WINTER 2015

P rompting, or helping, your child is something

you do many times a day, often without

even thinking about it. You support your child

through daily routines such as, brushing teeth,

getting dressed, eating, and using the bathroom. It

is important to be aware of the prompts that you

add so you can remove them as your child shows

independence. The goal is for your child to complete

these routines without your support. Let’s go over

some tips for teaching daily routines in order to

work toward this goal.

Create a Task AnalysisIn order to teach daily living skills, it is important to

identify the steps involved in the routine. Breaking

down a routine or a complex skill into steps is

referred to as a task analysis. Creating a task analysis

before teaching a daily routine is necessary for

consistency and it gives you the ability to identify the

steps where your child may need more prompting.

Use Physical PromptsDaily routines such as,

brushing teeth, getting

dressed and eating

involve many physical

actions. For example,

washing hands consists

of actions such as turning

the tap, pumping the

soap and rubbing hands

together. When you are

working on this with

your child, you would provide physical (rather than

verbal) prompts to complete the task. You would

help your child by supporting him with the steps

only where assistance is needed. You may provide

more supportive physical prompting with the steps

that are more difficult for your child. For example,

prompt him to turn on the tap by placing your hand

Teaching Daily Living Skills: The Road to IndependenceWritten by: Heidi Hoile, Family Support Coach, TPAS

Example of Task Analysis for Washing Hands1. Turn on the tap2. Pump the soap3. Rub hands

together (10 sec)4. Rinse hands5. Turn off tap

Additional Resources on Prompting and Daily Living SkillsPrompting and Fading http://connectability.ca/2011/10/26/prompting-and-fading-2/

Prompting Tip Sheet http://connectability.ca/2011/03/22/prompting-tip-sheet/

Prompting and Fading On line Workshop http://connectability.ca/2010/09/24/prompting-and-fading/

TPAS Parent Library Book Steps to Independence by Baker and Brightman (available through the TPAS lending library)

Parent Education and Support Services: Daily Living Skills workshop (for those parents who have attended ABA Key Terms)Daily living skills are developmentally appropriate, practical skills that are necessary to care for oneself independently (e.g., dressing, brushing teeth or washing hands). This session will discuss the factors that influence the learning of self-help skills. Different strategies used to teach these skills will also be explored.

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If you do not wish to receive Parent Connection or would like to comment on articles in this issue please contact your Family Support Coach or Surrey Place Centre at (416) 925-5141.

WINTER 2015

CampsThis section of the Parent Connection Newsletter highlights information to assist you to access the summer camp experience for your child. Although it is still winter, summer camp registration will begin soon!

CALYPSO—Autism Ontariowww.autismontario.ca/calypsoSix step guide to searching for and selecting a camp for a person with autism. Includes fact sheets on questions to ask and things to consider when looking for a camp Snowflake form - an information sheet about your child to share with the camp.

Ontario Camping Association (OCA)www.ontariocampsassociation.caSearch a wide range of camps including those for children with special needs. Access the OCA Camps Guide.

Our Kidswww.ourkids.net/campSearch for camps, get information on funding for camp and tips for choosing a camp.

Great Camps in Toronto City of Toronto: Parks, Forestry and Recreationwww.toronto.ca/parks/camps Offers a wide range of summer camps for children with special needs. Support staff can be provided and respite workers are welcome.

YMCA Summer Campswww.ymcatoronto.org Offers indoor and outdoor camping opportunities. Variety of camps available including sports camp and creative arts

Geneva Centre for Autism: Social Skills Day Camp, Bridges Summer Camp & Zone Adventure Day Campwww.autism.net Summer camps for children with autism in a highly supported environment

Seneca Summer Campswww.senecacamps.comOffers different types of camps - sports, arts and sciences, and a helping hands integrated program (request one-on-one support by completing an application)

over his hand. If your child is capable of completing

certain steps on his own, provide a less supportive

prompt or none at all. For example, you could provide

a partial physical prompt like tapping his elbow to

direct him to the soap because he already knows

how to pump it out. You know your child best, so you

will be able to identify what steps in the routine they

need the most assistance with. By only providing the

assistance that is required, it will make it easier to

reduce your prompts when your child is familiar with

the sequence of the routine.

Silence is GoldenWe have discussed that it is important to use

physical prompts during daily routines. This means

not giving instructions during the routine. Give the

initial instruction to complete the task and then

physically prompt your child with the steps where it is

necessary. For example, if you are teaching your child

to wash her hands you would say, “Sally, wash your

hands.” Then you would silently prompt her through

the steps of the task. If you provide an instruction

before every action (i.e. “Rinse your hands”), your child

may become dependent on these kinds of prompts in

order to complete the task. When you only provide

physical prompts, your child will learn to follow the

sequence of the steps in the task instead of relying on

your instructions.

Prompt from BehindWe know that when teaching a physical skill, it is

important to use physical prompts and avoid verbal

instructions. When your child is completing a daily

routine, prompt them from behind. There are a

couple of reasons for this. First, it is usually more

comfortable for you and your child when you are

providing prompts from behind. This way you are

prompting him to complete the action as he naturally

would. For example, helping your child to hold his

toothbrush and brush his teeth is much easier from

behind. Secondly, prompting from behind can help

your child to reach the goal of independence quicker.

Your presence should not be the cue to complete the

steps in the routine. It may be easier to fade out your

assistance when he can’t see you and he is completing

the task independently.

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