Parent Education

Table Manners and Dining Etiquette for People with IDD

Parent Education, Safety & Wellness / /

Teaching Mealtime Etiquette and Manners to People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Mealtimes offer a plethora of opportunities to practice social skills, once table behaviors are mastered. Start habit training with your young adult and help them unlock opportunities to socialize around the table, be it at a family meal, a lunch with coworkers, or dinner with friends. Table Manners & Etiquette Before You Get to the Table Turn cell phone off or on silent No texting at the table Wash hands before coming to the table At the Table Napkin in lap when you sit down Good posture with elbows off the table If you need to leave the table during the meal, say “excuse me” and put your napkin on your chair until you return Eating Etiquette Wait to eat until everyone has their food If there are more than one fork, spoon, or knife – start with the utensils on the outside first and work inward Bring food up to your mouth (not your mouth down to the food) Take bites that are not too small and not too big Chew with your mouth closed Eat slowly Conversation Manners No complaining about the food Say “please pass the…” if you need/can’t reach something Use please and thank you Wait your turn to talk Talk to everyone at the table End of the Meal Manners Thank the person who made the food Put your napkin on the table when you are finished eating Take your dishes to the kitchen Offer to help clean up Getting in the habit of good table manners can help open doors for your young adult. Practice now for the payoff later.

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Top 10 Home Safety Procedures to Teach Autistic Adults and Developmentally Delayed People

Parent Education, Safety & Wellness / /

Teaching Home Safety for People with IDD during Fire Safety Month This page contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase through our links, we may earn commissions from Amazon at no additional cost to you. To kick off Fire Safety Month this October, we’ve compiled three crucial fire-related home safety procedures and 7 additional home safety procedures for you to think through and teach your young adult, so they know how to live safely on their own. Empower your child with the safety information that gives you peace of mind!  Have a Fire Escape Plan Does your child have a safe meeting place in case of a fire? Does your child know to NEVER go back into a burning building? Are you checking the smoke detector batteries twice each year? Does your child know two ways out of every room? Can they move quickly enough to get out in under 2 minutes? Have they practiced getting low and moving to the exits in case there is smoke? If not, today is a great day to make your Fire Escape Plan and most importantly PRACTICE it.  Making a fire escape plan comes down to 3 steps:  1. Know where to go 2. Check smoke alarms 3. Do the drill. Use the home fire escape plan from ready.gov and practice escaping in under 2 minutes with their free timer on the Make Safe Happen app. Use a Fire Extinguisher According to the CDC, cooking is the main cause of home fires. Keep a multipurpose fire extinguisher in an easily accessible place in your child’s kitchen. Watch videos on how to properly use one. Buy an extra extinguisher and have your child practice using it. Head outside, put up a picture of flames and have them practice aiming and depressing the valve so they get the feel of how hard they need to press and how to aim the nozzle. Don’t forget to replace the extinguishers as needed before their expiration date! Use Diffusers, Not Candles Skip the open flames and opt for a diffuser instead. Your child can choose a waterless diffuser or reed diffuser for less maintenance and still get just about any scent under the sun they’d like. Perform First Aid Kit Basic first aid is a great skill for your child to have when they’re living on their own. Accidents can happen during cooking or around the house and having the information for what to do when waiting for medical professionals to arrive could make all the difference.  Consider taking a First Aid Training Class with your child from the American Red Cross. You’ll both learn basic “hows” and “whys” behind basic first aid skills. Definitely use the first aid training class locator and attend an in-person classroom training for instruction and hands-on practice. Know Emergency Information Do they have their street address memorized? Could they recall it if they were in a state of panic or an emergency? Does your child know the number for poison control? If there’s suspicious activity by their home, can they call the non-emergency police line? Do they know their pharmacy phone number? What about their medication side effects or allergies?  Hang an Important Information Safety Sheet from Accessible Adulthood on their fridge so they know exactly where to go if they need it. Close Blinds and Curtains When the sun is starting to set, close the blinds and curtains. Take and evening walk with your child and show them how when it starts to get dark, people from outside can see in their home and that’s why it is safest to close your blinds and curtains at dusk. Lock Doors and Windows Teach your child the habit of immediately locking the front door behind them when they get into their home. If they’re not sitting by an open window enjoying the breeze, then go ahead and close it and lock it. Before bed double check that exterior doors and windows are all locked. Leave a Light on When You Leave If your child heads out for activities and could potentially get back when it’s dark, teach them to leave a light on inside and at your front door. Not only do lights make your house less susceptible to burglary, but it also makes it easier to see when you’re getting home to put your key in the door and getting into your home.  Use a Video Doorbell or Peephole If your child’s front door has a peephole, teach them to quietly look through and check any visitors knocking on their door before speaking to them or unlocking the door for them. Consider installing a video doorbell program which sends an alert straight to their phone when someone approaches the door. They can open the alert to see a live video and depending on the program, they can talk through the doorbell to the visitor without ever unlocking their door. This video doorbell from Blink integrates with Amazon Alexa and has over 47,000 five-star reviews. Install Motion Lights Depending where your child’s home is and what the surroundings look like (e.g. wooded, dark, etc.) you may want to install motion detection lights. Any movement and that bright light pops on illuminating whatever triggered the sensor. Some motion lights even have the ability to send text alerts of suspicious movement now too. Find the Emergency Information Safety Sheet and more in the Safety Resources section in our shop. 

