Life Skills Activities for Secondary Students with Special Needs

DARLENE MANNIX, M.S. has 30+ years of experience as a classroom and resource teacher.  She has taught both general education and special education, and has worked with students ranging from learning disabled and mentally challenged to language disordered and severely emotionally disturbed. Mannix is the best-selling author of numerous books for special educators including Social Skills Activities for Secondary Students with Special Needs, Social Skills Activities for Special Children, and Life Skills Activities for Special Children.

About This Book xiii

About the Author xvii

Parent Activities and Suggestions xix

Part One: Self-Awareness 1

Chapter 1: My Personality 3

Lesson 1.1: Optimist or Pessimist? 4

Lesson 1.2: I Am Creative 8

Lesson 1.3: I Like Routine 11

Lesson 1.4: Sometimes I Am Fearful 14

Lesson 1.5: I Can Be a Leader 19

Lesson 1.6. Am I a People Person? 22

Lesson 1.7: I Am a Good Listener Or Am I? 25

Lesson 1.8: Sometimes I Get Angry 28

Lesson 1.9: I Finish What I Start 32

Lesson 1.10: I Am Teachable 37

Chapter 2: My Character 39

Lesson 2.1: What Is Good Character? 40

Lesson 2.2: Honesty 43

Lesson 2.3: Kindness 46

Lesson 2.4: Loyalty 49

Lesson 2.5: Responsibility 53

Chapter 3: Uniquely Me 57

Lesson 3.1: What Are Values? 58

Lesson 3.2: Values Important to Me 61

Lesson 3.3: My Disabilities 64

Chapter 4: Personal Life Choices 67

Lesson 4.1: Smoking and Vaping: Is It for Me? 68

Lesson 4.2: Marijuana and Other Drugs 72

Lesson 4.3: Teens and Drinking 75

Lesson 4.4: Am I Ready to Move Out? 79

Lesson 4.5: Am I Ready to Work Part-Time? 82

Part Two: People Skills 85

Chapter 5: Relating to Others 87

Lesson 5.1: Encouraging Others 88

Lesson 5.2: Being Friendly 91

Lesson 5.3: Helping Others 94

Lesson 5.4: Conflict Resolution 97

Lesson 5.5: Whom Can I Talk To? 101

Chapter 6: Friendship Skills 105

Lesson 6.1: My Peer Groups 106

Lesson 6.2: Who Are My Friends? 109

Lesson 6.3: Making Friends 112

Lesson 6.4: People Who Are Like Me 115

Lesson 6.5: People Who Are Different from Me 118

Lesson 6.6: Social Media 121

Chapter 7: Being Part of a Family 125

Lesson 7.1: My Family Tree 126

Lesson 7.2: Respecting Authority 129

Lesson 7.3: My Parent’s Point of View 132

Lesson 7.4: My Sibling’s Point of View 133

Lesson 7.5: Being Adopted 138

Chapter 8: Communication Skills 143

Lesson 8.1: Best Method to Communicate 144

Lesson 8.2: Summarizing 147

Lesson 8.3: Paraphrasing 150

Lesson 8.4: Is This the Right Time and Place? 153

Lesson 8.5: Verbal and Nonverbal Messages 156

Lesson 8.6: Public Speaking 159

Part Three: Academic and School Skills 163

Chapter 9: Reading Skills 165

Lesson 9.1: Reading for School 166

Lesson 9.2: Reading on the Job 169

Lesson 9.3: Reading for Comprehension 172

Lesson 9.4: Following Written Directions 175

Lesson 9.5: Reading for Pleasure 178

Chapter 10: Writing Skills 181

Lesson 10.1: Everyday Writing Tasks 182

Chapter 11: Math Skills 185

Lesson 11.1: Everyday Math Skills 186

Lesson 11.2: Improving Math Skills 189

Lesson 11.3: Understanding Charts 192

Chapter 12: Study Skills 195

Lesson 12.1: School Tasks for Success 196

Lesson 12.2: Taking Notes 199

Lesson 12.3: Studying Smarter 202

Lesson 12.4: Doing Homework 205

Lesson 12.5: Completing Assignments 208

Lesson 12.6: Rewarding Yourself 211

Lesson 12.7: Good Student Behaviors 214

