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Teaching Decision‑Making and  Daily Living Skills at Home

Writer: Barbara Sanchez
Barbara Sanchez
Sep 7
1 min read
Teen and parent walking together at home, practicing decision-making and daily living skills.

The Truth: Independence Won’t Happen Automatically  


If your teen can run a gaming server but not pack a lunch, teaching decision-making and daily living skills at home becomes essential to bridge executive-function gaps.


Schools teach academics; families teach life, often without a curriculum.  



Parent Tools You Can Use Today




1️⃣ Use the “Decisions Menu” Method


Teen sitting in living room reading a book, practicing making choices as part of the 'Decisions Menu' method.

Offer controlled choices to practice decision chains: 


 “Would you prefer lasagna or tacos this week?”  “Cash or card for your snack budget?”  


Choice → ownership → competence.



2️⃣ Apply Denise Bissonnette’s ‘Let the Work Teach 

the Skill’ Rule


Clothes in a front-loading washing machine, lit by blue and pink light. The scene creates a modern, colorful ambiance.

If laundry is a power struggle, switch context to laundry for the dog blankets or small towels. 


Novelty reduces resistance while building sequencing skills.



3️⃣ Anchor Life Skills to IEP Goals


Teen discussing functional life skills goals with IEP team, including money handling and meal planning per transition services.

Ask the team:  “Can this goal include functional task practice (e.g., money handling, meal 

planning) per IDEA § 300.43 on Transition Services?”  



Maryland IEP teams can document it under “Independent Living.”



4️⃣ Teach Budgeting with Real Tools Not 

Worksheets


Teen holding a reloadable debit card, learning real-world budgeting skills at home.

Use reloadable debit cards (Greenlight, Famzoo). 


Hand $20 and walk through online checkout together. Concrete learning beats lectures.



5️⃣ Journal Success in a “Can‑Do Binder”


Empty binder sheet ready for teens to record their achievements and progress in life skills.

Each time your child masters something, write one line (“Micah washed own clothes ‑ Sept 12”). 


Pull it out for motivation and for transition planning data.



Final Takeaway


Teaching independence isn’t a checklist — it’s a series of everyday opportunities disguised as 

small decisions.


 Start with what your child cares about and capacity follows.



References


U.S. Department of Education, OSEP. (2024). Transition Services and Independent Living Skills § 300.43. https://sites.ed.gov/idea  


LifeCourse Nexus. (2025). Daily Life & Employment Domains. https://www.lifecoursetools.com


 
 
 

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