Freelance Writing Jobs | Today's Articles | Sign In

Disabled Children and Routine

Teaching Daily Living Skills

Mar 23, 2007 Lynn Moore

In our fast paced society, people need organization, predictability, and routine. A child with a disability probably needs more greatly than anyone, except his parents.

This is the second article about Creating Routine for the Child with a Disability.

The first article covered the following:

choosing the self-care or daily living skill
breaking the daily living skill into parts
making a schedule chart
carefully considering the routine

Teach the Daily Living Skill

Once a specific daily living skill has been chosen and represented in a schedule chart, parents of a child with a disability must teach the skill. Teaching a skill should include showing the child how to do the task and doing the task as the child attempts to do the task as well. For example, if the task is picking up toys before dinner, the parent will show the child with a disability how to pick up the toys with care to teach not throwing them and putting them in the designated place. On later days, the parent may pick up the toys as the child is doing so, again reinforcing the desired way to do so.

Allow Time for Practice of the Daily Living Skill

It takes time to practice new skills. Initially, the child may need to be reminded to complete the task. Hopefully, that will not be the case as time continues. As the child attempts to pick up the toys on future occassions he may not get all the toys. He may be careless in how to put the toys away (by throwing them). In every instance the parent will be providing verbal reminders (or modeling of how to do the task).

Provide Rewards for Schedule Success

Determine how the child with a disability will be rewarded for completing the task. Parents of all children have the complicated task of rewarding their children and yet not offering rewards that are too lavish for a simple, daily routine.

Plan the Next Daily Living Skill to be Taught

Once a daily living skill has been taught, it is time to consider the next step. Again, success with one skill does not mean that the child with a disability is ready for a lengthy, detailed list of things to do. Parents may wish to consider one of the following options.

Add a next responsbility that will work with the newly accomplished task. For example, if the child has learned to brush his teeth, add putting on pajamas.
Add a next responsibilty that will take place in another part of the day. For example, if the child with a disabilty is picking up his toys before bedtime, add taking his plate to the dishwasher after meals.
Add the same task multiple times throughout the day. For example, if the child has learned to pick up his toys before bed, expect that he will also pick up his toys before mealtimes.

Read about Morning Routine and Disabled Kids and Disabilities and Holiday Routines.

The copyright of the article Disabled Children and Routine in Special Needs Parenting is owned by Lynn Moore. Permission to republish Disabled Children and Routine in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.