Lesson 12.8: Requesting Help or Information 217

Part Four: Practical Living Skills 221

Chapter 13: Information Skills 223

Lesson 13.1: What Do I Need to Know? 224

Lesson 13.2: Information from the Internet 227

Lesson 13.3: Information from News Sources 231

Lesson 13.4: Information from Magazines 234

Lesson 13.5: Information from Books 237

Lesson 13.6: Information from Television 240

Lesson 13.7: Information from Other People 243

Chapter 14: Money Skills 247

Lesson 14.1: What Is a Budget? 248

Lesson 14.2: Making a Budget 252

Lesson 14.3: On Sale 255

Lesson 14.4: Unit Pricing 258

Lesson 14.5: How Much Money Will I Need? 261

Lesson 14.6: Banking Options: Checking and Savings 264

Lesson 14.7: Using Debit, Credit, and ATM Cards 267

Chapter 15: Travel 271

Lesson 15.1: Planning a Trip 272

Lesson 15.2: Estimating Travel Costs 275

Chapter 16: Clothing 279

Lesson 16.1: Caring for and Repairing Clothing 280

Lesson 16.2: Buying Appropriate Clothes 283

Lesson 16.3: Organizing Clothes 287

Lesson 16.4: Washing and Drying Tips 290

Chapter 17: Living Arrangements 295

Lesson 17.1: A Place to Live 296

Lesson 17.2: Organizing 299

Lesson 17.3: Apartment Living 303

Chapter 18: Eating and Nutrition 307

Lesson 18.1: Nutrition 308

Lesson 18.2: Making Good Food Choices 313

Lesson 18.3: Eating Out Versus Eating In 316

Chapter 19: Shopping 321

Lesson 19.1: Smart Shopping 322

Lesson 19.2: Comparison Shopping 325

Lesson 19.3: Returning Items 328

Chapter 20: Exercise/Health and Hygiene 331

Lesson 20.1: Exercise Excuses 332

Lesson 20.2: Stressful Situations 335

Lesson 20.3: Depression 340

Part Five: Vocational Skills 343

Chapter 21: Present Skills and Interests 345

Lesson 21.1: My Work Environment Interests 346

Lesson 21.2: Realistic Vocational Goals 349

Lesson 21.3: Working with a Disability 352

Lesson 21.4: Finishing High School 355

Lesson 21.5: Extracurricular Activities 359

Chapter 22: Getting a Job 363

Lesson 22.1: Searching for a Job 364

Lesson 22.2: Vocational Vocabulary 367

Lesson 22.3: Filling Out an Application 372

Lesson 22.4: First Impressions 376

Lesson 22.5: Getting Work Experience 379

Chapter 23: Working 383

Lesson 23.1: Being a Great Employee 384

Lesson 23.2: Handling Criticism on the Job 387

Lesson 23.3: Changing Jobs: Why? 390

Lesson 23.4: Changing Jobs: How? 393

Part Six: Community and Leisure Activities 397

Chapter 24: My Community 399

Lesson 24.1: What Is My Community Like? 400

Lesson 24.2: The History of My Community 403

Lesson 24.3: What’s Going On in My Community? 406

Lesson 24.4: Community Services: People and Places 410

Lesson 24.5: Personal Safety 414

Lesson 24.6: Being a Good Neighbor 418

Lesson 24.7: Community Map 421

Lesson 24.8: Making My Community Better 424

Chapter 25: Leisure Activities 427

Lesson 25.1: Places to Enjoy 428

Lesson 25.2: Hobbies 431

Lesson 25.3: Things to Try! 436

Part Seven: Problem-Solving Skills 441

Chapter 26: Handling Problem Situations 443

Lesson 26.1: Understanding the Problem 444

Lesson 26.2: Coping with Surprises 447

Lesson 26.3: Adjusting to Change 450

Lesson 26.4: When the Problem Is You! 453

Chapter 27: Making Decisions 457

Lesson 27.1: Decision-Making Factors 458

Lesson 27.2: Needs Versus Wants 461

Lesson 27.3: Changing Bad Decisions 465

Lesson 27.4: Why Take Risks? 469

Chapter 28: Resource Management 473

Lesson 28.1: What Are My Resources? 474

Lesson 28.2: Fact Versus Opinion 478