Welcome to the Daily Living Project—your all-in-one resource for teaching Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and Social Skills to students with complex communication and learning needs. Whether you're supporting a kindergartener learning to brush their teeth or preparing a high school student for independent living, this page provides everything you need to build functional independence, foster confidence, and meet IEP transition goals.
Teaching Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and Social Skills is essential for preparing students with complex communication and learning needs for real-world independence. These skills—ranging from brushing teeth and choosing weather-appropriate clothes to navigating public spaces and planning meals—build the foundation for autonomy, confidence, and dignity.
This type of instruction goes far beyond "life skills": it offers daily, functional learning opportunities that align with IEP goals, communication development, and transition planning. Our students thrive when learning is predictable, meaningful, and connected to their everyday lives. That’s why the Daily Living Project is designed as a fully integrated program that provides structure, supports communication growth, and offers multiple entry points for all learners, no matter their age or current ability.
Every ADL routine—from getting dressed to cooking a snack—is a chance to practice functional communication.
To support this, our ADL lessons embed communication supports into every step of instruction. Resources include:
The Daily Living Project is supported by printable and digital tools found in the Classroom Toolbox and Library, which help teachers provide instruction that is:
Sample tools include:
These materials are designed to layer visual and language support into instruction, helping students learn through modeling, repetition, and multi-sensory engagement.
Take a look at the different activities of daily living kits we have available here.
Each ADL Set includes communication boards, mind maps, a storybook, worksheets, picture cards and step by step directions.
DTA Schools’ Let’s Get Social Series is a growing collection of short, accessible social stories designed specifically for students with complex learning and communication needs. These visual supports help students understand expectations, build emotional regulation strategies, and practice positive social behaviors in school settings.
Students in special education classrooms often benefit from direct instruction and repeated exposure to social and emotional skills. These books:
Each story promotes independence, emotional safety, and participation—critical outcomes for students learning to navigate a complex social world.
Helps students identify feelings of frustration and learn calming strategies such as deep breathing, counting to 10, and focusing attention.
Prepares students for the sometimes unpredictable presence of guests in the classroom. Offers calming techniques and expected behaviors during interruptions.
Models both helpful and unhelpful social behaviors, helping students recognize and practice respectful friendship skills like sharing, giving space, and kind communication.
These stories are versatile and easy to embed into your daily routine:
Use a social story as your “story of the day” to introduce or reinforce classroom expectations.
Offer the story when a student is upset or needs a reset. Pair with sensory tools or calming strategies.
Use during social skills groups or speech therapy sessions to build understanding through repetition and discussion.
Model core and fringe vocabulary (e.g., "stop," "feel," "friend," "calm") while reading the story on the student’s device.
Link the books to specific activities (e.g., “Visitors” before assemblies or evaluations) so students can review expectations ahead of time.
Whether you’re teaching social skills, introducing classroom expectations, or supporting emotional regulation, the Let’s Get Social Series provides developmentally appropriate tools for learners who thrive on clarity, structure, and visual support.
The included ADL & Communication Scope & Sequence outlines targeted skills across grade bands (K–12), allowing teachers to:
Example progressions include:
“Instruction in daily living skills must be systematic, sequential, and taught in meaningful, real-world contexts.” — Wehman, 2013, Essentials of Transition Planning*
At DTA Schools, we are building our library to include these topics for you. We have multiple ADL Kits available now, with MORE TO COME!
When classrooms build routines around ADLs and embed language-rich supports, students:
✅ Gain independence
✅ Develop confidence
✅ Generalize communication skills
✅ Increase social interaction
✅ Meet transition and IEP goals
✅ Learn to advocate for their needs
Whether you're supporting a student learning how to tie shoes or preparing another to live independently, the Daily Living Project provides the tools, structure, and communication integration you need to make each step count.
What do the experts tell us is important about teaching daily living and social skills?
"Teachers systematically design instruction toward a specific learning goal and adapt as needed based on learner performance."
The CEC’s High-Leverage Practices (2017) emphasize explicit instruction, visual supports, and opportunities for student practice—methods embedded in every lesson plan within this sequence.
📘 CEC (2017). High-Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities.
The AAIDD model emphasizes building adaptive behavior in real-world contexts. ADL instruction directly supports the adaptive behavior domains of personal care, domestic skills, and community use.
📘 Schalock et al. (2010). Intellectual Disability: Definition, Classification, and Systems of Supports.
"All persons, regardless of disability, have a basic right to affect conditions of their own existence through communication."
This framework supports the integration of AAC and communication development into ADL tasks as seen throughout this scope.
📘 National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities (1992). Communication Bill of Rights.
"AAC intervention should occur within the context of meaningful, engaging, and motivating activities and routines."
This directly supports embedding communication goals into ADL instruction like brushing teeth, making a snack, or doing laundry.
📘 Light, J., & McNaughton, D. (2012). Supporting the communication, language, and literacy development of children with complex communication needs.
"Literacy and communication instruction must be embedded within functional, meaningful routines across the day."
Their work underpins the use of story-based learning, modeling, and core vocabulary integrated in ADL routines.
📘 Erickson, K. A., & Koppenhaver, D. A. (2020). Comprehensive Literacy for All: Teaching Students with Significant Disabilities to Read and Write.
Instruction in ADL and communication skills is required under IDEA for transition-aged students (age 14+), with emphasis on post-school outcomes.
📘 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 20 U.S.C. §1400 (2004).
The structure of this scope and sequence reflects common state-level life skills and extended content standards, particularly in functional academics, adaptive behavior, and transition planning domains. These include the following:
Functional Academics
Instruction should integrate practical application of academic skills into daily living tasks:
Based on definitions from AAIDD and used in most state assessments (e.g., Georgia’s GAA, Tennessee’s Alt Portfolio), ADL and social skills fall within the adaptive behavior domains, including:
Instruction in these areas is required to begin by age 14 (or earlier in some states) and must prepare students for post-secondary life:
UDL principles are reflected in the multimodal supports provided (visuals, AAC boards, written steps, hands-on tasks), giving students multiple means of engagement and expression.
📘 CAST (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2.
The ADL & Communication Scope & Sequence is designed to:
