Park Forest Middle School Self-Advocacy and Self-Determination

Do You “Know Yourself”?  What are your strengths? What do you do well?  How do you learn?  What do you need to be able to learn?

What is Self-Advocacy?  Speaking up for yourself  Taking responsibility for what you want  Starts by knowing yourself, how you learn and how you do things  Knowing what you need and being able to ask for it

Who Are Self-Advocates  People that learn or do things differently  People that can be role models  Volunteers  Help others speak up for themselves

 Feeling quiet and too shy to speak  Feeling frustrated and mad  Feeling like I don’t know what to do  Feeling afraid of saying the wrong thing  Not knowing how someone else might react  Wanting to be nice to everybody  Not wanting to cause a problem  Not wanting to draw attention to myself  Thinking that no one will understand me What Stops You From Being Your Own Advocate?

 Figure out what stops you from being your own advocate  Come up with ways to overcome it

Can Self-Advocacy Make A Difference?  Examples of changes made by self- advocates:  Living at home  Transportation  School classes

How To Be A Self-Advocate  You don’t need a title  Respect others  Have a voice and speak up  Be positive

How To Be A Self-Advocate  Listen to the ideas of others  Be truthful  Ask for help when you need help  Reach for your dream  Stand up for your legal rights

Why You Should Be A Self-Advocate  It helps you to protect your rights.  You can prepare for your future.  You can help others to be self-advocates too.

Is “Attitude” Important in Self-Advocacy?  Yes  Positive attitudes and beliefs are as important as skills.  You are worth advocating for.  Self-advocacy means taking responsibility for what you want.

Changing Attitudes  Many people have the WRONG ideas about people that learn or do things differently.  We are here to change some of those ideas.  We will share some of the WRONG ideas people have and show you the RIGHT ideas.

Changing Attitudes  WRONG WAY: 1.Just because you learn or do things differently people don’t like you & judge you. 2.Because I have different abilities, I can’t help.  RIGHT WAY: 1.Introduce yourself. Ask if you can be their friend and try to be friends 2.People with different abilities can be courteous. They can help. They can be useful.

Changing Attitudes  WRONG WAY: 3. People with different abilities can’t participate in sports. 4.People that learn or do things differently pick on others. They are mean.  RIGHT WAY: 3.They can. They can be talented in sports. They can have good sportsmanship. 4.Not true. They can be helpful with others.

Changing Attitudes WRONG WAY: 5.People that learn or do things differently can’t stand up for themselves. 6.People with different abilities are not that smart or strong. RIGHT WAY: People with different abilities can speak for themselves. They can be honest, raise their voice and stand up for themselves. 6.People that learn or do things differently can be smart. They can have willpower and can still work hard.

What Are Accommodations?  Things that help you learn or accomplish what you are trying to do  Examples of accommodations:  Sitting in the front of the class  Extra time on tests  Larger print  Pictures  Having instructions written instead of spoken  Having instructions spoken instead of written  Wheelchair or walker

What is Self-Determination?  Having control over those parts of life that are important to YOU

Why Is Self-Determination Important?  To you  You can choose who your friends are.  You have the right to be heard. You have feelings.

Why is Self-Determination Important?  To people around you  You and your family can choose how you live your life.  Friends and family can help you make choices and be a good self-advocate.

What Does It Mean To Have Self-Determination?  Y ou should be treated like anybody else. You should not be treated differently because you learn or do things differently.  As you make more choices and take greater control of your life you take on more responsibilities.

What Does It Mean To Have Self-Determination?  Everyone gets help from others.  You need to give help to others.

 Why should we contribute?  Contributing or volunteering makes us feel like a part of something.  Contributing helps us figure out who we are and what is important to us. Why Is Contributing A Part Of Self-Determination?

 Everyone can contribute to their community.  You can contribute your time and skills as well as what you think and feel.

How Can You Contribute?  Doing chores around your house  Helping others  Mowing grass  Babysitting  Carrying in groceries  Listen to a friend’s problem  Getting involved in school activities  H elping others with their homework

How Can You Show Self-Determination?  Make choices for yourself

How Can You Show Self-Determination?  Direct your own IEP

How Can You Show Self-Determination?  Ask for what you need that would make things easier for you  Learn to talk about things you do well and things you like to do

Why Is It Important To Try (even if it doesn’t work)?  “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again”  Sometimes we learn by fixing the mistakes we made.