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Youth

Self-Advocacy

IN THE SCHOOLS

Postsecondary Transition Training

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NEW PTI REQUIREMENT

Federal Register Notification for PTIs

2014

“Address the needs of youth with disabilities for high-quality services that increase their capacity to be effective self-advocates.”

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Development of

Self-Advocacy & Transition Curriculum

My IEP: Learning the Basics

Focuses on the basics of a IEP meeting and the contents of an IEP. Upon the completion of the first session, students will have learned: what an IEP is, what an IEP meeting is, who makes up the IEP team, why it is important for him/her to participate in their own IEP meeting, and how to be involved in creating goals for themselves.

Hey, Where’s My Transition Plan?

Focuses on students learning about transition and planning for their future. Students will learn strategies for improving self-advocacy skills and will explore the options that students have after high school including college, vocational school, direct employment. Students will learn about accessing community activities and planning their living arrangements.

Partnered with the PTI in Tennessee to modify their transition booklet.

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Strategy For Making Youth Self-Advocacy Training Work In School Settings

Utilize relationships already established with schools.
FREE training can be inserted in school day using PTI as speaker
Assisted students with achieving transition goals

“You just completed the IEP transition goals on these students’ IEPs.”

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INDIANA YOUTH TRAINING STATS: YEARS 1-6

Self-Advocacy Training

‘14 - ‘15: 43 students trained
‘15 - ‘16: 130 students trained
‘16 - ‘17: 118 students trained
‘17 - ‘18: 448 students trained
‘18 - ‘19: 256 students trained
‘19 - ‘20: 73 students trained
101 trainings conducted

Youth Transition Training

‘14 - ‘15: n/a
‘15 - ‘16: n/a
‘16 - ‘17: in development
‘17 - ‘18: 16 students trained
‘18 - ‘19:142 students trained
‘19 - ‘20: 11 students trained
29 trainings conducted

A total of 1,237 students participated in these trainings

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Funding Opportunities:

Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act (WIOA)

Vocational Rehabilitation (Pre-ETS)
Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act allows braiding of funds proportionally per Uniform Guidance
Unified State Plan options
State Departments of Workforce Development

Local Workforce Boards select providers through grants or contracts

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PRE-EMPLOYMENT TRANSITION SERVICE �PRE-ETS

Job exploration counseling
Work-based learning experiences
Counseling on opportunities for enrollment in comprehensive transition or postsecondary education programs
Workplace readiness training to develop social skills and independent living
Instruction in Self-Advocacy

Self-advocacy skills
Self-determination
Accomodations
Peer mentoring

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PRE-ETS: HOW WE PIVOTED

Renegotiating relationships

Schools
Established Pre-ETS providers
VR

Curriculum changes

Many iterations
Incorporating peer mentoring
Incorporating individual session intake

Data Collection

Parent contact
Much more detailed data collection

SSNs
Graduation date
Several releases
Disability documentation

Branding Changes

Defining ourselves and our curriculum

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6 Classes Piloted in 3 Iowa Schools

Type	Number of Classes	Location
Urban	3	Des Moines - Hoover
Suburban	2	Winterset
Rural	1	Midland

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Mom’s Advice:

“Don't sign anything you don't understand.”

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HIGH EXPECTATIONS

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Included supplementary materials for parents, staff and students
Reduced presentation time to one class period
Adjusted for LD and ESL friendly format
Included Neuro Linguistic strategies with scaffolding and high interest use of cars and Google Maps

Changes from Original Program

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Research Based Instructional Methods

Engagement
Brain breaks
Activity based
Instructional methods

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When Does Transition Start?

https://www.transitioniowa.org/

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It’s Your Plan

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Individualized Education Program (IEP)

A written plan for a student in special education with goals &/or objectives to be achieved. Each student has their own IEP to meet their unique needs.

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STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES

Clip from Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Jake Kasdan, Columbia Pictures 2017.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Sfe88FpBSO5ToIj6lpOlgIjwqMCaVp4C/view?usp=sharing

Jessica: Examples/Excerpts from curriculum

Show video

“Raise your hand if you are good at something. (Pause) Okay, Now, raise your hand if you have something you like. (Pause) Now raise your hand if there are things you like to do. (Pause) Okay, look around the room. Do you think that we are all good at or like the same things? (Pause for response.) No. So, this is why it is important to be able to share these things at your meeting. If the team is going to plan for your UNIQUE NEEDS. We need to know the UNIQUE you.”

