November 2016

This month’s newsletter addresses the topic of personal health care as presented in this month’s unit titled, “Do I Need a Doctor?” The unit provides lessons and activities about taking care of yourself when you’re sick and determining when you need to see a doctor. Activities from the Transition Passport: Daily Living/Health Tools are incorporated. As we assist our young adults in the transition from school to work, it is necessary that they receive training in personal health care. Knowing how to take care of yourself when you’re sick, take medicine safely and when to seek help from a doctor are important components to personal health care. This unit will provide our young adults with the tools needed to learn about how to take care of themselves and stay healthy.

The unit stories help young adults learn the importance of taking care of themselves whether they are sick or healthy. In the first story, a young girl doesn’t feel well and is trying to decide if she should go to work. After trying different things to help her feel better, she decides she is too sick to go to work. In the second story, a young man is going to visit his doctor. He visits his doctor for a checkup to make sure his medicine is working to keep him healthy. He gets a refill for his prescriptions from his doctor and demonstrates how to safely take medication.

Regular monthly lessons are provided which offer the opportunity to practice the skills needed to take care of yourself and stay healthy. Health care and medication costs are addressed in banking and budgeting. Daily living skills involved in cooking are part of a regular monthly lesson offering five recipes where our young adults can practice appropriate hygiene skills and daily living skills. Social and communication skills are the focus of lessons presenting daily social trivia scenarios offering more opportunity for our young adults to practice skills needed to make good choices related to personal health care.

Employment continues to be a regular focus for several lessons each month. Lessons include exploring different jobs, reading job ads, completing job applications and practicing interview skills. Simple, realistic scenarios address job skills and interactions at work.