Life Skills and Functional Skills

We aim for all our students to develop functional skills for living so each of them is able to lead a fulfilling and substantially independent life. We recognise that for young people with autism every experience may provide a learning experience. Our approach to teaching functional skills and life skills is at the core of our curriculum where our framework can be taught within the programmes of study and the schemes of work.

Input from the speech and language therapist, occupational therapist and other professionals supports the delivery of the life skills curriculum through personal programmes. Areas such as functional life skills and communication are very weighted towards support from therapists.

The life skills curriculum is not seen as linear learning, rather, it is a broad framework in which each child works. The pathways will be determined by each individual’s;

• outcomes on their EHCP and PLP
• strengths and areas of development
• own need as assessed by the parents, staff, therapists, professionals and where possible, the student

Our curriculum includes ample opportunity to develop life skills through the experience of daily activities both on and off site. Furthermore, there is a key focus to each topic or area taught and these are integrated across the day in addition to discrete sessions. There is a strong emphasis on working in partnership with families to ensure the teaching of life skills span across the student’s day including before and after school. The Autism Education Trust progression framework http://www.aettraininghubs.org.uk/schools/pf/ has been adapted to provide a framework for measuring progress within each area of learning.

Essential Life Skills Overview and Units

Please click this link The Grove Life Skills Intent  to read Essential Life Skills and the school Overview and Units

Life skills learning is divided into three broad areas of learning which cover

• Independence
• Learning
• Social Understanding