Independent living skills checklist for transition planning

This checklist is for case managers and families preparing a transition plan. It works as an informal transition assessment: a structured way to gather what the student can already do at home and in the community, and what still needs teaching. It does not replace formal assessments, but it gives the team concrete facts to write from.

Use it with students 14 and older, and every year after. The items are grouped by phase: before the meeting, during it, and after. Each item has a one-line reason. For goal examples built from the results, see independent living IEP goals. The life skills IEP goals pillar covers the full life skills domain.

How to rate each skill

Rate each skill with the student and a family member, then check a few by watching the student do them. Use the same codes every year.

A skill rated R or H is usually the best goal target. N skills may need an easier first step.

Before the meeting: rate the skills

Home and meals

• Makes a simple meal or snack without help. Reason: eating without a caregiver is the base of living with less support.
• Uses a microwave, stove or oven safely. Reason: kitchen burns and fires are the most common home safety risk to plan for.
• Plans meals for a week and writes a grocery list. Reason: planning ties cooking to budgeting and shopping.
• Stores food and throws out spoiled food. Reason: food safety prevents illness when no one checks the fridge.
• Washes dishes or runs a dishwasher. Reason: a kitchen that stays usable needs daily cleanup.

Cleaning and laundry

• Cleans a bathroom and kitchen with a checklist. Reason: landlords and roommates expect a basic standard.
• Does laundry from sorting to putting away. Reason: clean clothes affect work, health and friendships.
• Takes out trash and recycling on the right day. Reason: missed pickup days cause pests and conflict.
• Changes bed sheets and makes the bed. Reason: a weekly routine shows the student can keep a schedule at home.

Money

• Knows the value of coins and bills and pays at a register. Reason: every purchase depends on it.
• Uses a debit card and checks a balance. Reason: most adult spending is by card or app.
• Follows a weekly budget. Reason: running out of money mid-month is a common reason placements fail.
• Pays a bill on time with help or alone. Reason: late bills lead to fees and shut-offs.

Health

• Takes medication on schedule with a system the student can run. Reason: missed doses are a serious risk once a parent no longer sets them out.
• Makes and keeps a medical appointment. Reason: adults schedule their own care.
• Describes symptoms and pain to a nurse or doctor. Reason: clear reports lead to correct care.
• Carries ID and an emergency contact card. Reason: helpers need this information in an emergency.

Safety

• Locks doors and keeps keys safe. Reason: home security is a daily habit.
• Knows what to do in a fire, power outage or leak. Reason: emergencies happen when no one else is home.
• Calls 911 and gives an address. Reason: the address is the fact responders need first.
• Recognizes scams by phone, text or at the door. Reason: adults with disabilities are frequent scam targets.

Community and time

• Gets to a regular place by bus, train, ride app or paratransit. Reason: transportation decides access to jobs and services.
• Uses a calendar or phone to track appointments. Reason: adults manage their own time.
• Shops for groceries with a list. Reason: shopping is a weekly need.
• Uses a library, post office or bank. Reason: these services are part of adult routines.
• Plans free time and contacts friends. Reason: isolation is a real risk after school ends.

Self-advocacy

• Explains own disability and the supports that help. Reason: adult services do not come automatically.
• Asks for help from the right person. Reason: knowing who to ask prevents small problems from growing.

During the meeting: decide and write

• Share the checklist results before goals are discussed. Reason: everyone starts from the same facts.
• Ask the student where they want to live after school. Reason: the postsecondary goal must reflect the student's preferences and interests.^[2]
• Write a measurable postsecondary goal for independent living where appropriate. Reason: federal rules require one where the team finds it appropriate.^[1]
• Pick 2 or 3 skills rated R or H as annual goals. Reason: too many goals spread teaching thin.
• Name the setting for each skill: school kitchen, home or community. Reason: skills taught in one place may not carry over without practice in the real one.
• Agree on who teaches what, including the family. Reason: home practice speeds progress on home skills.
• Note agencies to invite or contact, such as vocational rehabilitation or adult services. Reason: adult services have waiting lists and need early contact.

After the meeting: teach and track

• Write a task analysis for each new goal. Reason: steps make the skill teachable and measurable.
• Collect 3 baseline probes in the real setting. Reason: the baseline anchors every progress report.
• Send the family a short home check sheet. Reason: home practice needs a simple way to record it.
• Recheck the checklist each year before the annual review. Reason: a year-over-year comparison shows growth the goals alone may miss.
• Update the summary of performance in the final year. Reason: adult providers read it to plan support.

Printable version

Print this page, or copy the items into a document with three columns: Skill, Rating (I, R, H, N, NA) and Notes. Give one copy to the student and one to the family before the meeting. Ask them to rate the items on their own first. Differences between the student's, the family's and staff ratings are often the most useful part of the conversation.

What to do if something is missing

• A domain has no rating. Ask the person who sees that routine. A parent knows mornings; a job coach knows breaks.
• Ratings disagree. Watch the student do the skill once. Record what you see, with the date.
• The student has never tried a skill. Rate it N and plan a first try, such as one supported trip to the bank.
• The family does not want to rate. Use a short phone call instead, with 5 or 6 key items.
• No agency contact exists. Add the step to the transition plan with a name and a date.
• The skill is not taught anywhere. Add it to a course of study, a community-based instruction plan or home practice.

Where to go next

Goals for self-care routines are on the daily living skills goals page, and a fill-in baseline form is in the daily living skills assessment. For the transition plan itself, see transition planning in the IEP. Templates are on the transition independent living goals, daily living goals, transition IEP goals and IEP goals for transition age pages. The glossary defines transition services for families.

Families can also get free help from their state's Parent Training and Information Center, listed through the Center for Parent Information and Resources.^[3]

Frequently asked questions

Use it in IEP Atlas

• Functional skills IEP goals
• Daily living goals (functional skills)
• Independent living goals (transition)
• Transition IEP goals
• IEP goals for transition age
• Transition services in the IEP glossary

Related guides

• Life skills IEP goals: the complete map by domain
• Independent living IEP goals
• Daily living skills IEP goals
• Daily living skills assessment for IEP teams

Sources

1. 34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
2. 34 CFR §300.43: Transition services, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
3. Center for Parent Information and Resources, CPIR
4. National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: The Collaborative, NTACT:C

Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.