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Top 5 Portion Control Strategies for People with Down Syndrome

Parent Education, Safety & Wellness / /

Nutrition Skills to Teach Young Adults with Intellectual Disabilities This page contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase through our links, we may earn commissions from Amazon at no additional cost to you. According to the National Down Syndrome Society, “adults with Down syndrome are more likely to be obese than their typically developing peers.” NDSS reports that weight management issues are generally attributed to taking in too many calories in relation to the level of physical activity, meaning people with Down syndrome typically are eating more calories than are burned through physical activity and exercise. Building balanced eating habits can be a bit nuanced and abstract. People with Down syndrome tend to learn best, not in the abstract, but with concrete examples and visuals. So how can we teach balanced and healthy eating to people with Down syndrome? One strategy the NDSS lists for treating and preventing obesity is portion control. 1. Use Their Hand as a Visual Try teaching portion sizes in the moment while you’re in the kitchen cooking or preparing meals. Here’s a portion size guide from Consortium for Health and Military Performance that visually shows the appropriate portion sizes using one’s own hand. Your handy guide to portion sizes | HPRC (hprc-online.org) 2. Portion Control Plates Another way to visually show appropriate portion sizes is by using a portion control plate. These plates have divided sections for proteins, vegetables, fruits, and grains. Have your child practice plating their dinner meal components into the correct sections to ensure they are not overeating. Here’s a portion control plate from MyPlate.gov available for purchase on Amazon. Amazon.com | MyPlate Materials Portion Plate for Adults & Teens – 100% Melamine – Dividers and non-slip feet – 1 Plate: Dinner Plates Or if you like even more visuals, here is another option that has illustrations for each category on the plate. Amazon.com | VIYNRAN Ceramic Portion Control Plates 10 Inch For Weight Loss, Microwave-Safe (2 Pack): Dinner Plates 3. Portion Control Containers Similar to portion control plates, you can teach the person with Down syndrome to use color-coded portion control containers when preparing their meals. These would be great tools for packing a lunch and the containers generally come with some information on which colors and how many of each color to use for a balanced breakfast/lunch/dinner based on weight and activity level. Amazon.com: 21 Day Meal Portion Containers and Food Plan – Portion Control Containers by GAINWELL: Home & Kitchen 4. Salad Dressing and Condiments People with Down syndrome can use small 1-1.5 oz cups to portion out their salad dressing, condiments, and dipping sauces before adding them to their food. Here’s an easy-to-clean option available on Amazon.  Amazon.com: 6×1.6 oz Salad Dressing Container To Go, Fits in Bento Box for Lunch, 18/8 Stainless Steel Condiment Containers with Lids, Easy Open, Leakproof, Rainbow Color Reusable Small Dipping Sauce Cups Set: Home & Kitchen  5. Serving Size Teach awareness of serving sizes, especially when it relates to snacks. Perhaps it may seem an impossible feat to eliminate potato chips or other snacks from someone’s preferred diet; instead focus on teaching moderation of the more unhealthy foods and food groups by drawing attention to the nutrition label. Focusing on matching the serving size and eating only 22 chips per day instead of a whole bag, is a great start to moderation. You may have to start off with one serving for lunch and one serving for dinner, then over a couple weeks decrease to one serving per day, one serving per week, to whatever the goal may be. New habits take time, mistakes, and patience. Yes, mistakes. So go easy on yourself and your child while trying to learn new, balanced eating habits. You might consider changing your eating habits to practice proper portion control alongside your child, because who likes learning and practicing a new skill on their own? Looking for more resources to teach skills realted to nutrition? Check out Accessible Adulthood’s resources in theSafety & Wellness target skill area.

