Our students receive invaluable support as they learn to integrate ADLs (Activities of Daily Living) and IADLs (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living) into their everyday lives. As the fundamental skills needed to live a safe, independent life, ADLs are comprised of eating-, hygiene-, and mobility-related tasks, while IADLs focus on more complex thinking and planning in order to maintain one’s personal care and that of their living space simultaneously.
Types ADLs
Managing Finances
Financial literacy and stability are necessary components of adult independence. We teach—and emphasize the importance of—budgeting, paying bills, and saving for the future.
Managing Transportation
Organizing means of transportation within the community and caring for a vehicle are all important functioning skills. Each of these are included in our program and taught depending on a student’s needs and abilities.
Shopping and Meal Preparation
From acquiring groceriesm clothing, and items essential to daily life, to planning and preparing healthy meals, this skill is integral to individual success.
Housecleaning and Home Maintenance
Essential home maintenance such as cleaning living spaces, organizing possessions, changing lightbulbs, and throwing out expired goods are emphasized in our Independent Living programming.
Managing Communication
Learning to communicate via telephone, and especially for self-advocacy and household maintenance, is important to daily living. This, as well as paying bills via mail, is covered in Independent Living contexts.
Managing Medications
Medications are typically handled by our Nursing staff, however, once a student demonstrates the responsibility and comptence to enter our Extension phase, they are also taught how to obtain, manage, and safely take their medications as directed.