Advisory Panel > Ann Wheeler

Self Help Skills and Independence

28 Apr 09
 
Self Help Skills and Independence

IMPORTANCE OF SELF-HELP SKILLS

Ÿ  To become as independent as possible

Ÿ  These skills are the daily challenges we all face

Ÿ  When children can do things for themselves it helps them feel good about themselves

Ÿ  When children can do things for themselves it helps others to view them in a positive light

It is important for parents and educators of young children to realise, that just like numbers, colours, and shapes, self-help skills deserve to be included in the curriculum. Self-help skills need to be introduced and reinforced through a wide variety of hands-on, developmentally appropriate activities.

Tips for Teaching Self Help Skills:

Self help training should be on-going. Whether it is learning to walk side by side without holding some one's hand, or dressing independently, you should always be thinking about developing your child‘s independence.

Don't baby your child. Parents sometimes feel they are helping their child, but really you are not helping them if you keep them from learning to do things for themselves.

Self help skills are usually ‘time sensitive’- you get dressed in the morning, you take a bath at night, etc.  Caregivers need to become consistent at practicing skills throughout the day at appropriate times.  This way your child not only learns how to do skills but when they should be performed. 

Observe when your child has mastered a skill and move on. If a child has mastered a skill, don't help them; you can make them dependent on your support and prompts. Something as simple as always asking a child, “Do you need the toilet?”, can become a prompt. You have to fade that prompt as soon as possible.

Have a plan for moving self help out of the house- going to the bathroom at public restrooms, serving self at a buffet restaurant, getting dressed in a different place.

Observe typical children. Make a list of independence skills you see in typically- developing children. I know this can be upsetting but it can serve as a wake up call that more self help needs to be focused on, not that your child can't do it.

Self-help has to be consistent. Once a target is established, you can't target it half of the time. You have to target their independence every time they engage in that activity.

Remember that just teaching beginning self help skills is not enough. You have to continue to add targets e.g. once your child can dress himself, can he dress himself with you out of the room? Can he dress quickly? Can he pick out his own clothes? Can he independently change out of those clothes, take a bath and get and put on pajamas?

 

Acquisition of self-help skills in children: 

                                           Children with Ds                      Typical children

Responsive Smile                   1.5 - 5 Mths                                 1 - 3 Mths

Finger Feeds                           10 - 24 Mths                                7 - 14 Mths

Drinks From Cup (Unassisted)   12 - 32 Mths                               9 - 17 Mths

Uses Spoon                            13 - 39 Mths                               12 - 20 Mths

Bowel Control                           2 -7 Yrs                                     16 -42 Mths

Dresses Self (Unassisted)         3.5 -8.5 Yrs                                 3.25 - 5 Yrs

 

(From National Down Syndrome Society)

© Ann Haig Wheeler, DSC 2009

All rights reserved. No part of this work can be reproduced in any form, or by any means without the express permission of the author or by Down Syndrome Centre info@downsyndromecentre.ie

 

Got a question for Ann Wheeler? If so, drop her an email here.

 

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