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New Resources in the Shop (September 2022)

Parent Education / /

Happy September!Help us welcome the latest new resources in theAccessible Adulthood shop. Interactive Cleaning Manual We are excited to offer the Interactive Cleaning Manual this month! This 30 page manual features simple step-by-step directions for 25+ common household cleaning tasks. Tasks are organized by room of the house and color-coded for easy grouping. The straight-forward directions are designed to support more independent living and cleaning with application to amenities found in most apartments, condominiums, and houses. Each cleaning task lists needed supplies, time estimate, a set of steps to follow, helpful tips, and guided questions to check your work. This resources is a great way to learn how to clean your first home! Emergency Safety Data Sheet Next up, we have the Emergency Safety Data Sheet to help track the important information your child needs to know, offering peace of mind when they are living independently. This quick downloadable resource can be used as a fillable PDF or printed to write-in information. Hang it on the fridge or somewhere easy-to-access so the information is readily available if needed. Our library of resources is constantly growing! Want to see more? Check out our shop below: Explore all of ourIndependent living resources

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Where Can People with Intellectual Disabilities work?

Jobs & Finances, Parent Education / /

Disability Workplace Settings Explained This is a topic gaining more awareness in the mainstream news, but there is still much confusion surrounding business’ use of the term “inclusive.” Companies often claim their inclusiveness, but when you analyze the workplace settings and factors against the descriptions below you may be surprised to learn a business that gets news coverage for being “inclusive” is actually far from it. There is a continuum of workplace settings where people with disabilities work so let’s get to it. Workplaces for People with Intellectual Disabilities Unemployed Before we begin, we unfortunately have to start with unemployment. According to the most comprehensive study done on U.S. adults with disabilities in the workforce, the unemployment rate for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) is more than double the unemployment rate of those without disabilities (21% compared to less than 8%). 1 And by unemployed we mean what the U.S. Department of Labor means; someone who is unemployed is a person who is currently jobless, looking for jobs, and available for work. Volunteering Many people with IDD resort to volunteer work when they are unable to secure paid employment. Volunteer work is a good stepping stone for building foundational job skills, but it is important to note that a person with IDD should never volunteer in a role for which those without disabilities are paid. The same, specific tasks that comprise volunteer work should indeed be volunteer work for those without and with disabilities. Paid Employment Settings Workers in the below workplace settings are compensated for their work, but how much money and who they work with vary. No matter which setting they work in, however, people with IDD are almost always underemployed (i.e. not working full-time and/or earn less than the minimum wage)2. We’ll look at the settings from the least to most amount of required support. Competitive, Integrated Employment Many typical students go on to work in competitive employment post-high school graduation. Think of Competitive, Integrated Employment as the equivalent for workers with disabilities. A person with IDD secures employment in their community by responding to job postings or proactively seeking employment (sometimes an outside agency may help prepare the person for competitive work, but it’s temporary and short-term). The person with the disability maintains employment without assistance or support. This setting could also include those who are self-employed.  Let’s look at the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 which was designed to help job seekers access employment, training, education, and support services in the labor market. This will help us better understand competitive, integrated employment and the remaining three workplace settings below. “The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) defines competitive integrated employment as work that is performed on a full-time or part-time basis for which an individual is: (a) compensated at or above minimum wage and comparable to the customary rate paid by the employer to employees without disabilities performing similar duties and with similar training and experience; (b) receiving the same level of benefits provided to other employees without disabilities in similar positions; (c) at a location where the employee interacts with other individuals without disabilities; and (d) presented opportunities for advancement similar to other employees without disabilities in similar positions.”3 Supported Employment People with IDD work in regular jobs in the community that people without disabilities hold as well. They receive on-going or long-term assistance from a job coach. The job coach typically works with the person full-time to begin with and decreases support to periodic job site visits, for example, to assist in training for a new assignment. The person with IDD works with other individuals without disabilities and has the same opportunities for advancement as noted above. There may be other employees at the company who have disabilities, but the percentages of people with and without disabilities are representative of the percentages in the general population. Segregated Employment A person with IDD may work in a community setting and earn minimum or above minimum wage, but there are key differences that make a workplace setting shift from supported employment to segregated employment. In segregated employment, a person with IDD works with mostly others who also have disabilities and they do not have the same opportunities for advancement as an employee without a disability in a similar position. So if the majority of the employees at a particular business or company have disabilities and they are not advancing into managerial roles like their non-disabled peers, chances are it is segregated employment. These segregated settings have become popularized and highlighted in the media in recent years. You’ve probably seen them – think of the businesses like cafes and coffee shops that hire almost all people with disabilities. Sheltered Employment Sheltered employment or Work Activity Centers are the more recent way of referring to sheltered workshops. This setting provides vocational training without the integration of non-disabled workers. This setting is in a protected environment and workers are paid according to a comparative rate (related to how much a worker without a disability can accomplish in the same amount of time) set by the Department of Labor. What does the Future Hold? Right now, we can all feel the post-pandemic employment shortage. We all see it too. It seems anytime you are out in the community “now hiring” and “work here!” signs are plastered in front of nearly every business. But will these businesses expand their talent pool to interview and ultimately hire someone with an intellectual disability? Will we see a rise in the percentage of people with IDD in competitive, integrated employment? What do you think? Let us know in the comments. Looking for more resources on employment? Check out our Jobs and Finances target skill area in the Accessible Adulthood shop. Citations: 1. Siperstein, G. N., Parker, R. C., & Drascher, M. (2013). National Snapshot of adults with intellectual disabilities in the Labor Force. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 39(3), 157–165. https://doi.org/10.3233/jvr-130658 2. Siperstein, Parker, & Drascher, National Snapshot of adults

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3 Essential Roommate Social Skills

