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Life Skills Program

The Life Skills Program encompasses the teaching of compensatory skills to enhance the independence, dignity and productivity of students who are visually impaired. Life Skills lessons include the following areas:

• Personal Care ― grooming, hygiene, clothing organization, personal safety, nutrition and health considerations
• Home Management ― cooking, cleaning, shopping, organization and labelling, money and budgeting and record keeping
• Leisure and Recreation ― both in an individual setting and within groups
• Social Development and Awareness ― both in an individual setting and within groups
• Concept and Sensory Development ― this is ongoing with all areas of instruction

The Life Skills Instructor works together with the student, parents and residential staff to set individual goals and an action plan which best suits the child's age, cognitive development and special needs.
Students from Grades 1 to 6 receive a 45-minute class per week. Students from Grades 7 to 12 receive Life Skills classes scheduled to meet their individual needs and personal goals. This would vary from one to four classes per week. Life Skill instructors follow a curriculum that incorporates all skill areas and provides instructors, students and families a potential map of skill development, from basic to more advanced acquisition of leisure, social and personal care tasks.

At the beginning of every school year, each student and his/her instructor establish a list of goals from their needs and strengths to develop a Life Skills Individual Pupil Plan. In January, a progress report is generated, which assesses the goals and progress, making any adjustments that may be needed. At the beginning of June, an end-of-year report gives final recommendations and observations.

The Life Skills Program is administered under the umbrella of the Residential Program. Its instructors are residence counsellors who are specifically trained in the area of rehabilitation skills acquisition for the visually impaired. They instruct in a one-to-one setting.

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