I wanted to make a post on how I use prompts inorder for me to do daily skills.
eating: I use a variety of prompts. in terms of transitioning to the table to get ready to eat I need both a verbal and a gestural prompt. a family member tells me to come to the table and eat. then uses a hand gesture to guide me to there. for the actual act of eating , I use modeling and imitate what someone else is doing. I cannot really use utensils that well , so I just sort of press my hand on the handle and do a catapult maneuver. I do have a hard time with chewing and swallowing so I kinda do the best I can with that. I need external support for me to eat.
dressing: I can do this with a visual prompt only on school days though. for other days I need to be verbally prompted. I do need visual step by step instructions to dress myself. I can basically only dress myself in basic attire such as shirts and pants , for coats and other winter clothes. I can partially get them on myself but need help with making sure they are on correctly and zipped up by someone else.
bathing: for this I need to be verbally prompted multiple times. then be guided to the bathroom. I can then take my shower with visual step by step instructions. the thing is though is that I cannot clean myself effectively even with all of this support. why? because I do not have the motor ability to wash myself in a way that actually cleans me. I cannot scrub my hair , I can only move the soap around and it does not get sudsy. I have regressed in my ability to wash my body. it goes dirty. I do not consider barely getting myself clean as beingable to shower. and the reason I do not get someone to do it for me? because I like to feel like I can do something. even if deep down I know I cannot.
grooming: I can brush my hair with a visual prompt when it is a school day. I have motor delays so it does not get fully untagled. I need about 2 verbal prompts to brush my teeth , and have to use a step by step visual guide to do the actual act of brushing my teeth. I need someone else to partially physically help me put on deodorant. I need someone else to physically clip my fingernails and toenails , shave and trim my body hair , and any other grooming task.
toileting: I do not currently have any support in place for this. I am too ashamed to ask. I sort of just play it by ear if I have an accident or not. I have very bad toileting hygiene , it is very hard for me to wipe enough. I have extremely poor introception so I usually do not get everything out. leading to dirty and sometimes wet underwear. I do not have anything else to say about this.
mobility: I do not need physical assistance with this. but because of my cerebral palsy , I often need long breaks. and cannot walk long distances. I am affected significantly by this , but not to the point of needing assistance.
I will not go into IADLS as there are a lot. lets just say I cannot do any of them except VERY simple food preparation. and 2 chores which are folding towels and putting dishes from dishwasher away. it did take years and years to do even these simplest ones.
