In class, we have been discussing how to propose our senior projects in a way that would compel our superiors to support and join in our efforts. The idea of teaching a life skills class to any population seems necessary. We could all brush up on some aspect of life. For some, learning to do taxes might be a skill worth developing. For others, the proper flossing techniques may have eluded them in the past. Defining life skills is an important piece when arguing for its validity, however, it is such a broad concept that it has become difficult to explain.
Recently, I had the opportunity to present the idea for the class to the residents. I stoop up, puffed my chest out, and put on a “you’re all going to love me” smile. “Hi, my name is Lindsay and I will be teaching a Life Skills class here this fall”. Without hesitation, or pity, a women jutted, “oh yeah, and what are life skills?” My intelligent well thought out response? “Like nutrition…”
Clearly, I was not prepared for the question to be asked, not by a resident, not by anyone really. For the sake of sanity, I decided that life skills should be defined in terms of the population being addressed. People with brain injuries must be similar right? They probably all need to learn the same things. Wrong. In fact, the only thing linking people with brain injuries together is the fact that they have brain injuries. That is it. So how then, can I break down the massive category of life skills in order to appropriately capture the Uhlhorn residents? The answer is really pretty simple; ask them! Life skills are simply tools and rules needed to live independently and successfully in the world. After that, the definition extends to what the people in question want to know. The next phase of my project will be to gather information from the residents so that I can create a curriculum of life skills that fits their needs and moves them towards independence.
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