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Live, Virtual Life Skills Courses for Individuals with Autism & IDD

IDD Learning Lab

IDD Learning Lab is an innovative online education program designed to teach practical independent living skills to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism.

Through live, interactive virtual courses, participants gain the confidence and tools needed to live more independently — wherever they are.

How to Enroll

Enrollment currently happens in two simple steps:

Step 1: Complete Our Enrollment Form

Complete our enrollment form

Step 2: Create a Free Student Account

Visit STRIVE WorldWIDE and click “Sign Up” in the top right corner to create your free student account.

👉 [Create Free Student Account at STRIVE WorldWIDE]

Once both steps are completed, our team will contact you with next steps and course details.

If you have questions or prefer to enroll directly, please email kristin@themissionproject.org

For more information check out our recent webinar.

Upcoming Course Schedule

5/18–6/14 — Healthy Relationships
6/22-7/26 — Money 101
8/3-9/6 — Personal Safety
9/14-10/18 — Internet Safety

All courses are held live via Zoom
Mondays & Wednesdays | 6:00–7:00 PM CST

This course covers all aspects of social relationships: how to meet new friends and partners, get to know each other, build a positive connection, and set boundaries. We will discuss healthy vs unhealthy relationships, explore sexual identity, and how to make safe choices around sex.

*Disclaimer: This course will cover many sensitive or mature topics, including abuse, sex; sexuality, gender identity, and sexual identity. We understand that relationships can be complicated and are here to help.

By the end of this course, you will be able to…

  • Define social relationship
  • Recall characteristics of healthy and unhealthy relationships
  • Describe the differences between non-romantic and romantic relationships
  • Explore what it means to have a sexual identity
    List positive traits to look for in a social relationship (friendship or partner)
  • Outline reasons for seeking a partner (or not)
  • Outline safe and healthy ways to find a social relationship
  • Identify the steps of getting to know a new social relationship
  • Explain how to make healthy decisions about sex

Love it or hate it, we all use money. But what is it and how do we know where to spend it? This course will cover the basic principles of money. You will have the opportunity to practice everyday money tasks and choices. 

By the end of this course, participants will be able to…

• Identify and name the different types of coins and bills.
• Count money and make change accurately.
• Distinguish between needs and wants.
• Practice prioritizing where you spend your money.
• Recognize strategies to reduce costs when spending and purchasing.

Identify short and long-term money goals.

Your personal safety is our top priority! In this course, you will learn tips and tricks for staying safe wherever you are: in your home, outside, even on the internet. You will get to practice keeping your passwords secure and recognizing and reacting to risky situations, like internet scams. Learn about safety related to your health, preventative care, medication management, and more, and leave this class with more confidence in staying safe. Remember, safety first!

By the end of this course, you will be able to…

• Identify basic proactive safety skills and techniques
• Recall personal contact information
• Define safe and responsible use of social networking and technology 
• Distinguish irregularities in your physical and/or mental well-being
• Explain the difference between emergency and non-emergency needs
• State practices for routine preventative care

The internet is a wild and wonderful place, and it can also be scary if we’re not cautious! In this course you and your peers will learn how to keep you and your information safe while surfing the web, using social media and even shopping online. We’ll practice recognizing scams, building strong passwords, and setting strong security preferences. We’ll even discuss damage control- how to undo small mistakes when we can.

By the end of this course students should be able to….

• Recognize the importance of and create strong passwords
• Differentiate between public and private information
• Define safe and responsible use of social networking and technology
• Identify common internet-based scams and explain how to avoid them
• Apply “damage control” techniques to repair minor mistakes
• Describe the impact of screen time on health and time management
• Recognize and respond appropriately to cyber bullying
• Recognize dangers of meeting online friends in real life and explain how to meet in the safest manner possible

Financial Assistance

We believe cost should never be a barrier to independence.

IDD Learning Lab offers scholarship options for eligible participants.

👉 Learn About Scholarship Opportunities

Need a Computer?

Qualifying applicants may also be eligible for a free computer through our partnership with KC Digital Drive.

What Participants Learn

Courses focus on real-world skills including:

  • Personal safety

  • Money management

  • Healthy relationships

  • Internet safety

  • Time management

  • Cooking and meal planning

  • Independent decision making

All courses are live, interactive, and designed with neurodiverse learners in mind.

Why IDD Learning Lab?

Many individuals face barriers to in-person programming due to:

  • Transportation challenges

  • Geographic limitations

  • Scheduling conflicts

  • Confidence concerns

Our virtual model removes those barriers and expands access statewide.

Step 1: Enroll Here

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Name(Required)
Preferred Contact Method(Required)
Please provide your address(Required)
Support Person's Name(Required)
Are you a new or returning learner?(Required)
Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-7pm.
Optional
Payment Plan
Please provide your payment plan (you must have applied for and been approved for scholarships at this link: https://forms.gle/UrD1KhyFDMKhVre49
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