Daily living skills are the things you use to manage everyday tasks, such as preparing food, buying groceries and keeping track of spending. Building a skill might mean learning a task from the beginning, practising one part or finding a method that works better for you.

Choose something you want to do more easily. You can keep receiving help with other tasks while you practise. Being independent does not require doing everything without assistance.

Choose a task you will actually use

“Learn to cook” leaves a lot to work out. “Make breakfast before my morning appointment” gives you a meal, a place and a time to plan around.

Start by describing what you already do and where you get stuck. You might know what to cook but need help reading the instructions. You might be comfortable paying at the checkout but find a busy supermarket difficult.

Ask a worker how they would support the particular step. Agree whether you want spoken prompts, written instructions, photographs or someone to show you the task. Discuss any physical assistance you need.

Practise cooking in your own kitchen

Pick a familiar meal and check the ingredients and equipment before starting. Work through the parts that are useful for you: choosing ingredients, measuring, preparing food, using appliances and cleaning up.

You could keep a recipe in a format you can refer to next time. If several instructions at once are difficult, try checking one step before moving to the next. Tell the worker how long you need to respond before they offer another prompt.

Discuss safety arrangements for hot surfaces, sharp equipment and any swallowing or dietary needs with the appropriate person. A skill-building visit should follow relevant professional advice rather than improvising around a health risk.

Make shopping practice manageable

A shopping visit could focus on finding three items, comparing pack sizes or checking the total against a budget. It need not cover a large weekly shop in one session.

Before leaving, decide how you will get there and what help you want in the shop. If crowds or noise make concentration difficult, ask about a quieter visit. Practise asking a staff member a question only if that is something you want to work on.

Keep your receipts if you want to compare the planned spending with the actual total afterwards. Groceries remain an everyday expense even where support to shop is funded.

Keep control of your money

Everyday money practice might involve planning a grocery budget, identifying bills or recording what you spend. Choose a method you can use again, such as a simple list or an accessible budgeting app.

Agree on what the worker may help with and what remains private. Do not share banking passwords or PINs as part of routine support. Ask how purchases, receipts and any handling of cash will be recorded.

Check the funding before booking

The NDIS capacity building guide describes supports that develop living skills, including assessments, training and therapies. Assistance with everyday tasks can also sit within core supports. The category depends on what is being delivered and what your plan permits. Capacity building funding is stated, so you cannot assume it can be moved between categories.

Check the proposed support against your plan with your my NDIS contact or support coordinator. A provider calling an activity “life skills” does not establish that your funding covers it.

Set a time to review the practice. Discuss which steps feel easier, where you still want help and whether the method needs to change. Your preference may be to use less prompting for one task while keeping the same assistance for another.

Keep a useful record of practice

Agree what you want to record and who can see it. A short note after a visit can cover:

  • The task you chose, such as making a sandwich or checking a shopping receipt.
  • The steps you completed and the help you wanted.
  • Any equipment, instructions or changes that made the task easier.
  • What you want to try next time.

These notes help you discuss the support you prefer. They do not need to score every task or promise a particular outcome.

For help with household tasks rather than learning a new skill, see what NDIS in-home support includes. You can also explore our everyday skills support.