Autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, affects one in forty-four children in the U.S. today, with boys being four times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with ASD. Functional skills for autism can help teens who receive an autism diagnosis and need help with developing the life skills they need to lead a productive and healthy life. Functional skills training works to improve upon and increase the specific skills your teen needs in a safe and encouraging environment.
Our functional skills training program at Camp Worth works with teens aged eleven to seventeen who are frustrated and need help. We work with teens to improve their functional skills, such as communication, self-care, and many more. These skills will significantly improve their self-esteem and confidence in leading a more independent life. If you’d like to learn more about Camp Worth’s functional skills for autism, contact our team online or call 855.915.2545.
What Are Functional Skills for Autism?
Functional skills training can help teens build their daily living and other necessary life skills in order to be more independent. Teens with autism may not see the purpose of showering daily or brushing their teeth, or they can become highly focused on one task and forget to do others. This can cause a lot of frustration at home when trying to get ready for school or going to a social event.
Functional skills for autism work to build on the skills teens already have and add new skills as they develop. This can be anything from creating visual reminders and checklists to ensuring morning activities are completed to going grocery shopping and using public transportation.
Some functional skills examples include:
- Eating at regular times
- Getting dressed on their own
- Showering or bathing
- Housekeeping duties
- Managing money
- Going to bed at a regular time
At Camp Worth, we use evidence-backed therapy programs to increase your teen’s chance of leading a happy and independent life. Our certified therapists will work with your teen’s specific needs and teach them the importance of completing daily tasks without prompting.
Benefits of a Functional Skills Program
As your teen develops, they will be eager to learn new skills that can increase their chances of independence and potentially working a job and living in an apartment. The benefits from a functional skills program will affect the whole family as their daily routine will become easier with time.
Some of the benefits of functional skills for autism include:
- Teens will develop an awareness of why each task is important and create a routine that can include multiple functional skills.
- Therapists will develop specific goals with your teen and form a plan to develop each skill one at a time. Over time, they may be able to start learning multiple skills at the same time.
- Teens will work to develop and practice individual skills that can build on top of others to create routines for getting ready in the morning, cleaning up after dinner, getting ready for bed, and others.
- Your teen can learn to hold a job, get an apartment, and form healthy relationships through the skills they develop.
- Teens can learn to build leisure skills that can help them pick favorite activities or social events to attend and even develop skills for relaxing and treating themselves.
Choose Camp Worth for Functional Skills for Autism
At Camp Worth, we support teens who need help with daily living and other important life skills. When first enrolling in our program, we will evaluate your teen’s symptoms and needs and develop a tailored treatment plan that will improve their current skill set and develop new skills that will benefit their development.
Our autism therapy programs include:
- Individual therapy
- Medication management
- Social skills groups
- Family counseling program
Give your teen the functional skills they need by calling Camp Worth at 855.915.2545 today or reach out to us online.
