"Self help skills" are important for children to participate in their school day. From putting their belongings away, to washing their hands, putting on their coat to go outside and even packing up to go home. 

Here are some tips to help your child become more independent at school and at home:

• Break down the self help task into smaller steps

• Make a picture chart of the activity and leave it within view 

• For tasks that involve using the sink, make sure your child has a stable stool to stand on and that it is at a comfortable height 

• Undressing is usually easier than dressing so work on undressing skills first

• When teaching shoe tying, talk through the steps as you perform them:

  1. Pairing key words with visual modelling reinforces learning

• If the child has a different hand dominance than you, then sit opposite him/her