Core Skills Analysis
Life Skills and Personal Development
During a session with a support worker, Olivia worked on developing life skills. The activity focused on building practical abilities that can support greater participation in everyday life. Olivia engaged in a learning experience centered on strengthening independence and confidence through life-skills practice. This gave Olivia an opportunity to develop skills relevant to managing daily activities.
Community Engagement and Social Learning
Olivia took part in a support-worker session focused on community engagement. Through this activity, Olivia explored participation in community life and learned about connecting with the wider community. The session supported Olivia in developing skills for taking part in community settings. This experience linked personal development with active community involvement.
Tips
Build on Olivia’s learning by choosing a familiar everyday task to practise together, then reflect on which steps felt comfortable and which strategies helped. Extend community engagement with a short visit to a local library, shop, or community space, inviting Olivia to notice how people use the space and identify ways to participate. Create a simple visual plan for an everyday activity, such as preparing for an outing, and let Olivia arrange the steps in order. After each experience, use a brief conversation or drawing to help Olivia record what was learned and choose a skill to practise next.Book Recommendations
- The Social Skills Picture Book: Teaching Play, Emotion, and Communication to Children with Autism by Jed Baker: A visual resource for exploring communication and social participation through modeled examples and discussion.
- How to Be a Friend: A Guide to Making Friends and Keeping Them by Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown: An accessible introduction to friendship and social interaction that can prompt conversations about connecting with others.
Try This Next
- Life-skills sequence worksheet: draw or list the steps for a familiar everyday task.
- Community-spotting activity: sketch a local place and label ways people participate there.
- Reflection prompt: “What skill did I practise, and what helped me take part?”