$0 Out-Of-Pocket Cost — 100% Funded via Regional Center Check Eligibility

Free Adaptive Skills Training in the San Fernando Valley

One-on-one life skills help at home for autism and other developmental disabilities, anywhere in the Valley. Your family pays $0.

What can adaptive skills training work on?

We start with whatever makes your mornings and evenings hardest. These are the skills Valley parents ask about most.

Kids, 3 to 12

  • Getting dressed

    Shoes, zippers and buttons, one step at a time.

  • Teeth and bath time

    Brushing teeth, washing hands and bath time, without the battle.

  • Potty training

    Trying the restroom at a Valley library branch before story time.

    Our potty-training guide

  • Mealtimes

    Waiting for food and staying seated at a family spot on Ventura Boulevard.

  • Morning routine

    A visual schedule for the morning rush, before the school traffic starts.

  • Wandering and safety

    Walking hand in hand through the Northridge Fashion Center parking lot.

  • Asking for help

    Telling a store clerk what they need, with words or a picture card.

  • Playing with other kids

    Sharing the swings at Lake Balboa Park.

Teens, 13 to 17

  • Morning routine

    Alarm, shower, dressed and ready, without reminders.

  • Hygiene

    Showering, deodorant and brushing teeth on their own.

  • Simple meals

    Making a sandwich, scrambled eggs or a microwave meal.

  • Money

    Paying for a drink at a Valley corner store and counting the change.

  • Calling family

    Calling a parent to check in, and knowing who to call.

  • Getting around

    Taking a Metro bus to school, and back home the same way.

  • Staying safe

    Waiting for the light and crossing wide streets like Sherman Way.

  • Talking with people

    Ordering lunch at the Northridge Fashion Center food court.

Some teens are still working on daily care, like using the toilet, getting dressed, bathing and mealtimes. We teach those at any age.

Adults, 18 and up

  • Cooking

    Cooking three simple dinners a week, from the shopping list to the stove.

  • Laundry and cleaning

    Doing a full load at home: sorting, washing, drying and folding.

  • Money and budgeting

    Setting a weekly budget and sticking to it at the market.

  • Riding the bus

    Riding a Metro bus across the Valley and knowing where to get off.

  • Staying safe

    Crossing streets, answering the door and knowing what to do in an emergency.

  • Getting ready for work or class

    Getting to class at CSUN or Pierce College on time.

  • Making appointments

    Booking a doctor's visit in Van Nuys and getting there by bus.

  • Talking with people

    Asking a librarian at a Valley branch for help finding a book.

Some adults are still working on daily care, like using the toilet, getting dressed, bathing and mealtimes. We teach those at any age, too.

How does it start?

  1. Send one emailAsk your NLACRC service coordinator to add adaptive skills training to the plan. Our address goes on the copy line, so we can help from there.
  2. NLACRC says yesNLACRC covers the cost. Nothing comes out of your pocket.
  3. First visit at homeWe come to you, anywhere from Sylmar to Studio City, and plan the first goals with you.
  4. Out into the ValleyOnce a skill works at home, practice moves to Valley buses, stores and libraries.
See the email to send
To: your service coordinator's email
CC: team@aldera.org
Subject: Adding Adaptive Skills Training to Service Plan

Hi [their first name],

I'd like to add Aldera (formerly Levi Life Skills) for adaptive skills training to [your child's full name]'s service plan.

Thank you.

Open in your email app

Don’t have their email? Search your inbox for @nlacrc.org, @westsiderc.org or @elarc.org.

Have an IPP meeting coming up? Here's what to ask for.

Where is the Regional Center in the San Fernando Valley?

NLACRC's main office is at 9200 Oakdale Avenue in Chatsworth, and it serves families across the Valley. Old listings still show NLACRC on Sherman Way in Van Nuys. That office moved.

You don't have to drive to Chatsworth to get adaptive skills training. One email to your service coordinator starts it.

