how to teach a 12-year-old mentally retarded to buy/shop (a life skill he needs)?

Answer 1

I am assuming you are a parent.

The best way for your kiddo to learn this skill, is to go do it with you.

The ideas below will take a couple of years before he can do all of them without constant step-by-step guidance. Stay patient!

Call his attention to EVERY step in the process.

How do you make your list for shopping? Do you write down items as you run out, or do you survey your house just before you go and make your list then, or both?

Does he read/write yet? If so, start with having HIM write down what is needed (you may need to have the words pre-printed somewhere so he can copy them).

If he doesn't read/write yet, cut out pieces of labels, glue them to light cardboard, and back the whole thing with velcro. Then make a board with velcro tabs that he can stick the labels to for his "list."

When you see you are out of something, instead of writing it down yourself, call him over, show him that the item is used up or is running out, and have him add to the list. He will learn this quicker if you always call him at the same point for the item (e.g. you are down to 3 eggs).

You will know that he is ready to take on more responsibility for the list when, sometime in the future, he notices something is at its "get some more" point and calls YOUR attention to it.

At the store, show him how the list matches the items on the shelves. Have him take down the items from the shelves and add to your basket, then point to the correct item on the list again that he just got for you to help him learn it quicker. Have him cross it out or pull the velcro label off (keep a Ziploc baggie or fanny pack with you for storage).

Money work... this is the toughest concept to teach, because money is an abstract... a measure of time and work. Don't try to shortcut by saying "we always use plastic (or a check)." Start taking cash and having him see the exchange every time.

There are two ways to approach money as a functional skill.

One is, if he can understand it, the "conventional" way ... counting to 100, subtraction skills up to regrouping, add and subtract the number values.

However, if he is not at that level of understanding with numbers, here's a trick I've seen used with great results... after a couple of years of slowly building through the steps. It also prepares the student well for when they have mastered subtraction with regrouping, to apply it to money.

Don't worry about number value for coins yet. Have him practice trading five pennies for one nickel, two nickels for one dime, a nickel and two dimes for one quarter, etc. etc. Until you get to the one dollar bill. Match that to 4 quarters. (This is going to take lots of time to practice.)

Practice matching minimum coins to number values (e.g. 56 = two quarters, one nickel, one penny). Don't "count" the coins. He should just learn that THIS number means THESE coins. Coin value counting should only happen if he can count to 100 in different ways (skip-counting). Otherwise, just work on trading coins without bothering with the underlying number value. Only introduce one coin combination for each number value, using the fewest number of coins.

Make a "balance," between "me" and "you." Put out 4 quarters in the middle. Find different ways of splitting the coins between each of you (4 - 0, 3 - 1, etc.).

Once he gets the hang of that, substitute two dimes and a nickel for one quarter. Keep playing the sharing game. Gradually build into different coin combinations, always keeping the total value at $1.00.

Get out a grocery store advertising circular, coins, and dollar bills. Practice matching the money to the printed value. When he can do that on his own, start introducing the idea of making change.

If the amount in the circular is, let's say, $2.35, then get out three one-dollar bills. You be the "customer" and he should be the "clerk." Have him take all three dollars, and do the "balance" for one dollar... keeping a quarter and dime for himself, and giving the rest to you... Practice with different values. Then introduce $5.00 and $10.00 bills, trading and "balancing" with $1.00 bills.

When he can do coin "balancing" on his own... introduce the idea that everything will cost a bit more than what is printed, because of tax. Show him the road outside, talk about school and other tax-paid items, and tell him that tax is how we pay for it all, every time we work or buy something. Abstract concept again. It will take him time to process it.

Practice "tax" by knowing how many pennies per dollar are charged in your area. Have him "add" that much to the store side of the "balance" when you practice with your circulars.

Always continue to take him to the store with you when you shop, keeping him "in charge" of the list, and having him see the direct exchange of cash.

When he has the hang of coin "balancing," start to pay him a small allowance or for chores. Let him spend his money how he wishes. Choice is always good.

Answer 2

to teach any one any new skills the process is the same.

work out the micros skills. ie.
to learn to catch a bus the skill set that is required would be:
being able to find out which bus to catch
locating the right place to catch the bus
handing over money and knowing if change is required
waiting patiently
being able to tell the bus driver where you need to go
knowing when to get off the bus
knowing how to make the bus stop at the necessary stop
sitting in the bus seat
treating other passengers appropriately
using proper manners

now that we have a skill set we can start to work with each skill individually.
make a list of the skills reuired and as the student achieves each skill tick it off the list and remember to celebrate each step along the way.

to learn a new skill it needs to be carried out hundreds of times.
to learn a new skill if you have a learning disability it needs to be carried out thousands of times.

also include a "what to do if things are different" stage in the learning process.

for instance you are teaching a student how to purchase fruit and vegetables for use at home. You make a list of their preferrred fruit and vegetables.

Every time you go to the store the apples are on the right hand side... what do you do if the apples are now somewhere else?

Or they always buy red apples and today there are only green ones?

In other words plan for changes along the way.

One variance can alter the course of the whole day if it is not planned for.

If your student goes to buy his red apples that are on the right hand side in the store and the apples are not on the right hand side this can feel wrong to them... so they may wander off to find a fruit shop that has red apples on the right hand side... which means they could get lost. Or they may choose to buy tomatoes because they are on the right hand side.... ie purchase something they dont want or need....

so plan all kinds of contingencies.

deal with the what ifs...

Answer 3

That is a hard question to answer without knowing his capabilities.

I would suggest breaking the task down into several steps, Decide what he wants to buy, write a list if more than one thing (depending if he can read), have a preset spending limit, how is he going to get to the store (walk, bus, car), go to the store, look for the items needed, check for best prices (sales, store brands, etc,) choose item, take to cashier, count change, exit store.

Walk him through the entire process and evaluate where his skill level are for each step. Once the child is evaluated on each step, continue to work on the steps that need improvement through repetition. The more you allow him to make purchases the more he will develop his skills.Remember to praise him for each step that he completes.

Good Luck

Answer 4

I'm not so sure 12 years old is a good time to teach that life skill.

Answer 5

It depends on his/her abilities, but I would discuss the process of shopping, before, during and after.

Involve him/her in choosing the:

* shop you go to,
* items from the shelves and putting them in the basket,
* items just for him/her,
* checkout to use,

Guide him or her through the processes:

* of unpacking the basket,
* paying for the shopping,
* putting all items into bags - with a seperate bag for his/her items.

Remember to priase all the way through the process - criticism does not work!, lots of praise and practice will re-inforce this skill.

Good luck.

Answer 6

Just go shopping together and get him involved, make a shopping list together, let him search the needed products,....

Answer 7

take him with you when ever you go shopping, and teach him little by little.