What Is The Essential For Living Curriculum And How It Transforms The Lives Of People With Disabilities

What Is The Essential For Living Curriculum And How It Transforms The Lives Of People With Disabilities

The Essential for Living curriculum, often abbreviated as EFL, is a comprehensive tool designed to help individuals with moderate to severe disabilities. This curriculum focuses on teaching functional skills, life skills, and daily living skills, which are crucial for these individuals to lead more independent and fulfilling lives. The EFL curriculum is not specific to any one disability; instead, it is designed to cater to a wide range of individuals with varying levels of needs and abilities. I had the pleasure in graduate school to see and test protocols in the EFL while coincidentally being a student at the Florida Institute of Technology where Dr. Patrick McGreevy was a professor of mine.

The assessment process in the Essentials for Living curriculum is thorough and comprehensive. It is not a simple checklist but a deep dive into the individual's abilities and needs. The assessment focuses on eight essential skills, which form the core of the EFL curriculum. These skills are designed to provide access to preferred items, activities, and people, thereby enhancing the individual's quality of life. The assessment process is not a quick one; it requires a deep involvement and understanding of the individual's unique circumstances and needs.

The Essential 8 skills include:

• Making requests
• Waiting
• Accepting removals, making transitions, sharing and taking turns
• Completing 10 consecutive brief previously acquired tasks
• Accepting ‘No’
• Following directions related to health and safety
• Completing daily living skills related to health and safety
• Tolerating situations related to health and safety

Teaching functional skills, life skills, and daily living skills to people with moderate to severe disabilities is of paramount importance. These skills provide access to preferred items and activities and help individuals avoid or get away from things that they dislike. The Essentials for Living curriculum has transformed the lives of countless families by providing a structured and comprehensive approach to teaching these skills.

The EFL curriculum is not just a book; it's a guide that walks you through the process of teaching these essential skills. It provides detailed instructions and support, making it easier for families and educators to implement the curriculum effectively. The curriculum also includes a user guide that walks you through the process of conducting your first assessment.

The Essentials for Living curriculum is a powerful tool in the field of ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis). It provides a structured and comprehensive approach to teaching functional skills to individuals with moderate to severe disabilities. The curriculum has been designed with a deep understanding of the unique needs and challenges faced by these individuals, making it a valuable resource for families and educators alike.

In conclusion, the Essentials for Living curriculum is a transformative tool that has the potential to significantly improve the lives of individuals with moderate to severe disabilities. If you're interested in learning more about this curriculum, we offer a comprehensive introductory course that was filmed on-site in Utica, New York, USA at Upstate Caring Partners with Dr. Patrick McGreevy and Troy Fry, BCBA that is available on The Behavior Academy. Upstate Caring Partners has implemented the EFL for a number of years and the course not only provides an overview of the EFL but also highlights how to implement it successfully.

Don't miss this opportunity to equip yourself with a powerful tool that can make a real difference in the lives of individuals with disabilities, join our EFL introductory course here.

FAQs About the Essential for Living Curriculum

What are the Essential for Living?

Skills are designed to provide access to preferred items, activities, and people, thereby enhancing the individual's quality of life.

What is the Essential For Living assessment?

The Essential For Living assessment guides decisions to help people with moderate to severe disabilities learn new functional and life skills.

What is the Essential Skills For Living curriculum?

The Essential For Living is a curriculum for people with moderate to severe disabilities.

To learn more about the Essential for Living curriculum you can check out our introductory course here.