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Seyon Occupational & Speech Therapy Centre logoSeyonOccupational & Speech Therapy Centre
Special Education

Life & Social Skills Development

Preparing older children and teens for real independence.

Suitable for ages 8 – 21 years

Overview

Functional independence matters as much as academics. Our life skills curriculum teaches money handling, time and travel, personal hygiene, safety, cooking basics, shopping, phone use and workplace-readiness behaviours.

Teaching happens in simulated settings at the clinic and then in real community contexts, with a graded fading of adult support.

Signs your child may need this therapy

  • Cannot manage money or make simple purchases
  • Unable to travel independently or ask for help
  • Needs prompting for hygiene and grooming
  • Limited awareness of personal safety
  • No structured plan for life after school
  • Difficulty with time management

Benefits of Life & Social Skills Development

  • Independent handling of money and shopping
  • Safe community travel skills
  • Independent personal hygiene routines
  • Practical safety awareness
  • Pre-vocational and workplace skills
  • A realistic transition plan for adulthood

Treatment process

  1. STEP 1

    Educational assessment

    Curriculum-based measurement of reading, writing and mathematics alongside screening for dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia and an assessment of attention and working memory.

  2. STEP 2

    Individualised Education Plan

    A written IEP with long-term and short-term objectives, teaching methods, accommodations and review dates, shared with parents and school.

  3. STEP 3

    Structured teaching

    Multisensory, error-free teaching using Orton-Gillingham-informed literacy methods, concrete-to-abstract maths and TEACCH-style visual structure.

  4. STEP 4

    Weekly remedial sessions

    45-minute individual sessions, 2–4 times weekly, with visual schedules, task analysis and reinforcement built into every lesson.

  5. STEP 5

    Parent and teacher partnership

    Home learning packs, exam-concession guidance and direct liaison with class teachers so strategies carry over to the classroom.

  6. STEP 6

    Progress monitoring

    Mastery of each IEP objective is tracked and reported quarterly, with the plan revised at every review meeting.

FAQ

Life & Social Skills Development — your questions answered

Not sure where to start? Begin with an assessment.

One hour with our team gives you a clear picture of your child's development and a written plan you can act on — whether or not you continue therapy with us.