Friendship & Social Skills, Parent Education / /

Important skills for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities as they move in with roomates Finish school, move in with a roommate, and become best friends. Sounds like the dream, doesn’t it? Though it may turn out to be the case for some, what certainly is the case for all is this: your roommate is not your family. Let me repeat that, YOUR ROOMMATE IS NOT YOUR FAMILY. And this means different unwritten rules apply in roommate relationships than what is okay and acceptable when living with siblings and parents. Especially for people with intellectual disabilities, you’ll want to start preparing them to live with a roommate well before actually moving in with a roommate – perhaps even years early. When your child is growing in responsibilities that come with being a high school student, you can start practicing for living with roommates, too. Roommate Conflict It’s almost inevitable, at some point roommates will get into conflict. Care to take a guess what’s behind a large percentage of roommate conflicts? College housing and dorm life offices across the nation tend to include a simple rule: your roommate’s stuff is your roommate’s stuff.  This is a HUGE change of expectation when leaving a family living situation where spaces and possessions are largely shared – bedrooms, food, furniture, movies, toilet paper, etc. But not so with a roommate. Your roommate’s stuff is your roommate’s stuff. As in NOT YOURS. Your roommate’s bedroom is your roommate’s. Not yours. Can you go in there when they are not home? No way. Your roommate’s DVD is your roommate’s. Not yours. Can you borrow it whenever you want? Nope. Your roommate’s leftovers are your roommate’s. Not yours. Can you eat them because you’re hungry? Definitely not. The list goes on and on. Though shared spaces like the living room typically have more relaxed unwritten rules when it comes to sharing, food and personal spaces are absolute no-gos. Use the following tips to start practicing for roommates before the time comes. Three Essential Roommate Skills to Start Practicing 1. Showing respect for personal spaces  Be sure your child is not going into siblings’ bedrooms, purses, backpacks, closets, etc. Teach: If it doesn’t belong to you, don’t touch it. 2. Sharing a refrigerator and pantry, NOT sharing food A lot of roommates decide to purchase and label their own food, often having separate shelves in the fridge or pantry for each roommate. Prepare your child by labeling different items in the fridge. Challenge: buy items you know your child loves and label it with your name. You’ll want to build and teach their self-restraint because food stealing is common among people with IDD so you need to be sure they aren’t sneaking food as that behavior may completely damage a roommate relationship. 3. Asking for permission How often should your child ask for permission to use or touch something that isn’t theirs? Every time. Work on building this skill now. It will come in handy for positive roommate relationships down the road. Looking for more resources to support social skills? Check out Accessible Adulthood’s resources in the Friends & Social Skills target skill area.

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11 Parts of a check and how to write one

Jobs & Finances, Parent Education / /

