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Direct support associate skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical direct support associate skills. We ranked the top skills for direct support associates based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 18.8% of direct support associate resumes contained intellectual disabilities as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a direct support associate needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 direct support associate skills for your resume and career

1. Intellectual Disabilities

Here's how direct support associates use intellectual disabilities:

Supervised and trained individuals diagnosed with mental illness and intellectual disabilities on independent living skills by use of behavior objectives.
Encouraged and worked with the people we supported who have developmental and intellectual disabilities in residential and vocational environments.

2. Emotional Support

At its core, emotional support involves providing support, reassurance, acceptance, love, and encouragement. It is especially important in a time of stress/sadness as it stabilizes an individual and provides a positive foundation for trust. Honing this skill is important for individuals who want to pursue the career of caregivers and emotional support nurses. Their job includes monitoring mental health and helping patients to handle any mental challenge.

Here's how direct support associates use emotional support:

Provided health, safety and emotional support of daily living for intellectually challenged individuals served at a nonprofit organization.
Provided emotional support and basic care to individuals with varying degrees of developmental disabilities.

3. Developmental Disabilities

Here's how direct support associates use developmental disabilities:

Work with individuals with moderate mental retardation and developmental disabilities and support them with tasks of independent living.
Delivered the quality of life for individual who are challenged with issues related to intellectual and developmental disabilities.

4. Administer Medications

Here's how direct support associates use administer medications:

Complete medical appointments, administer medications, and appointments.
Administer medications according to proper procedures.

5. Autism

Here's how direct support associates use autism:

Provided supervision of persons diagnosed with Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, brain injuries, and other developmental disorders.
Assisted patients with Autism and special needs with health and hygiene.

6. Group Homes

Here's how direct support associates use group homes:

Provide direct support to disabled individuals living in group homes in an effort for them to live with more independence.
Transport members from group homes to their day programs and assist members in adhering to treatment plans.

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7. Cleanliness

Here's how direct support associates use cleanliness:

Maintained complete cleanliness of the home.
Monitored residents' self administration of medication Cooked meals for residents and ensure group home cleanliness

8. Restraints

Here's how direct support associates use restraints:

Recorded client information on special flow sheets, accurately indicating suicidal precautions, sleep flow and restraints..

9. Motor Vehicle

A motor vehicle is a mode of transportation such as a car, truck or bus.

Here's how direct support associates use motor vehicle:

Transport clients to locations outside the home, such as to physicians' offices or outings, using a motor vehicle.
Transport clients to locations outside the home, such as to physicians' offices or on outings, using a motor vehicle

10. Money Management

Here's how direct support associates use money management:

Assisted consumers with budgeting and money management.
Trained patients on simple care activities such as housekeeping, grooming, time management, money management etc.

11. Medical Appointments

A medical appointment is a scheduled / specific day and time for a person to be examined or treated by a physician, nurse, or other licensed healthcare professional. The aim of the medical appointment is for the physician to be able to identify health problems or illnesses at an early stage.

Here's how direct support associates use medical appointments:

Coordinated transportation for persons served for medical appointments, recreational outings, and community events.
Provided massage therapy, prescription distribution, provided transportation to medical appointments and extracurricular activities.

12. Household Chores

Household chores are defined as the regular, day-to-day practices performed at home in order to sustain home life. These chores include practices such as cleaning, cooking, washing, doing dishes, ironing, and other everyday activities.

Here's how direct support associates use household chores:

Assisted persons served with shopping, preparing nutritious meals, laundry, various household chores, hobbies, etc.
Administered medications and helped client with various household chores, including cooking meals and doing light housekeeping.

13. Resuscitation

Here's how direct support associates use resuscitation:

Maintain CPR Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation certification.
Certified in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; Trained in first aid and medical technician practices - all per job duties.

14. Supported Living

Here's how direct support associates use supported living:

Provided assistance in employment, supported living, physical therapy routines, recreation and medication to individuals with disabilities
Provided direct support to three individuals with diverse disabilities in a supported living environment.

15. Community Integration

Community integration pertains to the different procedures that help patients integrate and become well-functioning members of a community.

Here's how direct support associates use community integration:

Direct support and case management for individuals with disabilities, working to facilitate their individual services plans allowing for community integration.
Assist and support individuals with community integration.

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List of direct support associate skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a direct support associate resume and required skills for a direct support associate to have include:

Intellectual Disabilities
Emotional Support
Developmental Disabilities
Administer Medications
Autism
Group Homes
Cleanliness
Restraints
Motor Vehicle
Money Management
Medical Appointments
Household Chores
Resuscitation
Supported Living
Community Integration
ISP

ADL
Vital Signs
Independent Living
Meal Prep
Direct Care Support
Patient Care
Food Preparation
Physical Disabilities
Emergency Situations
Incident Reports
Meal Planning
Mental Illness
HIPAA
Community Outings
Bed Linens
Oral Hygiene

Physical Support
Blood Pressure
Doctor Appointments
Groceries
Data Collection
Mental Disabilities
Urinals
Hippa
Behavior Management
Oral Medications
Behavioral Problems
Home Management
Community Events
Bedpans

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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