Self Help Skills

When should I choose this Area of Focus for my Gabadoo?

Self help skills also referred to as daily living skills relates to grooming tasks (i.e. showering, brushing teeth, brushing hair, blow-drying hair, shaving, nail cutting etc.), managing money, household management etc.

Our Gabadoo team can support you or your child around developing important daily living skills in order to improve your well-being, independence and overall participation in meaningful daily activities. Learn more about Gabadoo here.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

There is a separate area of focus for fine motor skills so if you are looking for guidance around spoon feeding, using cutlery or hand strength, please refer to this blog post to see if it is more appropriate.

There is a separate area of focus for toileting so if you are looking for guidance around independence in this area, your area of focus would be 'toileting'. You can read more about this topic here.

There is also a separate area of focus for dressing skills so if you are looking for guidance around developing independence or skills in this area, please refer to this blog post to see if it is more appropriate.

What information do I need to include in my Gabadoo?

As our Gabadoo Team have never met your family before and know nothing about your child, they can only provide strategies based on the information you provide so be very detailed!

After you have filled in the relevant information in your Gabadoo, go through this checklist to make sure you have included the following:

Family & Home Life:

Your daily routine including school hours, drop offs, child-care and free time in the evening and at the weekends so our team provide activities that are achievable for your routine.

Strengths and Interests:

What does your child like to do?

What games, toys, T.V. programs, characters do they like?

What motivates them?

Do they respond to praise from adults?

Additional Information:

What class is your child in at school?

What type of schooling do they receive? i.e. homeschooling, mainstream N.S., gaelscoil, preschool, ASD class, Special School.

Have you seen any professionals in the past in relation to supporting their development? Or has your child ever had a medical review because of their fine motor skills?(i.e. arthritis, hypermobility, fractures). If so, what was the outcome?

What have you tried before to work on their self-help skills? e.g. previous intervention, visual schedules, lists etc. What worked and what didn't work?

Make sure to include:

How is this impacting on your child/teenagers daily life?

What skills you would like support around (e.g showering) and what level is your child at with this skill (e.g. can wash body but not hair) ?

What would you like to gain from this Gabadoo?

List your observations in relation to this skill include details like how your child reacts to doing self-help skills, what part of the skill they find challenging and what are some barriers to the development of this skill.

Next include videos and images of your child completing relevant tasks (don't include videos or images of your child fully undressed)

A video clip that shows your child clearly practicing the skill such as brushing their teeth, preparing food, managing household tasks etc.

Remember: The more information you give our team, the more individualised and relevant your plan will be.

What support will I receive for my child?

Your information will be reviewed by one of our Gabadoo Experts who is experienced in supporting families with this area. They will detail individualised strategies, activities, next steps and helpful organisations and products that you can use at home to develop your child's skills.