Independent Living

Independent Living Skills:

This resource provides a checklist for students to review to see if they are equipped for independent living in the following areas: education & employment, interpersonal skills & self-advocacy, recreation, legal stuff, personal safety, housekeeping/chores, and community resources.

Transition Development Checklist:

This checklist provides a list of skills that parents can discuss with their student and a recommended age to discuss these skills. It addresses the following areas: health behaviors & independence, school, and work behaviors.

Budgeting and Budget Checklist:

This resource offers an explanation of how students can begin to prepare for budgeting. In addition, it provides a form for students to actually begin the budgeting process.

Cents and Sensibility - A Guide to Money Management for People with Disabilities:

This resource assists students in understanding how to better manage finances.

Financial Fundamentals: Discussion Starters:

This family friendly 1-page guide describes six topics to discuss with youth when discussing how to manage their financial future.

Transition Quick Guide:

This is a resource that provides information to students about how to plan and manage their own health and career goals.

Turning 18: What it Means for Your Health:

This resources allows students to see what steps they should begin to take upon turning eighteen years-old.

Youth Healthcare Transition Quiz:

Use this resource with your student to help him or her see whether or not they are ready to transition to adult health care. Click on the link below to take the quiz.

10 Levels to Living Independently:

This resource offers a definition of what it means to live independently and discusses ten skills that students who are considering living independently should be able to do without assistance.

Preparing for Transition to Adulthood (Part 1):

This resource discusses ways in which a parent can assist their student to prepare for transition to adulthood.

Preparing for Transition to Adulthood (Part 2):

This resource provides a list of questions for parents to consider and discuss with their student to determine realistic postsecondary goals.

Seven Ways to Help your Teen Become a Self-Advocate:

This resource provides seven steps for parents to discuss with their student in order to assist them in developing self-advocacy skills.

Promoting Independent Living Skills While Still in School:

This family friendly 1-page guide addresses examples of activities in the school, home, and community that parents and family members can discuss with their youth.

Understanding Self-Advocacy:

This family friendly 1-page guide provides family members basic information to share with their youth about self-advocacy.

Secondary Transition Guide:

This website provides youth, young adults, parents, and professionals with secondary transition resources to facilitate a young person’s progress towards post-secondary goals related to education, employment, and community living.

Autism Waivers:

This is a resource specifically for those with intellectual disabilities or autism. It describes the program, who is eligible, services that may be available, and a number to call for additional information.