Definition
Functional life skills are the variety of skills which are frequently demanded in natural domestic, vocational, and community environments. The skills involve those immediately applicable to daily life or may also include those which teach students to participate in future environments (Brown et al. 1979). Key qualities of functional skills include the following:
It is performed within the context of a real activity.
The activity is meaningful to the student.
People without disabilities believe the activity serves a purpose.
If the student is unable to perform the skill himself or herself, it would need to be completed by another person.
The skill will be needed throughout the person’s life.
Historical Background
The philosophy behind teaching functional life skills is full inclusion in all activities of family and community life, making adaptations where necessary. There is one absolute purpose of education for all students, including those with autism spectrum disorder...
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Hendricks, D. (2018). Functional Life Skills. In: Volkmar, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_157-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_157-5
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