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

Adaptive Skills Training in Santa Monica, Culver City and the Westside

Life skills for autism and other developmental disabilities, taught one-on-one at home, from Malibu to Inglewood. Your family pays $0.

What can adaptive skills training work on?

Every plan starts with what your family needs most. These are the skills parents ask us about.

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

    Using the toilet at home, and the bathroom away from home.

    Our potty-training guide

  • Mealtimes

    Trying one new fruit at the Mar Vista Farmers Market.

  • Morning routine

    A visual schedule that gets everyone out the door on time.

  • Wandering and safety

    Staying close in the Venice boardwalk crowds instead of wandering off.

  • Asking for help

    Using words, signs or pictures to ask for what they need.

  • Playing with other kids

    Taking turns at the playground in Culver City's Veterans Memorial 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

    Buying lunch on the Third Street Promenade and counting the change.

  • Calling family

    Calling home when the bus is running late.

  • Getting around

    Riding the Big Blue Bus to school and knowing which stop is theirs.

  • Staying safe

    Crossing Venice Boulevard at the light, watching for bikes and scooters.

  • Talking with people

    Asking what something costs at a stand in the Santa Monica Farmers Market.

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 a week of simple dinners in a small apartment kitchen.

  • Laundry and cleaning

    Running a load in the building's shared laundry room, and getting it out on time.

  • Money and budgeting

    Paying bills, sticking to a budget and shopping with a list.

  • Riding the bus

    Transferring from Culver CityBus to the Metro E Line to get to Santa Monica.

  • Home alone safely

    Locking up, answering the door, and knowing what to do in an emergency.

  • Getting ready for work or class

    Planning the trip to Santa Monica College or West LA College, and arriving before class.

  • Making appointments

    Booking a doctor's visit in Westwood and planning the bus ride there.

  • Talking with people

    Making small talk with the barista at a neighborhood coffee shop.

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. Email your coordinatorAsk your service coordinator at Westside Regional Center to add adaptive skills training. The email copies us, so we can take it from there.
  2. Westside Regional Center approves itWestside Regional Center pays for it, so your family pays $0.
  3. We come to youOur first visit is at your home, anywhere from Malibu to Inglewood. We get to know your routines and set the goals with you.
  4. Skills growYour professional comes on a set schedule. As each skill sticks, practice moves out to the bus, the market and the beach path.
See the email to send
To: your service coordinator's email
CC: levi@levilifeskills.com
Subject: Adding Adaptive Skills Training to Service Plan

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.

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.

How do I reach Westside Regional Center?

Already a client? Your service coordinator is the one to email about adaptive skills training. If you can't find their email, call (310) 258-4000 and ask for your service coordinator.

The office moved from Culver City to 777 S. Aviation Blvd. in El Segundo, and the Culver City office is closed. You won't need to go there to start.

Westside Regional Center

El Segundo office

777 S. Aviation Blvd., Suite 105
El Segundo, CA 90245
(310) 258-4000
Get directions

New to Westside Regional Center? Call intake at (310) 258-4096. Our eligibility page walks you through what happens next.

What does a session look like?

A teen counts out coins to pay at a cafe counter, with a specialist beside them.
  • Your professional works right next to them and never takes over.
  • A little less help each week, until they can do it on their own.
  • Once it works at home, practice moves outside.

On the Westside, that might be the Big Blue Bus, a farmers market or a walk on the beach path.

From Malibu to Inglewood

Map of the Westside communities Levi Life Skills serves The shaded area is Westside Regional Center's area, from Malibu and Pacific Palisades along the coast to Inglewood, Hawthorne and Lawndale in the southeast, with Westside Regional Center's office in El Segundo. The San Fernando Valley, over the Santa Monica Mountains, belongs to North Los Angeles County Regional Center; Hollywood and West Hollywood belong to Lanterman Regional Center; the beach cities to the south belong to Harbor Regional Center. Santa Monica Bay 405 10 105 90 1 101 Manhattan Beach Sherman Oaks West Hollywood Santa Monica Culver City Inglewood Beverly Hills Malibu Hawthorne Venice Westchester Pacific Palisades Brentwood Westwood Bel Air Mar Vista Palms Marina del Rey Playa Vista Lawndale Gardena Lennox Century City Regional Center office NORTH LA COUNTY RC LANTERMAN RC SOUTH CENTRAL LA RC HARBOR RC ← Malibu coast
The green area is Westside Regional Center’s area. Regional center areas: California DDS. Roads and coastline: © OpenStreetMap contributors.

We come to families across Westside Regional Center's whole area, from Malibu and the Palisades through Santa Monica, Culver City and Beverly Hills, down to Westchester, Inglewood and Hawthorne.

Why families pick us

Degrees and deep experienceEvery professional has a master's degree, and on average they've done this work for 9.3 years.
They actually careWe hire people who genuinely love this work, and your child sees the same one at every session.
At home and nearbySessions happen at home and around your neighborhood, from Malibu to Inglewood.
No waitlistWe start up to two new families each week.
Evenings and weekendsSessions fit around school, work and Westside traffic.
Many languagesSpanish, Russian, Armenian, Mandarin and more. Ask which ones 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 Westside families ask

How experienced are the people you send?

Very. Every professional has a master’s degree, and they average 9.3 years of experience. We choose someone who has already helped kids like yours make progress, and your child keeps that same person at every visit.

What if my child doesn’t click with them?

Tell us, and we’ll make a change. We match on your child’s interests and personality from the start, because a good fit is what gets a child to try something hard.

Can sessions happen after school or on weekends?

Yes. We book evenings and weekends too, so sessions fit around school, work and the drive across the Westside.

We already have ABA. Is this something different?

Yes. ABA works on behavior, and health insurance usually covers it. Adaptive skills training teaches the skills of daily life, and Westside Regional Center pays for it. Lots of families use both.

How soon can sessions begin?

There’s no waitlist. We start up to two new families a week, and once Westside Regional Center approves the hours, we book your first visit at home.

My child is an adult now. Is it too late?

Not at all, and there’s no upper age limit. Adults learn to cook, stick to a budget, ride the bus and keep their own appointments.

Start adaptive skills training on the Westside

Answer three quick questions, and we'll show you your family's next step on the Westside.

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