“In just a moment I will give you thirty seconds to tell someone sitting close to you something you are good at, something you like to do or some of your interests. So when I say go you turn to someone sitting close to you and tell them one thing that you are good at, something you like to do, or something that you like. Ready Go!” (When 30 seconds has passed start counting down slowly to bring the group back to focus 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Then have a few students share what they learned about others around them.)

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What About You?

What Do You Like to Do?	What Are You Interested in?	What Are you Good At?

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List of Opportunities

List Your Challenges	Why is this a Challenge?	Possible Opportunities
Example: “The text on the screen isn’t big enough”	It’s really hard for me to read the text.	Work with the teacher to get a larger font text.

“Everyone take out your folder and let's look at the Worksheet of Concerns for students.

Let’s list a concern that you may have at school. For some of you it may be math for others reading. In the example on the page I will tell you a story about a young man named David. David enjoyed going to school. One day he came home from school and told him mom “”Mom, there is this kid Johnny on the bus, and he keeps calling me names and it really bothers me.” So if we asked David to write down what his concern was, he would say. “I’m being bullied on the bus.”

-Pause and allow the students to fill in this box.

�“Now, in the next box we are going to write down why is this a problem. So, how does David know that he has a problem? Because Johnny is calling him names. So if you wrote down that reading is a problem for you, now you are going to write down why it’s a problem. For me I would have written down math was a problem and now I would write down that I was getting bad grades. Maybe you struggle with paying attention or with some of your behaviors in school. These are some ideas to write down here.

Make sure that you have this in writing to take with you to an IEP meeting to help you focus on your concerns and to keep you on track.”

�-Pause and allow students to fill in box.

�“In the last box I want you to really think about your concern and then pretend I had a magic wand. How would you want me to fix your concern? Now, I can’t promise you that the CCC will be able to fix your concern the way you would want it fixed every time, but I want you to know how important it is that you share your ideas with the team.”

�

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CONCERNS

If there is anything we could fix for you at school, what would it be?

Student Concern Form

Jessica: Examples/Excerpts from curriculum

“Concerns are another topic that the CCC will cover and really it will be the focus of most of the case conference meeting.

It is important that the team look at the concerns of the school staff, the parent and even the student.

But if a student were to be asked what their concerns were for the first time AT your case conference, they would likely have a hard time coming up with what they were and sharing them on the spot.

So, we have come up with a great tool for students to use when thinking through their concerns.

When thinking about your concerns about school ask yourself this question, “If there is anything, we the CCC, could fix for you at school what would it be and how would we do it?”

So, let’s break this down.”

“Everyone in the chat box I am placing a link to a student concern form that we are going to do together. After you put your first and last name there is a box that says school name, fill that in and then we will get started.”

The first box says list your concern, this is where you would list a concern that you may have about school. For some of you it may be math for others reading. For an example I will tell you a story about a young man named David. David enjoyed going to school. One day he came home from school and told his mom “”Mom, there is this kid Johnny on the bus, and he keeps calling me names and it really bothers me.” So, if we asked David to write down what his concern was, he would say. “I’m being bullied on the bus.”

-Pause and allow the students to fill in this box.

“Now, in the next box we are going to write down why is this a problem. So, how does David know that he has a problem? Because Johnny is calling him names. So, if you wrote down that reading is a problem for you, now you are going to write down why it’s a problem. For me I would have written down math was a problem and now I would write down that I was getting bad grades. Maybe you struggle with paying attention or with some of your behaviors in school. These are some ideas to write down here.

Make sure that you have this in writing to take with you to a CCC meeting to help you focus on your concerns and to keep you on track.”

-Pause and allow students to fill in box.

“In the last box I want you to really think about your concern and then pretend I had a magic wand. How would you want me to fix your concern? Now, I can’t promise you that the CCC will be able to fix your concern the way you would want it fixed every time, but I want you to know how important it is that you share your ideas with the team. So, let’s take a few minutes to write down how you would fix your concern.”

After students finish this form give them instruction to click on the submit button.

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Modifications

CHANGE IT!

Changing what is being taught or

what the student is expected to learn.

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Accommodations

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Who Will Attend The Meeting?

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Get What You Need

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Related Services

Services that a student needs in order to benefit

from special education.

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This Is YOUR Plan

PLAN

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Potential Adjustments for Iowa

COVID: Pivot to virtual or hybrid training
Address students with higher support needs
Provide supplemental family/caregiver training
Other additions and revisions to the curriculum

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Moving Forward

ASK is ready to scale this training in Iowa.

We are seeking funding partners to collaborate in this work.

Karen Thompson ● Project Management & Budget Questions ● karen@askresource.org

Mari Reynolds ● Curriculum Design ● Mari@askresource.org