Know what the numbers mean and where to write different information It’s important to correctly and accurately write out checks. If you make mistakes when filling out checks, it could negatively affect your finances. In fact, according to Elizabeth L. Gray, Esq. of McCandlish Lillard Law Firm, financial fraud is one of the quickest growing types of abuse and “individuals with disabilities are particularly vulnerable.” We can be proactive against financial fraud by understanding the different parts of a check. An independent adult aims to write a check with confidence and accuracy. Let’s look at an example check to break down the parts and why they matter. The first parts of the check we are going to review come already printed on your checks. It’s important to make sure the information is correct. 1. Your Personal Information In the upper-left corner you should see details about you. Checks generally include your name, your address, and sometimes your phone number. Tip: if your address changes, you can either order new checks with your new address or continue to use the checks with the old address until you run out then order replacement checks with the new address. As long as your bank account stays the same, you don’t have to order new checks with the new address immediately. 2. Your Bank Information Also on the left side, you will find your Bank’s information – possibly their logo and/or address. If the information is correct, you are good to start using your checks. Next, we’ll look at the empty spaces where you will write in the appropriate information on the check. 3. Date Line Near the top right, this is where you write the date you are writing the check.  Tip: Some people use the “month date, year” format such as “May 27, 2022” and some people use the “MM-DD-YY” format like “5-27-22” so use whichever comes easiest and stick with doing it that way. 4. Pay to the Order of Line The information on this line tells your bank who is allowed to take the money from your check/bank account. Depending who you are paying this could be the name of a person or a store. Tip: another name for this line is called the “Payee Line” and it means the same thing – who is allowed to receive your money from the check. 5. Dollar Box The dollar box is always directly to the right of the large dollar sign ($). This is where you use numbers to write the amount of money you are paying. Tip: Write slowly and carefully. If it will help, practice writing the dollar amount on a scrap piece of paper first. 6. Amount (written out) This is long line that goes from the left side of the check all the way to the right side of the check. It usually says “DOLLARS” under the right side. On this line you write out the amount of money you are paying, but instead of using all numbers, you write out the number words. For example, instead of writing “300” you need to write out “three hundred” on the line. Tip: if writing out the number words is tricky, you can print a free “Check Writing Reference Sheet” listed in our Jobs and Finances target skill area. 7. Memo Line This line is used to make a note to yourself about why you wrote the check. Tip: if writing a check to a person, make a note about what it is for (e.g. groceries, gas money). If you are writing a check to pay a bill, write the invoice number or utility account number from the bill on the line.  8. Signature Line Located in the bottom right of the check. If you approve your bank to pay the person or business the amount in the dollar box, then sign your name on this line. The next parts of a check are important for being able to:– Order new checks– Set up direct deposit pay for your job 9. Your Bank’s American Bankers Association (or ABA) Routing Number On the bottom, this is the leftmost set of numbers in a row and it is how banks all over the world find each other. It acts like an “address” for banks’ money. 10. Your Bank Account Number On the bottom, this middle set of numbers in a row act like an “address” for your bank account. It tells the other banks where from to take the amount in the dollar box. 11. Check Number On the bottom, this rightmost set of numbers in a row is the number of the check. This number is also found in the top right corner of the check. Tip: Check numbers can be used to keep a list and double check which checks have been taken out of your bank account and which checks are going to be taken out soon. Looking for more resources on banking? Check out our Jobs & Finances shop page for additional resources.