NLACRC · San Fernando Valley

Main office, Chatsworth

9200 Oakdale Ave., Suite 100
Chatsworth, CA 91311
(818) 778-1900

Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Get directions

The Family Focus Resource Center, a free parent-run center based at CSUN, keeps a desk inside the Chatsworth office.

Not with NLACRC yet? Intake comes first, at (818) 778-1900. Our eligibility page explains the steps.

Our guide puts NLACRC’s Chatsworth office next to the other two. It also shows how to reach your service coordinator.

What does a session look like?

A young man checks a transit app at a Valley bus stop while his specialist looks on.
  • They do the task side by side. Your professional never takes over.
  • Each week, your professional helps a little less.
  • When it works at home, it's time to try it out in the world.

In the Valley, that might be a Metro bus, a library branch or the market down the street.

From Sylmar to Studio City

Map of the San Fernando Valley communities Aldera serves The shaded area is the North Los Angeles County Regional Center's part of the San Fernando Valley, from Westlake Village and Agoura Hills in the west to Sunland and Tujunga in the northeast, with NLACRC's main office in Chatsworth. Burbank and Glendale, to the east, belong to Lanterman Regional Center; the coastal side of the Santa Monica Mountains belongs to Westside Regional Center; Ventura County belongs to Tri-Counties Regional Center. 405 101 118 170 Burbank Simi Valley Van Nuys North Hollywood Northridge Woodland Hills Sherman Oaks Sylmar Canoga Park Reseda Encino Studio City Granada Hills Porter Ranch San Fernando Pacoima Sun Valley Tujunga Calabasas Agoura Hills Westlake Village Topanga NLACRC main office LANTERMAN REGIONAL CENTER WESTSIDE REGIONAL CENTER SAN GABRIEL/POMONA RC TRI-COUNTIES REGIONAL CENTER
The green area is NLACRC’s part of the Valley. Regional center areas: California DDS. Roads: © OpenStreetMap contributors.

We cover the whole Valley, from Sylmar to Studio City and from Chatsworth to North Hollywood, plus Calabasas, Agoura Hills and Topanga. We already visit Valley families every week, and some of our professionals live here too.

Why families pick us

They actually careWe hire people who genuinely love this work, and your family sees the same professional every time.
Master's-level professionalsEvery professional has a master's degree. On average, they bring 9.3 years of experience.
Professionals who live nearbySome of our professionals live right here in the Valley.
No waitlistWe can start up to two new families every week.
Evenings and weekendsWe work around school, jobs and Valley traffic.
Many languagesSessions in Spanish, Armenian, Russian, Mandarin and more. Ask what we have near you.

After working with your team he became better in school, he became much better at telling us what he needs, and talking with people at school. I'm happy we found your team.

Parent of a 9-year-old · Verified review

Questions Valley families ask

Will my child actually get along with their professional?

That’s what we plan for first. We match your child with a professional who fits their interests and personality, and who has helped kids like yours make progress. It’s the same person every session, and if the fit isn’t right, we’ll switch.

We both work. Can you come in the evening or on the weekend?

Yes. We schedule around work and school, including evenings and weekends, so Valley traffic doesn’t decide your week.

Could adding this cost us IHSS or respite hours?

No. It costs you no IHSS and no respite. Regional Center services in your home don’t count against IHSS. The state reminded all counties of this in 2017.

Will it feel like a real relationship, or just a job to them?

A real relationship. Every professional is picked because they love this work, and your child keeps the same one, session after session. That trust is what makes the skills stick.

Who are your professionals?

Every professional has a master’s degree, and they average 9.3 years of experience. Some of them live in the Valley, and together they speak Spanish, Armenian, Russian, Mandarin and more.

Is this the same as ABA?

No. ABA works on behavior, and health insurance usually pays for it. Adaptive skills training teaches everyday living skills, and NLACRC pays for it. Many families have both.

How many hours will my child get?

NLACRC decides, based on the assessment we do at your home. The hours go into your child’s written plan.

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