| name | afls-assessment |
| description | Use when administering, scoring, or interpreting the AFLS — covers all six modules, functional living skill assessment across the lifespan, scoring procedures, and treatment goal linkage for adolescents and adults. |
AFLS (Assessment of Functional Living Skills)
Overview
The AFLS (Partington & Mueller, 2012) is a criterion-referenced assessment and skills-tracking system designed to evaluate functional living skills necessary for independence across the lifespan. Unlike the VB-MAPP and ABLLS-R, which focus primarily on early language and learning skills for young children, the AFLS addresses practical daily living, community, vocational, and independent living skills relevant to adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities.
The AFLS fills a critical gap: most ABA assessments target early learner skills (0-8 years developmental). The AFLS provides a comprehensive framework for assessing and programming toward meaningful independence for older learners.
Six AFLS Modules
1. Basic Living Skills
Focus: Foundational self-care and daily routines that every individual needs regardless of living arrangement.
Skill Areas:
- Personal hygiene (bathing, grooming, oral care, menstrual care)
- Dressing (selecting weather-appropriate clothing, laundry awareness)
- Eating and mealtime (using utensils, mealtime manners, food safety)
- Health and safety (taking medication, recognizing illness, basic first aid, emergency procedures)
- Sleeping routines (preparing for bed, waking to alarm)
- Personal information (stating name, address, phone number, identifying personal documents)
Number of Tasks: ~70 task-analyzed skills
2. Home Skills
Focus: Skills required to live in and maintain a home environment.
Skill Areas:
- Kitchen skills (preparing simple meals, using appliances, food storage, kitchen safety)
- Cleaning (sweeping, vacuuming, wiping surfaces, bathroom cleaning, laundry — sorting, washing, drying, folding)
- Home maintenance (changing light bulbs, plunging a toilet, basic tool use, yard care)
- Organization (maintaining bedroom, organizing belongings, managing personal space)
- Pet care (feeding, watering, basic pet hygiene)
- Home safety (locking doors, responding to smoke alarms, avoiding hazards)
Number of Tasks: ~65 task-analyzed skills
3. Community Participation Skills
Focus: Skills required to navigate and participate in community settings safely and independently.
Skill Areas:
- Pedestrian safety (crossing streets, using crosswalks, navigating parking lots)
- Public transportation (riding a bus, reading schedules, purchasing tickets)
- Shopping (creating lists, locating items, comparing prices, using checkout, handling money)
- Restaurant skills (ordering, paying, appropriate mealtime behavior)
- Community navigation (reading signs, using maps/GPS, asking for directions)
- Community safety (interacting with strangers, responding to emergencies, identifying unsafe situations)
- Recreational participation (accessing community facilities — library, gym, park)
Number of Tasks: ~75 task-analyzed skills
4. School Skills
Focus: Skills required for functioning in educational settings, from self-contained classrooms to inclusive environments.
Skill Areas:
- Classroom behavior (following routines, transitioning, managing materials)
- Academic engagement (completing assignments, requesting help, following multi-step instructions)
- Technology use (using computer/tablet for educational purposes, internet safety)
- Social behavior in school (interacting with peers, navigating cafeteria, recess)
- Self-advocacy (communicating needs to teachers, understanding accommodations)
Number of Tasks: ~55 task-analyzed skills
5. Independent Living Skills
Focus: Skills required for living with minimal or no supervision.
Skill Areas:
- Money management (counting money, making change, using debit card, budgeting, paying bills)
- Time management (reading clocks, using schedules, planning daily activities, meeting deadlines)
- Telephone/communication device use (making/answering calls, texting, using contacts)
- Scheduling appointments (medical, dental, social)
- Personal legal and financial documents (ID card, Social Security, bank accounts)
- Problem-solving daily challenges (what to do when locked out, when an item breaks, when plans change)
- Self-monitoring and self-management (using checklists, setting goals, evaluating own performance)
Number of Tasks: ~70 task-analyzed skills
6. Vocational Skills
Focus: Skills required for obtaining and maintaining employment.
Skill Areas:
- Work readiness (punctuality, attendance, following dress code, personal hygiene for work)
- Job-seeking (completing applications, interviewing, understanding job postings)
- Workplace social skills (greeting coworkers, asking supervisor for help, accepting feedback, break-time behavior)
- Task completion (following multi-step work instructions, staying on task, quality checking)
- Workplace safety (using PPE, reporting hazards, following safety protocols)
- Job-specific skills (varies by placement — task-analyze specific job duties)
- Self-advocacy at work (requesting accommodations, understanding rights)
Number of Tasks: ~60 task-analyzed skills
Scoring System
Each skill in the AFLS is task-analyzed and scored on a criterion-based system:
| Score | Description |
|---|
| 4 | Performs the skill independently across all relevant settings and situations |
| 3 | Performs the skill independently in the training setting; generalization emerging |
| 2 | Performs the skill with minimal prompting (gestural or indirect verbal) |
| 1 | Performs the skill with significant prompting (direct verbal, model, or physical) |
| 0 | Does not perform the skill or requires full physical assistance |
Scoring Guidelines
- Score based on the individual's BEST consistent performance, not a single trial
- Consider performance across settings (home, community, clinic) when assigning scores
- Distinguish between "can do" (has the skill but doesn't use it) and "does do" (uses the skill functionally in daily life) — score based on functional use
- Note if a skill is not applicable to the individual's current environment (e.g., vocational skills for a 12-year-old)
Administration
Methods
- Direct observation: Watch the individual perform the skill in the natural context. This is the preferred method for most AFLS tasks.
