Daily Living Skills for Adults With Intellectual Disabilities

Independence does not look the same for everyone.

For one person, it might mean learning how to prepare dinner without help. For someone else, it could mean keeping track of a weekly schedule, making a purchase at the store, or becoming more comfortable going places in the community.

For adults with intellectual disabilities, daily living skills can play an important part in becoming more independent while still having support available when it is needed.

What Are Daily Living Skills?

Daily living skills are the everyday tasks that allow someone to take care of themselves, manage their home, and participate in their community.

These can include cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, personal hygiene, managing money, keeping appointments, using transportation, and learning how to handle everyday responsibilities.

Some skills may already come naturally. Others can take practice, repetition, or ongoing support.

The goal is not to expect everyone to do everything on their own. It is to figure out where someone can become more independent and provide the right amount of support along the way.

Learning Through Everyday Life

Daily living skills are not always learned in a classroom.

A trip to the grocery store can involve making a list, comparing prices, staying within a budget, paying for purchases, and putting groceries away at home.

Cooking dinner can involve choosing a meal, checking ingredients, following directions, safely using kitchen equipment, and cleaning up afterward.

Even something as routine as getting ready for an appointment can involve several skills at once.

These everyday situations give people opportunities to practice skills they can continue using throughout their lives.

Support Should Not Mean Doing Everything for Someone

There is an important difference between helping someone and automatically doing a task for them.

Good support looks at what the individual can already do, where they may need assistance, and where they may be ready to take on more responsibility.

Sometimes that means demonstrating a task first. Other times it means giving a reminder, helping with one part of the process, or simply being available if something goes wrong.

Over time, the amount of assistance may change as the person becomes more comfortable and confident.

Iowa's Supported Community Living services are designed around this type of individualized support. Iowa Health and Human Services describes SCL as helping with daily living needs, including personal and home skills, community skills, transportation, and other supports based on the individual's service plan.

Independence Goes Beyond the Home

Daily living skills also affect how someone participates in the community.

Learning to order at a restaurant, shop for personal items, communicate with others, navigate community spaces, or plan an activity can all contribute to greater independence.

These experiences also give individuals opportunities to make choices.

Where do they want to go? What do they want to eat? How do they want to spend their money? What activities interest them?

Those decisions may seem small, but having the opportunity to make everyday choices is an important part of having more control over your own life.

Building Skills at the Right Pace

Progress does not have to mean mastering a completely new skill every week.

Sometimes progress is remembering one more step without a reminder. It might be completing part of a task independently or becoming comfortable doing something that previously caused frustration.

That is why individualized support matters.

Two people can have the same diagnosis and need completely different levels of assistance. The skills they want to work on may also be completely different.

Support should reflect the individual instead of forcing everyone into the same routine.

How AmeriServe Supports Daily Living Skills

AmeriServe provides community-based services for adults with intellectual disabilities in Southwest Iowa.

Through Residential Services and Supported Community Living, team members can assist individuals with areas such as daily routines, meal preparation, appointments, medication management, community activities, and personal finance management while encouraging greater independence where appropriate.

The amount of support depends on the individual and their service plan.

For some people, that may mean having support available throughout the day. Others may need assistance for only certain activities or parts of their routine.

The purpose is not to make every person completely independent. It is to help each individual build skills, make choices, and take on the responsibilities that make sense for them.

Finding the Right Level of Support in Iowa

Families, guardians, case managers, and individuals looking at disability services should consider more than the number of hours a provider can offer.

It is also worth asking how the provider approaches everyday independence.

Does staff encourage the individual to participate in tasks? Are goals incorporated into regular routines? Does the person have opportunities to make choices? Can support change as the person's abilities and needs change?

Those questions can help determine whether a service will be a good fit for the individual.

Daily Living Skills FAQ

What are examples of daily living skills for adults with intellectual disabilities?

Examples include preparing meals, cleaning, personal hygiene, grocery shopping, managing money, keeping appointments, transportation, communication, and participating in community activities.

What is Supported Community Living in Iowa?

Supported Community Living, often called SCL, is an Iowa HCBS service provided in a person's home and community according to their individual needs and service plan. It can include support with personal and home skills, community skills, transportation, and other daily living needs.

Does someone have to live in a residential home to receive support?

Not necessarily. The type and setting of services depend on the individual's needs, eligibility, authorization, and service plan. Iowa's SCL framework includes support delivered in different community-based settings.

Does AmeriServe provide services for adults with intellectual disabilities in Southwest Iowa?

Yes. AmeriServe provides Residential Services, Supported Community Living and Day Habilitation services for adults with intellectual disabilities in Southwest Iowa.

Learn More About AmeriServe

If you are exploring services for an adult with an intellectual disability in Southwest Iowa, AmeriServe can help you learn more about available programs and what type of support may be appropriate.

AmeriServe International
35 Main Place, Suite 300
Council Bluffs, IA 51503
712-322-0272
ameriserveintl.com

AmeriServe does not determine Medicaid or waiver eligibility. Eligibility and service authorization are handled through the appropriate Medicaid, case management, managed care, and service-planning processes.