Okay, here’s my blog post about creating autism life skills worksheets, written in a casual, personal style, just like the example:
Alright, so I’ve been diving into this whole “life skills for autistic individuals” thing lately. My nephew was recently diagnosed, and it’s been a learning curve for the whole family. I wanted to find ways to help him develop some practical skills, you know, stuff beyond just academics.
I started by doing some good old-fashioned internet searching. I was looking for, like, ready-made materials. The phrase “autism life skills worksheets” kept popping up. I figured, “Worksheets? Sounds easy enough, right?”
My Worksheet Creation Process
I didn’t just want to print off any old thing. I wanted something tailored to my nephew’s specific needs and interests. He loves trains, for example, so I knew I could use that to my advantage.
First, I brainstormed some key areas. We’re talking about things like:
- Daily routines: Getting dressed, brushing teeth, making a simple snack.
- Social interactions: Starting a conversation, understanding personal space, asking for help.
- Household chores: Setting the table, sorting laundry, putting away toys.
- Community awareness: crossing road and follow rules.
Then, I got down to actually making the worksheets. I kept it super visual. Lots of pictures, clear and simple instructions. For example, for the “getting dressed” worksheet, I broke it down into steps, using images.
For the social skills stuff, I used some simple scenarios. Like, “You want to ask a friend to play trains with you. What do you say?” Then I’d provide a few options, some good, some not-so-good, to help him learn to discriminate.
It was a bit of trial and error, to be honest. Some worksheets were a hit, others, not so much. I realized I had to really think from his perspective. What might be confusing? What might be too overwhelming? Keeping the language simple and direct was HUGE.
I made a “making a sandwich” worksheet, complete with pictures of each step. I even laminated it so he could use a dry-erase marker to check off each step as he went along. He loved that!
It is important to make a plan for Community awareness, So I design a worksheet which include crossing road and follow rules. I draw a road and mark a crosswalk in it. Then let him to make a way to across the * did a great job.
The biggest takeaway? This isn’t a one-size-fits-all thing. It’s about adapting and being patient. And celebrating the small victories! Seeing him master a new skill, even something as simple as putting on his own socks, that’s the good stuff. It’s been a rewarding process, and I’m definitely going to keep creating and refining these worksheets as he grows and his needs change.
