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Daily Living

Welcome to the Daily Living page. Here you will find information about your child’s adaptive functioning. Adaptive skills are referred to as Activities of Daily Living or ‘ADL’s.’ Activities of daily living should develop as your child grows up. For example, a five-year-old who cannot sleep in his own bed, pick up his own toys, or feed himself would be showing developmental delays in terms of adaptive skills. In the articles that follow, you will be introduced to all of these adaptive skills and will have the opportunity to assess whether or not these skills seem to be on-track for your developing child.

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Within ADL’s, there are domestic skills such as helping out around the house and doing chores. Community participation is included in the daily living domain. Community participation includes skills like looking both ways when crossing the street, steering clear of suspicious characters, and avoiding dangerous places. Toilet training and sleep habits are important adaptive skills as well. Daily hygiene, including teeth brushing, hair combing, and wearing clean clothes are considered activities of daily living. Finally, a child with good manners who can go out to dinner with parents and participate in family outings successfully is demonstrating adaptive skills.