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7 Steps to Make A Mobile Check Deposit

Jobs & Finances, Parent Education / /

Hooray, you received a check from someone! It’s exciting to get paid, but the truth is that check is just a piece of paper until you deposit it in your bank. No deposit = no money. So, let’s review that check and get the money in your bank account! First, you want to be sure the person wrote your name correctly and signed their name on the signature line. Tip: if your name is misspelled most banks will still deposit it so long as you can prove it was supposed to go to you. Take the check to your bank along with your government-issued ID and speak directly to the bank teller for help depositing. When you make sure the check has your name on the “pay to the order of” line and they signed their name on the signature line, you are ready to make a mobile deposit. This is the fastest way to deposit a check and you won’t have to make a trip to the bank. Where is the safest place to make a mobile deposit? A) at a bus stopB) at your homeC) at a crowded coffee shopD) at your job *Find the answer at the end of this article How to Make Mobile Check Deposits: Step 1. Download Your Bank’s App Always used your bank’s verified smartphone app. A bank’s verified smartphone app is just as safe as using the bank’s online services. Step 2. Locate and Click the Mobile Deposit button Your bank’s app might have a button that says “mobile deposit,” “check deposit,” or something similar. Step 3. Sign the back of the check When you are in the mobile check deposit process and ready to deposit you need to “endorse” your check. Endorse is another way to say “sign.”  Tip: never sign a check until you are ready to deposit it right then. Sign your name on the top line – many checks have an “x” or say “ENDORSE HERE.” When doing a mobile deposit put an “x” on the box next to where it says “CHECK HERE IF MOBILE DEPOSIT.” If the check does not have this, or if you want to add extra security to the check, you can write “for mobile deposit only” under your signature. Step 4. Take a picture of both sides of the check Follow the on-screen instructions for taking pictures of the front and back side of your check. Most apps remind you that all 4 corners of the check need to be in the picture. If you need to, just click the “retake” button to try again. Step 5. Enter the Amount from the Check’s Dollar Box In the check deposit screen, you will need to enter the amount from the check’s dollar box into the space next to the “Amount” field.  Tip: Review the parts of a check,including the dollar box here. Step 6. Submit  Click submit. Many bank apps will then ask you to review the information you entered. If it looks correct, click submit again.  Step 7. Wait for Confirmation The money is not yours until you get confirmation the mobile check deposit was successful. You need to wait for what’s called the “confirmation screen.” It might say something like “your check was successfully deposited” or “deposit confirmed.” At this point you will be able to switch back to viewing your account by clicking the “accounts” button. When you click on your account, you should see the dollar amount of the check you deposited in your account. Sometimes banks put a “+” in front of the amount or put the amount in green. For example, if you deposited a check for $25.08, it might be listed as “+$25.08” or “$25.08.” When making a mobile deposit, avoid public places where people and see and steal your bank account information. Always try to deposit from a safe and private space such as at your home (B). And you’re done! Remember, many times the money you deposited is not available right away. It may take a few days for your account to actually have the money. Missed our last article about understanding the parts of a check and writing checks? Find it here. Visit the Jobs & Finances target skill area in the Accessible Adulthood shop for more in-depth guides on other financial skills.

