Self-care skills are the everyday tasks undertaken so children are ready to participate in life activities. While they are typically supported by parents or carers in young children, it is expected that children develop independence while getting older and maturing. Self-care skills are assumed as precursors for most school-related tasks, are expected to be performed independently, and usually it becomes inappropriate for others to assist for tasks related to these. Assistive technology enhances to strengthen children's ability to participate in eating, dressing, bathing, and personal hygiene routines. As a self-management tool, assistive technology helps children with pervasive developmental disorders or mild intellectual disabilities promote to perform daily tasks involved in activities related to self-care skills. In this chapter, first, information about self-care problems with a focus on children with pervasive developmental disorders is given. Then, opportunities, challenges, and assistive tools are presented. Finally, future research directions in this domain are stated.
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Self-care can be described as skills required in everyday independent living or those basic skills needed to take care of one’s own (Flynn & Hely, 2012). A child’s mastery of self-care is essential to his/her ability to function independently and successfully in the world (Gillham et al., 2000). While teaching self-care skills decreases anxiety and frustration for both the child and caregiver, it also helps them live safe, productive lives, contribute to self‐esteem, reduce parental involvement in the child’s private daily routines, and promote the ability to function independently (Wrobel, 2003). It is possible for people to live a happy and beneficial life for themselves and the society, only if they can live confidently in their own abilities, without needing the help of others. The contribution of the society and the state with the support of science and technology is very important for the disabled to become independent in their daily life activities. It is not easy, but not impossible, to enable people with disabilities to move freely without being harmed and dependent on others by adapting to the challenging life of cities. For instance, in order for mentally disabled people to live their lives without being dependent on others, there are skills and concepts that need to be taught systematically in many areas. These are some simple skills that are always used in everyday life, called independent life skills (Karabulut, Öcalır & Akınoğlu, 2010). Teaching self-care and life skills should be started as early as possible when the child is functionally capable and shows interest, based on the demands of the environment in which the child participates, before puberty (Wrobel, 2003). Independent hygiene skills foster physical well being and social acceptance (Wrobel, 2003). Hygiene involves hand washing, washing face, bathing/showering, washing hair, hair cuts, grooming hair, brushing teeth, nail care, blowing nose, toileting, changing dirty clothing, and body odour.
Factors contributing to self‐care difficulties are communication, social skills deficit, engagement in restricted, repetitive behaviours, aberrant behaviours, imitation, generalisation, theory of mind/perspective taking, sensory issues, and executive functioning. Communication difficulties and social deficits might prevent children from comprehending what is being asked of them, and lower their desire to perform skills to receive social reinforcement. While teaching any curriculum requiring comprehension of information and appropriate responses, individual communication needs of each child should be considered and met (Wrobel, 2003).
It was shown that developing and implementing intervention strategies for daily living skills of individuals with various disabilities, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), particularly adolescents transitioning to young adulthood is crucial (Bal et al., 2015) because activities of daily living are generally challenging for children with various disabilities. For instance, children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) have apparent motor difficulties in daily functioning; therefore, they have difficulties in some activities of daily living (Van der Linde et al., 2015). As children with disabilities need assistance with daily activities, self-care and self-help devices assist them during these activities and improve the skills critical to their increased independence (Rhoads, Seiler, & Doty, 2007). Assistive technology can be described as any strategy, practice, service, product, or instrument used by individuals with disabilities and the elderly (Lersilp, Putthinoi, & Lersilp, 2018). It is developed or manufactured to prevent, relieve, neutralize, or compensate handicap, disability, or impairment and improve the quality of life and autonomy of an individual (Pain, McLellan, & Gore, 2003). Assistive technology is used by individuals from different ages, varying from young children to elderly people, and its purpose depends on several factors (Pain, McLellan, & Gore, 2003).