Free Adaptive Skills Training in the Santa Clarita Valley
Life skills taught one-on-one at home, for autism and other developmental disabilities, from Castaic to Canyon Country. Your family pays $0.
What can adaptive skills training work on?
Every plan is built around your family's day. Here's what Santa Clarita parents ask us to work on.
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.
-
Mealtimes
Sitting down for a whole meal on a night out in Old Town Newhall.
-
Morning routine
Getting to the school bus on time, with a visual schedule by the door.
-
Wandering and safety
Holding hands on the paseos and stopping at every street crossing.
-
Asking for help
Asking for help at the Valencia Town Center, with words or a picture card.
-
Playing with other kids
Taking turns on the inclusive playground at West Creek 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 at a Saugus store and making sure the change is right.
-
Calling family
Calling a parent to check in, and knowing who to call.
-
Getting around
Walking a paseo route to school or a friend's house.
-
Staying safe
Crossing Bouquet Canyon Road and other busy streets safely.
-
Talking with people
Ordering and paying at the Valencia Town 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
Making a dinner plan for the week and shopping for it in Valencia.
-
Laundry and cleaning
Keeping a weekly laundry day, from the hamper back to the drawer.
-
Money and budgeting
Paying bills on time and saving a little for the weekend.
-
Riding the bus
Riding Santa Clarita Transit from the McBean Regional Transit Center.
-
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 College of the Canyons on time.
-
Making appointments
Booking an appointment in Newhall and planning the ride there.
-
Talking with people
Asking for help at the desk of the Canyon Country library.
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?
- Ask your coordinatorOne short email to your NLACRC service coordinator adds adaptive skills training to the plan. It copies us, so we can follow up.
- It's paid forNLACRC pays, so there's no bill for your family.
- We come to your houseThe first visit is at home, anywhere from Castaic to Canyon Country. We learn how your days go and set goals with you.
- Then out the doorAs skills stick, practice heads to the paseos, the stores and Santa Clarita Transit.
See the email to send
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.
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 Santa Clarita?
NLACRC's Santa Clarita Valley office is at 25360 Magic Mountain Parkway in Valencia. There's no separate Santa Clarita Regional Center. This office is NLACRC's, and it serves the whole valley. Park in the lot in front of the building.
No trip to Magic Mountain Parkway is needed to get adaptive skills training. One email to your service coordinator starts it.
NLACRC · Santa Clarita Valley
Santa Clarita Valley office
25360 Magic Mountain Pkwy., Suite 150Santa Clarita, CA 91355
(661) 775-8450
Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Get directionsThe Family Focus Resource Center, a free parent-run center, has its Santa Clarita office in the same building. It helps with Regional Center paperwork and the city's Special Needs Registry.
New to NLACRC? Services start with an intake call to (818) 778-1900. Our eligibility page explains what follows.
Need another NLACRC office, or a way to reach your service coordinator? Start at NLACRC’s Santa Clarita office in our guide.
What does a session look like?
- Your professional coaches. Your family member does the doing.
- The help gets smaller, week by week.
- Home comes first. Then the same skill gets practiced around town.
In Santa Clarita, that might be a paseo walk, a city bus or the grocery store.
From Castaic to Canyon Country
We cover the whole Santa Clarita Valley: Valencia, Saugus, Newhall and Canyon Country, plus Castaic, Stevenson Ranch, Val Verde and Agua Dulce. We already work with families here, and some of our professionals call the valley home.
Why families pick us
Vera really went above and beyond her work to truly help my daughter.
Questions Santa Clarita families ask
My child is slow to warm up to new people. Will this work?
It’s the worry we hear most, and it’s why matching comes first. We pair your child with a professional who fits their interests and personality and has helped kids like yours make progress. Your child sees the same person every time, and we’ll switch if the fit isn’t right.
Can sessions work around school and our schedule?
Yes. We schedule around school and work, including evenings and weekends, which helps with commutes on the 5 and the 14.
Does adaptive skills training count against our IHSS or respite?
No. It doesn’t count against either one. Since 1998, the state has told counties to decide IHSS as if there were no Regional Center services. See the letter.
What does a session actually look like?
Your child’s professional works beside them, not for them, on one skill at a time. Sessions start at home, then move out to places like the paseos, the store or the bus as skills grow.
Can we switch to you from another provider?
Yes. Send your service coordinator at NLACRC’s Santa Clarita office one short email, and copy us. We’ll take it from there.
How soon can we start?
There’s no waitlist, and we take up to two new families a week. Once NLACRC approves the hours, we set up the first visit at your home, anywhere from Castaic to Canyon Country.
What ages do you work with?
Kids, teens and adults, from age 3 with no upper age limit. They need a Regional Center diagnosis, most often autism or an intellectual disability.
Start adaptive skills training in Santa Clarita
Answer three questions to see what happens next for your family in Santa Clarita.
Find the Right Help