Self-Care Skills

As soon as children start to communicate their needs and desires, they display an inherent desire for independence. The development of self-care skills ( also referred to as Activities of Daily Living or ADLs) provides our children with the self-confidence and tools to be an independent learner and a healthy individual. Some children develop the ability to perform daily routine activities such as toileting, hygiene tasks, dressing, eating, drinking, bathing and management of materials without difficulty, but others require specific instruction. Each child develops these skills on their own unique timeline.

What do self-care skills look like in a school setting?

The school setting encourages students to be independent with:

• Bathroom skills (toilet hygiene, dressing)
• Hand washing
• Eating and drinking (including the use of utensils)
• Management of food and drink
• Dressing and undressing for recess (including the use of fasteners)
• Managing body functions (such as blowing their nose)
• Managing personal items- Putting items away after use, cleaning up, hanging up clothing, using a backpack
• Transporting items back and forth from home
• Safety of self and others