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Preparing for Independent Living with Life Skills Curriculum for Special Education

Preparing for Independent Living with Life Skills Curriculum for Special Education

an autistic student learning self care skills

As a parent or caregiver of a child diagnosed with ASD or with a cognitive or other learning disability or special needs, there always seems to be a lot happening at once. If your child is struggling in their current school placement and you are feeling unsure about choosing the right private special education school in NJ? But, determined to find the best life skills curriculum for special education instruction?

Life is full of challenges whether you are learning disabled or not. It’s how you handle those challenges.
~Erin Brockovich, activist, dyslexia

If you feel that time and energy is starting to slip through your fingers, you’re not alone. Learning about different school options can feel like a full-time job. Let’s take a look at how to get you ready to overcome this challenge.

Statistics show that 2 out of 3 students are unprepared for life after high school, proving that far too many students lack the transitional and social skills necessary to enter the “real world” and cope with everyday demands of adult life. Research further indicates that this is especially true for children who have special needs.

To properly prepare students with disabilities for independent living, the Gateway School has developed a complete life skills curriculum for special education. We are educating students in domestic living chores, financial literacy, personal grooming skills, and community living skills focusing on transition and succeeding in future adult environments.

One of the best things about teaching life skills is that it can be a lot of fun, providing increased motivation to our students. In addition to offering the full range of academic instruction based on the New Jersey Student Learning Standards, we also prepare our students for impending adult situations by teaching practical, daily living skills, such as self-care, shopping, cooking and laundry. The life skills curriculum also features a wide variety of home, community and workplace skills, including pre-vocational, career exploration, and work-related behaviors. Still other classes focus on community-based instruction, leisure and recreational activities. For our more cognitively-challenged students, we also provide functional reading, such as learning to complete job applications and read bus schedules, and practical math, such as learning time and money skills.  

Although each individual diagnosed with ASD is unique and persons learn at different rates, an integrated life skills curriculum for special education can help identify areas in which a child needs to grow in addition to areas of strength. Outlining these areas provides an opportunity for collaboration among students, teachers and parents to determine appropriate interventions. It is designed to be motivating not only for the student, but also for the surrounding support system.

Many children with learning issues want nothing more than to excel. Even the most determined kids can’t do it all on their own; they simply don’t know how to go about it. They need a network of supportive partners, who can be an ally one day and maybe a cheerleader the next. At the Gateway School, our team seeks to understand the whole child through integrated educational programming, complete with a life skills curriculum for special education. And as a parent of a child with a learning difference, you are part of the team that has an opportunity to make a difference in your child’s learning goals.

Go where you are strong.
~Erin Brockovich, activist, dyslexia

About RKS Associates

Since 1980, RKS Associates has been a leader in meeting the needs of special education students and helping children grow to their fullest potential. To learn more about the Gateway School, contact us at our main office at 732.541.4400, or here to request a tour

Our Mission at The Gateway School:
Provide a safe and nurturing educational environment dedicated to the vision that individuals with disabling conditions are entitled to a full and meaningful life.

Chris Hoye, Principal-The Gateway School, Carteret, NJ


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