Disability Coordination Office ACT - Negotiating the Maze

Functional Skills Checklist

Download checklist in a worksheet format:

 Social Networks and Life in the Community Worksheet (362 Kb) MS Word format

 Social Networks and Life in the Community Worksheet (230 Kb) PDF format

The checklist worksheet includes the following goals:

Goals

Time Management

• Manages down-time/free-time
• Schedules time to meet friends
• Calculates appropriate travel time to get to and from appointments
• Keeps track of appointments using a calendar, diary, day planner and/or electronic planner etc.
• Uses a Daily Planner
  • Identifies month, day and date
  • Uses planner for management of day
  • Locates correct day
  • Has planner readily available to use
  • Schedules and enters haircuts, dental appointments, doctor's appointments etc.
  • Identifies if there is a schedule conflict
  • Records and keep track of phone numbers associated with appointments
  • Enters reminders for transportation scheduling
  • Enters and maintains an address book

Social Skills and Responsibilities

• Identifies when, who and how to ask for help
• Demonstrates effective interpersonal and group communication skills
  • Greets and interacts with people confidently and appropriately
  • Reads body language cues / facial expressions
  • Joins in conversations
  • Uses appropriate language
  • Uses appropriate tone ( e.g. casual, formal talk)
  • Demonstrates active listening skills
  • Initiates closing/winding up the conversation
  • Gives compliments
  • Responds appropriately when receiving a compliment
  • Apologises, as appropriate
  • Waits for their turn
  • Understands and responds to conversational styles and accents from people from various countries and cultures
  • Requests politely for a speaker to rephrase or repeat comments if they do not understand^[1]
  • Demonstrates awareness of personal space
  • Initiates and responds to humour
  • Responds appropriately to criticism
  • Expresses personal feelings, reactions and ideas in an appropriate manner
  • Identifies and uses appropriate strategies to deal with peer pressure, bullying and harassment
• Understands the link between behaviour and consequences
• Understands and follows rules and laws
• Understands their rights and responsibilities as an Australian citizen/permanent resident
• Demonstrates an awareness and appreciation for the different cultures within the community

Sexual relationships

• Identifies and implements habits and lifestyle practices that can prevent the transmission of sexually transferable diseases
• Demonstrates an understanding of possible consequences of a range of sexual activities and know how to seek advice or assistance if necessary^[2]
• Demonstrates an understanding of emotional aspects of relationships including how to maintain a healthy relationship

Accessing Community Facilities

• Locates accesses and uses community facilities. These may include:
  • Public toilets
  • Public phones
  • Banks
  • Libraries
  • Government offices and shop fronts
  • Education centres (Schools, TAFEs, Registered Training Organisations)
  • Disability Employment Network providers
  • Centrelink Offices
  • Community centres and agencies
  • Police stations and law courts
  • Poling stations
  • Post offices
  • Internet Cafes
  • Medicare Offices
  • Medical centres, pharmacies, hospitals

Holidays and special outings (weekends away, annual holidays, day-trips etc.)

• Plans, budgets and goes on holidays
• Locates information to assist in planning
• Estimates expenses
• Prepares a budget
• Purchases tickets, transportation, accommodation etc.
• Gathers travel documents (travel insurance, passport, visas, tickets, booking confirmations etc.)
• Selects and packs appropriate clothing, toiletries, personal items, equipment

Social Outings

• Arranges and participates in social outings with family, friends or on their own. These may include venues and/or activities such as:
  • Shops and malls
  • Movies
  • Parks, gardens and public BBQ facilities
  • Sporting Events
  • Gyms and sport facilities
  • Music concerts
  • Spiritual and Cultural venues
  • Cafes
  • Restaurants
  • Theatres, museums and galleries
  • Amusement arcades
  • Dance clubs
  • 18+ locations such as bars, pubs, clubs, casinos, adult shops
  • Birthdays, cultural or spiritual celebrations, reunions, public holidays
• Finds information about locations/services
• Contacts venue if further information is required
• Makes a booking or purchase tickets in advance, if required

Rents DVD/computer game at DVD rental store

• Understands and takes responsibility for DVD store membership rental costs and late fees
• Understands and selects age-appropriate DVDs/games per classification ratings (G, PG, M, MA 15+, R, X)
• Knows who and how to ask for help
• Returns DVDs in a timely manner
• Pay fines, as necessary

Restaurant Skills

• Waits to be seated, if required
• Reads menu / listens to information about daily specials
• Places order
• Waits patiently for food
• Demonstrates appropriate table manners
• Asks for and review bill
• Calculates their share of bill(if appropriate)
• Pays bill

Going to the Movies

• Locates movie information
• Selects movie
• Buys ticket (and concessions, if required)
• Locates and uses public restrooms, if required
• Finds correct theatre
• Demonstrates appropriate behaviour when entering and leaving movie
• Turns off mobile phone
• Sits quietly through movie
• Removes own rubbish (cups, popcorn containers etc.) and places it in the bins when leaving

[1]  NSW Board of Studies 2007, Stage 6 Life Skills Course - English Life Skills Syllabus, pg 40, accessed 19/11/2007,
www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/lifeskills_index.html

[2] Board of Studies NSW 2007, Stage 6 Personal Development, Health and Physical Education Life Skills Syllabus, accessed 19/11/2007, www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/lifeskills_index.html