Life Skills Training
for Children with FASD
Q: I want to teach my children
life skills, but I CANNOT afford to hire someone. Can you give my suggestions. I
understand FAS and hands on approach, what I need is some specific ideas on
teaching money, social skills regarding working, time management, banking help,
budgeting. Thanks
Our children CAN learn life skills, it might take them longer, but they are
able to learn HOW to take care of themselves.
There is something important to remember. Even though our children
can learn social skills and life skills, they may never have enough common sense
and good judgment to apply what they have learned in a way that allows them to
live independently. My son KNOWS how to behave and how to take care of
himself, but his decisions, even at age 25, reflect a need to be
supervised. He does well sometimes, but not all the time, and neither of
us can predict whether today will be a day that he can function on his own or
not. Because he is so vulnerable (to all the secondary disabilities) and
the risk is so great and the consequences so severe, we choose not to take that
risk, and we both agree to the need for close supervision and guidance for the
rest of his life.
Teresa Kellerman