Skill building
Day habilitation offers connectivity between people with developmental & intellectual disabilities and their community. Center & community based services are designed to build skills that increase independence, cognitive capabilities and socialization. In order to fulfill on New Jersey’s work-first framework, day habilitation engages participants in programming to enhance future employability through a variety of activities that are age-appropriate, offer variety & choice, emphasize community experience and provide opportunities for both group & individual participation. Each participant’s objectives, activities and strategies are individually tailored to accommodate their physical, social, communicative and intellectual needs, as well as preference & personal goals. Minding Miracles at Beacon Achievement Center fulfills this vision by using the following activities as an avenue to skill building:
Culinary Experiences:
Storing & retrieving personal meals
Using small appliances (microwave, toaster, blender, toaster oven, popcorn popper).
Fine motor development (pouring, mixing, using utensils, setting the table).
Following a basic recipe for a meal or snack.
Reading food labels.
Practicing kitchen & food safety.
Determine healthy choices.
Practice personal hygiene.
Cleaning/sanitizing equipment.
Demonstrating preference:
Use autonomy in decision making.
Choose from a variety of acceptable activities.
Communicate likes & dislikes.
Find & engage with peers who share interests or preferences.
Choose preferences for meals/snacks.
Choose desired music, artistic mediums, sports, games & schedule.
Communication:
Share thoughts, ideas & feelings.
Respond to comments of others.
Give appropriate verbal & non-verbal responses that are contextually appropriate.
Collaborate with others.
Develop social reciprocity.
Express frustration & agitation appropriately.
Convey messages.
Resolve conflicts & problem solve with others.
Focus & attention:
Demonstrate active listening skills.
Ask for clarification when needed.
Listen to books, shows & lectures with understanding.
Provide verbal & non-verbal feedback.
Establish eye-contact as appropriate to the situation.
Paraphrase meaning.
Complete tasks in entirety without the assistance of others.
Finance:
Making purchases (counting money/identifying curency) during community outings.
Using a debit/credit card.
Making/using a budge.
Practicing basic math skills.
Navigating a store, finding the cashier & initiating the purchase.
Keeping money in a safe place (wallet/purse).
Following a shopping list.
Social:
Developing awareness of how one’s actions effect others.
Using positive statements to describe self, others & solve problems.
Identify various emotional states in self & others.
Develop friendships & take steps to build positive interpersonal relationships.
Distinguish meaning of facial expressions, gestures & body language.
Infer potential causes of one’s emotional states.
Communicate feelings in socially appropriate ways.
Demonstrate kindness & manners appropriate to the situation.
Effectively advocate for oneself with peers, law enforcement and community members.
Demonstrate patience & appropriate wait times (delayed gratification).
Housekeeping:
Keeping personal space clean.
Cleaning up materials after use (ex- cleaning paint brushes, tidying up after a game).
Placing personal supplies (lunch, backpack, jacket) in designated spaces.
Use household cleaning tools (vacuum, duster, broom, etc).
Sort recycling.
Problem solving:
Identify problems & potential solutions.
Request help & specific level of assistance.
Determine replacement strategies.
Demonstrate self-regulation strategies.
Choose activities that offer an achievable level of difficulty.
Organization:
Occupy self during unstructured free time with age appropriate leisure activities.
Make short & long term plans for activities (daily schedule, plan community outings, special events).
Create & follow a ‘to-do’ list to help accomplish an objective.
Create a personal schedule of activities.
Make choices for the personal activity order.
Follow a routine or schedule.
Organize personal space & belongings.
Health, Wellness & Safety:
Maintain personal wellness (Develop/maintain personal hygiene routines)
Express feelings of illness or pain.
Identify sources of stress or anxiety and ways to alleviate such feelings.
Engage in mindfulness techniques to promote emotional well-being.
Engage in activities that promote personal privacy.
Balance nutritional needs.
Engage in daily exercise routines.
Identify safety labels & signs and behave according to warnings.
Identify appropriate actions in case of an emergency (call 911, etc)
Identify and accept assistance from community helpers when needed.
Engineering:
Use measuring tools, simple tools, fasteners, modeling clay and other building materials.
Draw a diagram & create structures using various shapes & materials.
Draw a plan for block structures & implement the plan.
Complete simple origami.
Take apart a simple item & figure out how it works (example: flashlights).
Creativity:
Using games & household items in creative ways.
Demonstrate imagination to cultivate new ideas.
Demonstrate understanding of unique perspectives.
Engage in a variety of creative modalitlies: dance, art, music.
Increase self-expression.
Navigation/Travel:
Transition around the environment safely & with ease.
Practice safety when navigating in the community (wearing seatbelt, safely getting into/out of vans, following safety signs, staying with the group).
Demonstrating awareness in the environment.
Identify signs & other important safety markers.
Seek assistance from a community helper.
Engage in new & varied experiences:
Explore various interests that can be cultivated into job opportunities.
Identify potential training or volunteer opportunities.
Read books/articles of various topics.
Visit community businesses, colleges or venues that offer new experiences (museums, recreation centers, parks, etc).
Explore cultural variations of holidays, traditions, meals, etc.