Residential Services

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The purpose of Residential Services is to provide an interdependent and independent living environment. The plan helps students to acquire levels of self-sufficiency and other-relatedness through experiential learning and practical application. The overall goal is to develop and acquire adult life skills and their processes.

The intent is to offer residential living in an adult community environment, where each student lives as part of the community, as opposed to living in a segregated, therapeutic, or dorm-like setting. As a performance-based program, LDI promotes responsible adult behavior by creating a living environment that places personal lifestyle decisions and choices in the hands of the students.

Students have an opportunity to decide what and how they want to live, as long as it is within the established laws/standards of the community, does not interfere or adversely impact program performance, or pose a safety/health risk. Parents understand that personal growth and success is very dependent on the student’s acceptance of adult responsibilities and behaviors.

LDI students live alone in one bedroom apartments or in two-bedroom apartments with a roommate paired by age, lifestyle and temperament. Students are assisted through one-on-one mentoring and modeling in areas of health care, medication management, personal hygiene, time management and organizational skills.

Students are provided opportunities and are scheduled to participate in classes and activities which involve the following adult life domains: 1) Household Management; 2) Social interaction and friendship; 3) Recreation/leisure; and, 4) Community. Weekly cooking classes offer instruction and supervision for menu planning, transportation for grocery shopping, meal preparation with use of recipes and post-meal clean up in addition to kitchen safety basics, use of appliances and table etiquette.

Apartment inspections occur weekly; mentoring assistance is established forthose requiring additional residential skill development, task and technique demonstration, organization and support. Weekend activities and some weeknight events are scheduled and staffed.