also, they are taught how to avoid fattening foods and sugary drinks.
Bottom Line
Developmentally disabled adults can learn life skills, slowly and repeatedly. These tips will help them develop everyday life skills that increase independence and control.
