Independent Living Skills Your Child Needs Before Moving Away from Home

We talk a lot about the many services Alta Behavioral Healthcare provides to children and their families. But we also work with teens and young adults on a variety of issues.

For example, we often help individuals ages 19-21 in dealing with the transition to adulthood and independence. Making the decision to leave home and begin living independently is a pivotal moment in a young person’s life. Issues they face include housing, how to manage a budget, employment, vocational training and more. A child with severe learning and attention issues may find these tasks to be particularly challenging.

A recent article from the understood.com website has some good advice on this subject. Beyond the big items such as employment and where to live, some of the things they recommend focusing on are:

• Personal care
• Laundry
• Money management
• Food preparation
• Getting around (driving or public transportation)
• Shopping

To live on their own, adolescents and young adults must be able to manage day-to-day tasks such as these. They also need to know how to budget and pay for things.

The full text of the article can be seen at this link. As always, we invite you to contact Alta Behavioral Healthcare at (330) 793-2487 if you or a family member need help with this important transition.