What if “college and career readiness” meant more than just test scores and transcripts? What if it also meant knowing how to do laundry, manage your time, budget for coffee and groceries, and speak up when you need help?
High school is a good time to teach life skills your student will use every day, whether they plan for college, work, or are still deciding. And the good news? You don’t need to overhaul your curriculum or squeeze in a brand-new class to do it.
This month-by-month guide is designed to help educators, families, and support staff focus on one practical life skills area per month during the upcoming school year. These skills are not optional. They form the foundation for independence, confidence, and life beyond the classroom.
Whether you teach in general education, special education, homeroom, an advisory, or at the kitchen table, this roadmap helps students move from uncertainty to real-world readiness this year.
Click here to jump down to the TL;DR summary.
Why Life Skills Deserve a Spot This School Year
We often ask teens, “What do you want to do after school?” But too often, we forget to ask, “What will you need to be able to do?”
Academic skills matter. Students also need time management, deadline tracking, and basic meal prep to handle daily life. Many students, including neurodivergent students and those who experience executive function differences, benefit from explicit instruction in daily life skills alongside academics.
Students should also be equipped to leave school with the tools to:
- Establish and follow everyday routines.
- Adapt to unexpected changes.
- Solve problems and advocate when they need help.
A Skill-Building Strategy That Fits the School Calendar
Teaching these skills doesn’t have to require a standalone class or a total curriculum rewrite.You can weave this into what you already do. Use five minutes in homeroom, a full advisory period, or a short homework routine at home.
This month-by-month guide follows the school year. It starts with organization in September and ends with reflection in June. Learning adult skills takes time. It’s a skill set you build over time.
How to Use This Guide
- Pick one focus each month: Keep it small and consistent.
- Choose two actions per focus: one classroom action and one at-home option.
- Schedule a weekly 10-minute routine: plan, practice, and reflect.
- Make steps visible: use checklists, timers, visual schedules, and clear prompts.
- Offer choices for comfort and access: written scripts or partner work instead of role play, spoken or written responses, quiet space when needed.
- Tie skills to real tasks this week: one planner entry, one ask-for-help message, one budget choice, one laundry load, one simple meal.
- Track progress simply: a one-page tracker, a sticker on a calendar, or a short note in a planner.
- Celebrate small wins every Friday: Name the skill, what worked, and the next tiny step.
September – Getting Organized and Owning Your Schedule
The start of the school year is full of fresh notebooks, new routines, and a tidal wave of assignments. September is a helpful time to introduce organization and time management so students feel steady as workload increases.
Time Management Basics for Teens
Let’s be honest: time is slippery. Especially for teens juggling multiple classes, extracurriculars, and screen time. This month focus on teaching time management skills like:
- Breaking large assignments into smaller steps
- Estimate how long a task really takes
- Use timers, alarms, and visual aids to stay on track
- Understand the difference between being “busy” and being productive
Setting Up a Planner or Digital Calendar
Many students try to track due dates from memory. A simple planner or calendar works better. This month, help your learner explore new tools that make sense for their brain and lifestyle, such as:
- Paper planners with color-coded systems
- Digital calendars (Google Calendar is great for notifications)
- Weekly planning templates or visual schedules
For samples of weekly organization and planning templates, download our free .pdf worksheet from the Real Life Executive Functioning Workbook.
Building Routines That Stick
Consistency supports all the other skills. Start the year by building simple routines for planning and organization. Help your student set up a weekly “Sunday Setup” or “Monday Preview” to get a bird’s-eye view of their week. Then, set up an “anchor habit” like reviewing a planner during breakfast, or making a daily checklist of the items that need to be done throughout the day. Even small routines—like packing a backpack the night before—can have a big impact on the overall success of the school year.
October – Communication, Self-Advocacy, and Asking for Help
By October, the school year is in full swing—and so are the social and academic demands. That makes this month the perfect time to practice clear communication, assertiveness, and the often overlooked skill of asking for help. Focusing on these skills early in the school year can reduce classroom stressors , improve social interactions, and increase independence—especially for students who’ve been hesitant to speak up.
Practicing Assertive Communication
Clear and effective communication should always form the foundation of what we teach our students.
Start by explaining and helping your learner recognize the differences between passive, aggressive, and assertive communication styles. Someone using a passive style might say “it’s fine” even when they disagree. Aggressive communicators might raise their voice, interrupt, or dominate a conversation. Assertive communication, on the other hand, is calm, respectful, and clear—like saying, “I don’t understand the assignment. Could we go over it again together?”
One helpful strategy is to teach “I” statements. Instead of blaming or withdrawing, students learn to name their own needs:
- “I feel frustrated when I don’t know what’s expected.”
- “I need help staying focused during long lectures.”
- “I want to do well, but I’m not sure how to start.”
