Housekeeping Skills Training for Independent Living Among Malaysian Adolescents with Special Needs: A Case Study

Abstract

Despite a life-long disorder to live with, Adolescents with Special Needs (ASNs) ought to be equipped with adequate skills and knowledge in order to successfully lead an independent life. This study provides knowledge and exposure to assist the ASNs to participate in household chores to take care of their living space and prepare them for future employment. This study aimed at exploring (1) the mastery of housekeeping skills; (2) the application of housekeeping skills at their own home; (3) the application of housekeeping skills in the homestay environment among adolescents with special needs who have undergone the housekeeping skills training programme; and (4) to determine the supports required in sustaining the housekeeping skills among ASNs. This study used a qualitative approach with case study design. Three ASNs participated in a home-based housekeeping skills training programme. The study concluded that although the participants are still encountering problems such as could not fully generalise the skills to different situations, taking extra time to complete the tasks, waiting for the cue to execute the skills, some areas were not cleaned after cleaning, the participants have required lesser to no prompt in conducting the targeted house chores at home. It is hoped that this study could offer valuable understandings toward establishing skills-based training as a preparatory step in developing independent living for ASNs in Malaysia. One of the limitations of this study is the generalisability of the findings from a case study with qualitative data analaysis.