- Task performance: Set up the opportunity and ask the individual to perform the task (e.g., "Make a sandwich," "Count out $3.50").
- Caregiver/staff report: For skills that occur at home or in settings the assessor cannot access. Corroborate with observation when possible.
- Environmental simulation: When natural opportunities are limited, create simulated environments (e.g., mock grocery store, practice kitchen).
Administration Timeline
- Initial assessment: Select the module(s) most relevant to the individual's age, needs, and treatment priorities. Complete in 2-6 sessions depending on the individual's repertoire and the number of modules assessed.
- Reassessment: Every 6-12 months for modules under active programming.
- Ongoing tracking: Update individual task scores as mastery occurs during programming.
Assessment Environment
Assess in the natural environment whenever possible:
- Basic Living Skills → home, residential setting
- Home Skills → home, apartment
- Community Participation → community (with safety supports)
- School Skills → classroom
- Independent Living → home and community
- Vocational Skills → job site, simulated work environment
Linking Results to Treatment Goals
Priority Framework for Goal Selection
- Safety-critical skills: Emergency procedures, pedestrian safety, identifying dangerous situations
- Health and hygiene: Skills necessary for physical well-being
- Communication and self-advocacy: Requesting help, stating needs, reporting problems
- Daily independence: Skills that reduce dependence on caregivers for routine activities
- Community access: Skills that expand the environments the individual can navigate
- Vocational preparation: Skills that move toward employment readiness
- Quality of life: Skills that increase recreational and social participation
Writing Treatment Goals from AFLS Results
For each skill scored 0-2, consider:
- Is this skill a current priority given the individual's age and living situation?
- Are prerequisite skills in place?
- Is the natural environment available for teaching?
- Will caregivers/staff support generalization?
Goal format: "Given [context/materials], [individual] will independently [specific AFLS task] across [settings/people/materials] with [criterion] accuracy for [number] consecutive probes."
When to Select AFLS Over Other Assessments
| Choose AFLS when... | Choose VB-MAPP when... | Choose ABLLS-R when... |
|---|
| Learner is age 8+ or developmental age 4+ | Learner is 0-8 years or developmental age 0-4 years | Learner is 2-12 years and you need fine-grained curriculum |
| Treatment priority is functional independence | Treatment priority is language and early learning | Treatment priority is detailed skill acquisition tracking |
| Transition planning for adolescence/adulthood | Placement decisions for educational setting | Building specific teaching programs |
| Vocational readiness assessment needed | Barrier identification needed | Task-analyzed instruction needed |
| Community-based instruction is a focus | Verbal behavior development is the focus | Multiple areas need concurrent programming |
Combining AFLS with Other Assessments
For adolescents: Use VB-MAPP or ABLLS-R for language/academic areas + AFLS for daily living and community skills.
For adults: Use AFLS as the primary assessment. Supplement with the EFL (Essentials for Living) for individuals with severe disabilities.
For transition-age youth (14-22): Use AFLS modules aligned with transition IEP domains.
Practical Considerations
- Cultural sensitivity: Some skills are culture-specific (meal preparation, grooming standards, community norms). Adapt assessment and goal selection to the individual's cultural context.
- Caregiver involvement: AFLS goals require caregiver and community support for generalization. Include caregivers in goal selection and teaching.
- Natural environment teaching: Most AFLS skills are best taught in situ. Clinic-based instruction alone is insufficient.
- Task analysis modification: The AFLS provides general task analyses, but individual learners may need modified or expanded task analyses based on their specific needs and environments.
Key References
- Partington, J. W., & Mueller, M. M. (2012). The Assessment of Functional Living Skills (AFLS). Behavior Analysts, Inc.
- Partington, J. W., & Mueller, M. M. (2015). AFLS guide: Strategies for developing functional living skills. Behavior Analysts, Inc.
- Lerman, D. C., Hawkins, L., Hillman, R., Shireman, M., & Nissen, M. A. (2015). Adults with autism spectrum disorder as behavior technicians for young children with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 48, 233–256.
- Luiselli, J. K. (2014). Children and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Strategies for Assessment, Instruction, and Vocational Development. Oxford University Press.
