Understanding Autonomy, Independence, and Adaptive Skills
Autonomy: The ability to perform basic activities of daily living independently.
Unit: Individuals who, due to physical, mental, or intellectual limitations, require assistance and/or aids to perform Activities of Daily Living (ADL). Types include physical dependence, social dependence, economic dependence, and mental dependence.
Independence: A disposition of mood and outlook on life that allows individuals to perform physical acts of daily living as, when, and with whom they choose.
Self-determination: The ability to control one’s own destiny, make decisions and choices about the quality of one’s own life, free from external influence or interference.
Capacity: The power of a person to engage in certain acts or conduct that allow them to function in their social environment.
Competence or Skill: A social attribution indicating a person’s ability to carry out an act.
Habit: Automation that promotes the acquisition of conduct for autonomy. A learned skill through repeated exercise (e.g., brushing teeth).
Deficiency: Loss or abnormality of a structure (member, organ, tissue, etc.) or psychological, physiological, or anatomical function.
Disability: Restrictions or absence (due to a deficiency) of the capacity to perform an act considered normal for a person.
Handicap: A disadvantage for an individual due to a deficiency resulting in a disability, which defines or prevents the fulfillment of a role that would be normal for them.
Conduct: A person’s behavior, channeled through actions performed to suit their environment.
- Conduct refers to what a person says or does, whether directly observable or not.
- Conduct is defined within the context in which it takes place.
Adaptive Skills Development
Adaptive skills are acquired throughout life in a continuous process from birth, eventually becoming refined. There are four age blocks:
0-6 Years
- Communication: Begins at birth with the mother, starting in the fetal stage. By the end of this stage, oral communication has begun.
- Social Skills: Begins pre-socially. Behavior starts to assume role identification and sexual identity, and good behavior must be maintained in meetings, family meals, classrooms, etc.
- Self-Direction: The child should follow a schedule, be organized with their toys, take good care of their personal belongings and clothes, and seek and accept help if needed.
- Personal Care: Must learn to dress themselves and collaborate with their individual hygiene, eating without help.
- Health and Safety: Understand room safety and hygiene, learn not to touch electrical outlets, play near windows, or handle sharp objects.
- Recreation: Playing with others, taking turns, and sharing toys.
- Life at Home: Participating in tasks such as setting the table, simple food preparation, and collecting clothes, following repeated game rules.
6-12 Years
- Communication: Acquires oral, written, and gestural communication skills. Understands and expresses feelings.
- Social Skills: Respect for others, sharing, and accepting criticism from others.
- Self-Direction: Knows how to follow a schedule designed for their daily activities, completing them, and knowing what to do in their spare time.
- Personal Care: Knows how to dress without problems and follows a healthy, balanced diet.
- Health and Safety: Uses seat belts, knows road safety rules, and avoids unnecessary risks.
- Community Use: Uses transportation, shops in malls, goes to school alone, and attends social events.
- Functional Academic Skills: Follows the appropriate learning process in school.
- Leisure: Can distinguish what they like to do and knows how to use their free time.
12-16 Years
- Communication: Expands vocabulary and social usage. Uses slang, mobile phones, and TV.
- Social Skills: Broadens friendships and romantic relationships.
- Self-Direction: Experiences confusion between what one wants and what one can or cannot do.
- Personal Care: May adopt a position contrary to social norms (e.g., irregular showering, unsuitable clothing, illegal substances).
- Health and Safety: Extreme situations may appear (unprotected sex, drug consumption, motorcycles).
- Leisure: Prefers going out with friends and setting aside family gatherings (parties, concerts).
- Home Life: Acts contrary to already acquired skills may occur (e.g., not making the bed, arguing).
- Functional Academic Skills: By 16, mandatory training is nearly complete, and minimum learning standards should have been acquired.
- Work: At 16, access to employment is permitted.