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5 New Resources in the Shop (August 2022)

Parent Education / /

Happy August! Help us welcome 5 new resources in the Accessible Adulthood shop. Check Writing reference Sheet First up, a Check Writing Reference Sheet for spelling out all those number words correctly on your checks. Best part? It’s a totally free download. Planning a Get-Together with Friends Next up, a worksheet to walk people with intellectual disabilities through the process of Planning a Get-Together with Friends with focused questions and suggested conversation starters for in-person or texting. At-A-Glance Cleaning CheckLISTS Thirdly, keep up with house cleaning using these At-a-Glance Room Cleaning Checklists. Organized by room, grouped by cleaning frequency, and includes space to individualize with your own write-in tasks.  Clothing Size Quick Reference Sheet  Next up, an on-the-go Clothing Size Reference Sheet. Fill out, fold up, and place in a wallet or purse so you can discreetly check your clothing sizes while you are out clothes shopping. Password Tracker Packet Rounding out the new August resources is a Password Tracker Packet. Can’t remember the Wi-Fi password? Lost the Netflix and Disney+ log-in info? Stress no more and keep track of all your Wi-Fi, email address, website, streaming service, security questions, username, and password information. Want to see more? Explore all of our Independent living resources Shop Now

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What is Accessible Adulthood?

Parent Education / /

Welcome to Accessible Adulthood! We’re glad you’ve found us. If you or someone you know has a learning difference or disability and is seeking independence for their adult life, you’re in the right place! What do we believe? Here at Accessible Adulthood, we believe all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, learning differences, and neurodiverse brains can learn skills to increase their personal level of independence. Who are we? We’re a team of professionals who are experienced occupational therapists, special educators, employment service providers, job coaches and other related service providers. We’ve worked with individuals across age groups and in numerous settings. Our team is experienced with age groups from pre-school support to post-secondary college programs for students with intellectual disabilities. We’ve supported children to adulthood and now focus on supporting young adults with transition to adulthood. We’ve worked in clinics, K-12 public schools, college transition programs, residential habilitation centers; job settings in food & beverage, hotel & tourism, education, retail, history museums; on public transit, in airports, in grocery stores, and as roommates with someone with a disability. How do we make adulthood accessible? We draw on our backgrounds across multiple settings to create evidence-based resources addressing 6 skills areas for independence: in the home, in the community, using technology, friends/social skills, safety/wellness, and jobs/finance. All our resources have stemmed out of real-life problems and situations we’ve seen first-hand while supporting people with disabilities. We make products that are actionable and achievable for people with disabilities and their families. What about parent involvement? PARENTS ARE AMAZING! YOU are your child’s first teacher and we know you are integral in supporting your child to live a full and independent life! We aim to provide you with specialized and focused resources to help you and your child build independent living skills and access a fulfilling adulthood. What kind of resources do you have? Our 6 independent living skill areas are: in the home, in the community, jobs & finance, technology, safety & wellness, and friends & social skills. In the Home you’ll find resources for cleaning, laundry, basic home maintenance and repair, daily living skills, and other home management skills. In the Community you’ll find resources for navigation and maps, using public transit, shopping, scheduling appointments, leaving a tip, and other needed skills for accessing the community. In Jobs & Finance you’ll find resources for interview preparation, job skill development, job retention and promotion, basic budgeting, using banks and debit cards, writing checks, and other employment and money management skills. In Technology you’ll find resources for smartphone apps, texting etiquette, responsible use, time management, task initiation, organization, planning, and other skills to improve executive function and digital management skills. In Safety & Wellness you’ll find resources for nutrition, food safety, doctor and dentist visits, building healthy habits, and other physical and mental wellness skills. In Friends & Social Skills you’ll find resources for building and maintaining friendships, situational awareness, reading body language, navigating conversations, and other skills for better understanding social conventions. Wish we had a resource addressing a skill or concern you don’t see in our shop? Make a suggestion to our learning team by dropping us a message on our Contact page.

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