Adaptive Skills Training in the San Fernando Valley
One-on-one help with everyday skills at home, anywhere in the Valley. Your family pays $0.
What can adaptive skills training work on?
Every plan starts with what matters most at home. These are the skills families ask about most.
Kids, 3 to 12
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Getting dressed
Shoes, zippers and buttons, one step at a time.
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Teeth and bath time
Brushing teeth, washing hands and bath time, without the battle.
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Using the toilet
Trying the restroom at a Valley library branch before story time.
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Mealtimes
Waiting for food and staying seated at a family spot on Ventura Boulevard.
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Morning routine
A picture schedule for the morning rush, before the school traffic starts.
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Staying safe
Walking hand in hand through the Northridge Fashion Center parking lot.
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Asking for help
Telling a store clerk what they need, with words or a picture card.
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Playing with other kids
Sharing the swings at Lake Balboa Park.
Teens, 13 to 17
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Morning routine
Alarm, shower, dressed and ready, without reminders.
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Hygiene
Showering, deodorant and brushing teeth on their own.
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Simple meals
Making a sandwich, scrambled eggs or a microwave meal.
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Money
Paying for a drink at a Valley corner store and counting the change.
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Calling family
Calling a parent to check in, and knowing who to call.
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Getting around
Taking a Metro bus to school, and back home the same way.
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Staying safe
Waiting for the light and crossing wide streets like Sherman Way.
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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
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Cooking
Cooking three simple dinners a week, from the shopping list to the stove.
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Laundry and cleaning
Doing a full load at home: sorting, washing, drying and folding.
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Money and budgeting
Setting a weekly budget and sticking to it at the market.
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Riding the bus
Riding a Metro bus across the Valley and knowing where to get off.
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Home alone safely
Locking up, answering the door, and knowing what to do in an emergency.
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Getting ready for work or class
Getting to class at CSUN or Pierce College on time.
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Making appointments
Booking a doctor's visit in Van Nuys and getting there by bus.
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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?
- Send one short emailAsk your service coordinator to add adaptive skills training. We're copied, so we can help from there.
- NLACRC approves itNLACRC pays for it, so your family pays $0.
- We visit your homeWe visit your home anywhere from Sylmar to Studio City, learn your routines and write the goals with you.
- Skills growYour specialist comes on a set schedule. As skills stick, practice moves out to Valley buses, stores and libraries.
See the email to send
Hi [their first name],
I'd like to add 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.
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 100Chatsworth, CA 91311
(818) 778-1900
Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Get directionsThe 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.
What does a session look like?

- Your specialist works beside them, not for them.
- Help fades a little each week, until the skill is theirs.
- Practice starts at home, then moves out to where the skill gets used.
In the Valley, that might be a Metro bus, a library branch or the market down the street.
From Sylmar to Studio City
We cover the whole Valley, from Sylmar to Studio City and from Chatsworth to North Hollywood, plus Calabasas, Agoura Hills and Topanga. Some of our professionals live here, and we already work with families across the Valley.
We also work with families at Westside Regional Center and the Eastern Los Angeles Regional Center (ELARC).
Why families pick us
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.
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.
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.
Start adaptive skills training in the Valley
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