To give students practice, try short partner activities. If role play is uncomfortable, use scripts or written prompts. Assign one partner a situation (like being confused about homework, needing a break, or feeling left out of a group project) and have them practice expressing that assertively. The other partner can respond with encouragement or brainstorm how they might support that request. This builds real-world confidence and makes communication feel doable—not abstract.
You can also integrate media analysis—pause a movie clip or a TikTok and ask, “Was that assertive? What would’ve worked better?” These mini-conversations keep things engaging while teaching skills that will serve teens for life.
Knowing When (and How) to Ask for Help
Many teens worry that asking for help means they should already know it. Asking for help is a key life skill. This month, help your student understand:
- The difference between doing it alone and doing it independently with support
- When it’s appropriate to ask a teacher, peer, or adult for help
- What kind of help they need (clarification? extra time? a different way to learn?)
- How to initiate that conversation using assertive communication
By teaching your student to ask for help early in the year, you can better support them to address issues up front, before they develop into larger challenges during the year.
November – Budgeting, Saving, and Spending Wisely
With the holiday season approaching and money often on students’ minds, November is the perfect time to introduce financial literacy. Depending on your learner, high school might be where they have their first experiences managing personal money—whether that’s from a part-time job, allowance, or birthday cash. But without guidance, even small amounts of money can disappear quickly on impulse buys and instant gratification.
Start with the basics: What is a budget?
Instead of launching into spreadsheets, walk students through a simple budgeting example using relatable categories like snacks, video games, school supplies, or saving up for concert tickets. Ask students to imagine they receive $100 a month. How would they divide it among needs, wants, and savings? This conversation alone can open up eye-opening discussions about priorities, decision-making, and long-term planning.
It’s also a good time to explore the idea of needs vs. wants. You can bring in real-life examples like grocery ads, online shopping carts, or subscription services. Have students reflect on purchases they’ve made in the past month—what felt worth it, what didn’t, and why?
Introduce Financial Literacy and Monitoring Spending Habits
Don’t skip the emotional side of money, either. Talk about impulse spending and how advertising, peer pressure, or stress can lead to spending that doesn’t actually feel good afterward. Ask students how they might pause before a purchase, check in with themselves, or compare prices before clicking “buy now.”
If your students are older, you can introduce debit cards, bank accounts, or digital money tools like budgeting apps or virtual wallets. For younger teens, focus on tracking spending and saving for a goal. The point isn’t to master all financial skills at once—it’s to start building awareness and confidence now, so they’re not overwhelmed later.
Not sure how to introduce financial literacy? LSA has lots of resources for neurodivergent families. Check out these articles:
- Teaching Financial Responsibility: Simple Strategies for Neurodivergent Teens
- How to Improve Money Management for Autistic Adults: Budgeting, Tools & Resources
- Using SMART Goals To Improve Financial Literacy in Unique Learners
- Teaching Diverse Learners About Banking
December – Cooking Basics and Kitchen Confidence
December brings cooler weather, more time at home during winter breaks, and for those who celebrate, plenty of holiday food. That makes it a great month to explore basic cooking and food safety skills with your learner.
Even students who don’t consider themselves “cooks” benefit from knowing how to feed themselves something other than microwave popcorn or DoorDash.
Start small and practical. What are three meals or snacks students could learn to make with little to no adult help? Think peanut butter toast, scrambled eggs, a smoothie, or mac and cheese. The goal is not gourmet cooking. The goal is confidence and safe, simple meals. Ask students to list what’s already in their pantry or fridge at home and brainstorm meals they could make with it.
From there, move into reading and following basic recipes. This teaches far more than cooking—it supports reading comprehension, sequencing, and attention to detail. Let students practice interpreting measurements, using kitchen tools, and identifying common ingredients.
If you’re supporting students in a classroom, encourage your learners to cook one meal or snack at home over winter break, snap a picture of their creation, and share what they learned. Or have them each select a recipe and assemble a classroom cookbook.
For easy to use recipes this month as inspiration, check out LSA’s “The Neurodivergent-Friendly Cookbook.”
Don’t Forget Food Safety Skills
While you’re spending time in the kitchen, be sure to also talk about food safety: how to tell if food is expired, how to store leftovers, and why handwashing matters. Many students haven’t been explicitly taught how to check “use by” dates, refrigerate food correctly, or handle raw ingredients. These skills build confidence—and prevent stomachaches later.
January – Goal Setting and Growth Mindset
The start of the new year naturally invites reflection and fresh starts, making January an ideal time to talk about goal setting. But for many learners, it’s also a time where New Year’s resolutions fail and old habits find headway. That’s why focusing on evidence-based strategies to set and achieve goals is this month’s task.
