Independent living goals
Help your young person move towards a level of independent or supported living that best suits them with these goal ideas.
DAILY LIVING SKILLS
Goal: improve personal hygiene and grooming.
Objective: Develop and maintain a daily routine for personal care, including bathing, brushing teeth, and grooming, with the aim of achieving independence in these tasks.
Goal: enhance cooking and nutrition skills
Objective: Learn to prepare simple, healthy meals and understand basic nutrition to support a balanced diet, with the long-term goal of meal preparation with or without assistance.
Goal: master household chores
Objective: Gain proficiency in tasks like cleaning, laundry, and organising living spaces, with a goal of maintaining a clean and orderly home environment.
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
Goal: Develop budgeting skills
Objective: Learn to create and manage a budget, track spending, and differentiate between needs and wants.
Goal: gain banking proficiency
Objective: Become confident in using a bank account, making transactions, and managing finances.
Goal: manage bills independently
Objective: Understand how to read and pay bills on time, using tools like automatic payments or reminders to ensure financial obligations are met.
TRANSPORT & MOBILITY
Goal: Increase independence using public transport.
Objective: Learn to navigate public transport, including reading schedules and understanding routes.
Goal: achieve driving independence (if applicable)
Objective: Learn to drive with or without adaptations and understand basic car maintenance, with the goal of obtaining a driver’s license and driving safely.
Goal: master community navigation
Objective: Get to know the local community, including key locations like grocery stores, medical facilities, and recreational areas.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
Goal: Safe medication management
Objective: Learn to manage medications, including understanding dosages, timing, and prescription refills.
Goal: Enhance first aid and emergency preparedness
Objective: Gain basic first aid knowledge, understand when to seek help, and learn how to contact emergency services, with a goal of responding effectively in emergencies.
Goal: Strengthen personal safety awareness
Objective: Develop awareness of personal safety, understanding boundaries, and knowing how to seek help when needed.
SOCIAL AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Goal: Build and maintain relationships
Objective: Learn to maintain friendships, communicate needs, and navigate social settings, with the goal of developing and sustaining positive relationships.
Goal: Strengthen self-advocacy skills
Objective: Learn to express needs clearly and understand personal rights in various settings.
EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL HEALTH
Goal: Develop effective coping strategies
Objective: Learn strategies to manage stress, anxiety, or depression, with the goal of maintaining emotional stability and resilience.
Goal: Build a support network
Objective: Create a network of trusted friends, family, or mentors to provide guidance and support.
TECHNOLOGY USE
Goal: Improve basic computer skills
Objective: Learn to use a computer or smartphone for communication, managing finances, and accessing information.
Goal: Enhance online safety skills
Objective: Develop skills to navigate the internet safely by understanding privacy settings and identifying potential online scams, trolls and bad actors, with the aim of protecting personal information and ensuring overall personal safety.