Teach SMART Goal Setting
To make it the new start meaningful, start with a conversation about what a realistic goal looks like. Instead of setting a vague intention like “get better at school,” guide your learner to create specific, measurable goals such as “turn in my math homework on time for the next three weeks” or “use my planner every day this month.” Help them focus on goals they can control—goals that are about effort and habits, not just outcomes.
Introduce the concept of SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) in a way that feels practical, not corporate. Have your student brainstorm one short-term goal for school, one for home, and one just for fun. Then walk them through breaking those goals into small, trackable steps they can measure over the month.
For more information about SMART goal setting, check out these resources from LSA:
- How To Use SMART Goal Setting to Teach Daily Living Skills
- 3 Ways SMART Goals Can Improve Your Meal Prep Skills
- Why New Year’s Resolutions Fail and How Executive Functioning Skills Can Help
- How To Help Your Teen Develop Goals About Their Health
- Using SMART Goals To Improve Financial Literacy in Unique Learners
Building Growth Mindset
Equally important is exploring the idea of a growth mindset—the belief that abilities and skills can grow over time with practice and effort. Many teens carry unhelpful narratives like “I’m just bad at math” or “I’ve always procrastinated.” Use January to help reframe those beliefs: “I’m still learning how to break big assignments into smaller tasks,” or “I’m working on using my time more wisely.”
Activities such as goal ladders, reflection journals, or progress charts help students see their effort and track milestones. Celebrate small wins along the way—not just when a goal is completed, but when they try something new, stick with a routine, or bounce back after slipping up.
This month is all about teaching that setting goals isn’t to become perfect—it’s to practice showing up again and again, even when it’s hard.
February – Laundry, Clothing Care, and Hygiene
By February, routines feel automatic. It is a good time to review personal care and hygiene. These aren’t just “home” skills—they affect how students show up at school, interviews, and public spaces. And for teens who are preparing for dorm life or living on their own, it’s a good time to talk through the basics of laundry and hygiene.
Teaching Laundry Literacy
Start this month with laundry literacy. Does your learner know how to sort clothes, read a care label, or choose the right settings on a washer? Walk through it step by step: separating lights and darks, measuring detergent, and not overloading the machine. Even a simple “how to read a laundry symbol” chart can clear up a lot of confusion.
From there, expand to basic clothing care—how to fold, hang, or spot-clean items so they last longer. If possible, let students practice folding or treating a pretend stain. You can also talk about dressing for different contexts (school, work, interviews) and building a minimal wardrobe that works for them.
Hygiene Check-in
Finally, use this month to revisit your learner’s hygiene routines. Not in a shaming way—but as a form of self-care and independence. Discuss daily habits, how to track when something needs washing, and why good hygiene matters not just for appearance, but for promoting focus during the day and improving confidence in social situations.
March – Problem-Solving, Flexible Thinking, and Stress Management
March can be a tough month for both students and teachers: winter fatigue is real, academic pressure is rising, and spring break still feels far away. That’s why it’s a great time to focus on problem solving and flexible thinking—skills that can help your learner cope when things don’t go as planned.
Evaluate Stress and How to Problem Solve Through It
Start with common stressors. Ask students to list tricky situations. Then break each problem into smaller parts. Teach a simple framework like “Name it, break it down, choose a next step.” Just pausing to label what’s happening—I’m stuck, I’m anxious, I’m angry—is often the first step toward handling it differently.
From there, introduce the concept of cognitive flexibility: the ability to shift perspective, change plans, or try a new solution when the first one doesn’t work. You can practice this through classroom games, choose-your-own-adventure scenarios, or by having students imagine “what else could be true?” when things feel unfair or out of control.
Close with a toolkit of basic coping strategies: deep breathing, taking a break, asking for support, or changing the environment. Teens cannot avoid all stress. They can learn skills to navigate it.
By April, students juggle schoolwork, social activities, work, and screen time. As the school year turns towards summer, it’s a great opportunity to focus on how your learner can build a healthier relationship with technology—not by banning it, but by using it more intentionally.
Measure and Promote A Healthy Screen Time Balance
Start by capturing one week of screen time data. Ask your learner to reflect on how they use their devices—what energizes them, what drains them, and what feels like a time suck. After one week, add “tech check-ins.” Students pause and ask: Is this use supporting my focus, mood, or relationships?
Also take the opportunity to show off some ways tech can support your student’s life skills. Teach them how to use calendar apps, timers, grocery list tools, or budgeting apps to help with some of the other skills they’ve learned this year.
Digital Safety
Move into digital safety and responsibility. Talk about privacy settings, the permanence of online posts, and how to spot misinformation. You might explore what it means to have a “digital footprint” and how to think critically before clicking “send” or “share.” Talk about digital wellbeing, privacy, and media literacy. Discuss how tech can support goals and when it gets in the way.
May – Job Skills, Interviews, and Workplace Readiness
As the school year winds down, May is when your student should start shifting their thinking beyond school—summer jobs, internships, or part-time work. Even if students aren’t ready to enter the workforce just yet, May is the time to start building the foundational skills they’ll need.
Workplace Readiness
Begin with the basics this month: what makes someone a good employee? Punctuality, communication, time management, and taking initiative are all “soft skills” that apply to any job. Invite your student to reflect on the responsibilities they already manage—chores, volunteering, group work—and connect those to workplace traits.
If they’re summer job hunting, help them create a basic resume or skill summary. This can include academic work, extracurriculars, or personal strengths like problem-solving or teamwork. If you have time, run through a few mock interviews, focusing on how to answer common questions, shake hands (or offer a confident hello), and follow up after an interview.
Finally, discuss workplace expectations, such as punctuality, dress, asking questions, and how to receive feedback. These conversations help students feel more confident stepping into unfamiliar settings—and they reinforce the idea that they’re ready to take on new challenges.
Career readiness can be a daunting topic to cover. LSA has many resources to help families and teachers work on workplace skills with neurodivergent learners. Check out these links:
- 7 Neurodivergent Interview Tips for Sharing Your Unique Abilities
- 7 Pieces of ADHD Career Advice to Find Your Perfect Job
- 9 Job Skills Your Teen Can Improve From Home
- 14 Tips for Managing ADHD (and Neurodivergence) at Work
- How to Request Work Accommodations for Neurodivergent Employees
June – Reflection, Celebration, and Planning Ahead
June not only marks the end of the school year, but it’s also a powerful opportunity to help your student reflect on how far they’ve come and start thinking about what’s next.Even if they have not learned every skill on the list, acknowledging progress builds motivation and confidence for what comes next.
Start with a simple self-reflection. Have your student revisit the skills they’ve practiced this year—from time management to communication to cooking. Which ones came easily? Which ones were hard? Which ones surprised them? Encourage honest reflection, not perfection.
Next, take a chance to celebrate growth. Maybe they cooked their first meal, started using a planner, or asked for help when it mattered. Create a space for sharing wins—big or small—and highlight how these skills are just as important as grades or test scores.
Finally, look ahead to summer. What’s one life skill they want to keep building? Maybe it’s learning to budget their summer paycheck, taking over part of the grocery shopping, or managing their own morning routine without reminders. A simple “summer life skills bingo” or goal sheet can give structure without feeling like homework.
End the year by reminding students that adulthood is not about having everything figured out. It is about continuing to grow, ask questions, and focus on what is next.
TL;DR – Real-World Ready, One Month at a Time
Teaching life skills in high school doesn’t have to mean adding a new class—it’s about weaving real-world lessons into the rhythm of the school year. This month-by-month guide offers practical focus areas like time management, communication, budgeting, cooking, and stress management, all tailored to what your neurodivergent student needs right now.
Here’s a quick look at how to build new life skills across the year:
- September: Get organized with planners, routines, and time awareness.
- October: Practice assertive communication and asking for help.
- November: Build financial literacy through budgeting and spending habits.
- December: Learn basic cooking, kitchen safety, and self-feeding skills.
- January: Set realistic goals and develop a growth mindset.
- February: Tackle laundry, hygiene, and dressing with confidence.
- March: Strengthen problem-solving and stress coping strategies.
- April: Explore responsible tech use, digital safety, and healthy online habits.
- May: Get workplace-ready with resume building and interview prep.
- June: Reflect on progress, celebrate growth, and set summer goals.
These lessons are essential. They build confidence and support greater independence after high school. Start small. Stay consistent. Watch your students build new skills this year.
Further Reading
- The Neurodivergent Friendly Cookbook
- The Real Life Executive Functioning Workbook
- Life Skills Advocate – 7 Neurodivergent Interview Tips for Sharing Your Unique Abilities
- Life Skills Advocate – 7 Pieces of ADHD Career Advice to Find Your Perfect Job
- Life Skills Advocate – 9 Job Skills Your Teen Can Improve From Home
- Life Skills Advocate – 14 Tips for Managing ADHD (and Neurodivergence) at Work
- Life Skills Advocate – 12 Time Management Skills to Start Teaching Now
- Life Skills Advocate – 15 Ways to Develop a Growth Mindset for Teens and Build Resilience
- Life Skills Advocate – How to Improve Money Management for Autistic Adults: Budgeting, Tools & Resources
- Life Skills Advocate – How to Request Work Accommodations for Neurodivergent Employees
- Life Skills Advocate – Teaching Diverse Learners About Banking
- Life Skills Advocate – Teaching Financial Responsibility: Simple Strategies for Neurodivergent Teens
- Life Skills Advocate – Using SMART Goals To Improve Financial Literacy in Unique Learners
This is a GOLD MINE of help for me, as a parent looking for ways to incorporate the teaching/implementing of these valuable tools into our daily life. THANK YOU!