2 ISBN 978-1-4675-3693-6 Copyright © 2012 by Kristina English http://gozips.uakron.edu/~ke3/Self-Advocacy.pdf 3 …………………………………………………………………… TABLE OF CONTENTS …………………………………………………………………… Background and Overview of Curriculum Unit 1: Introduction – What Is Self-Advocacy? Lesson 1 Self-Advocacy: What Is It and Why Is It Important? Unit Evaluation: Quiz 1 Unit 2: Knowledge Is My Power Base Lesson 2 My Legal Rights While in High School: My IEP Lesson 3 My Legal Rights When I Leave High School: Section 504 and College Lesson 4 My Legal Rights When I Leave High School: ADA and Work Lesson 5 Transitioning: Making the Move from High School to College and Work Unit Evaluation: Quiz 2 Unit 3: Personal and lnterpersonal Skills for the Self-Advocate Lesson 6 Setting Goals, Identifying Needs Lesson 7 Expressing My Needs Effectively Lesson 8 Negotiating with Others Lesson 9 Resolving Problems Unit Evaluation Quiz 3 Unit 4: Putting It All Together: Using Knowledge with Skills Lesson 10 My Role in Transition Planning: Preparation Lesson 11 Practicing for an IEP Meeting: Participation Lesson 12 Evaluating My IEP Participation 4 Background and Overview of Curriculum RATIONALE responsibility of advocating for their own needs. Research has shown that upon During their elementary and secondary leaving high school, students who are deaf school years, students who are deaf or hard or hard of hearing typically of hearing are provided a wide array of technical and instructional support to ensure • do not know their legal rights, that their educational needs are met. These • do not know who is responsible for supports may be provided by special protecting those rights in a work or educators, audiologists, speech-language college setting, and pathologists, note takers, interpreters and others, and may include assistive devices, • are not aware that they are eligible for adapted curriculum, therapy, direct financial and technical assistance. instruction, and indirect consultation. All such supports are guaranteed by the This lack of information probably Individuals with Disabilities Education Act contributes to the relatively high dropout of 1990 (IDEA, Public Law [PL] 101-476). rate for college students with hearing Students can fairly be described as passive impairment (71% compared to 47% for consumers of these services; that is, the students without disabilities) as well as to services are provided in response to needs difficulties faced in the world of work. identified by parents and educators and other professionals, rather than in response to For students who are deaf and hard of concerns identified by the learners hearing, the skills needed to advocate for themselves. one's own rights are typically learned to some degree by trial and error in the However, when students graduate from high postsecondary setting. Given the clear need school, the "safety net" of IDEA is in effect for these skills, it would be an appropriate pulled out from under them. Certainly, their goal to require a student to demonstrate civil rights are still protected, by the some skills in advocating for oneself before Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (PL high school graduation. Changes to the 101-336) and Section 504 of the IDEA now provide support for the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (PL 93-117). But development of self-advocacy skills as a the burden of responsibility shifts from relevant educational goal. An amendment to professional service providers to the the IDEA requires that, while still in high individual with a disability. In other words, school, a learner with a disability is entitled to obtain assistance and support, the student to "transition planning" in order to facilitate must operate as an active rather than a the child’s secondary transition: passive consumer by taking the initiative in seeking out and obtaining appropriate “Beginning not later than the first IEP to be supports, whether in work or higher in effect when the child turns 16, or younger education settings. Typically, graduating if determined appropriate by the IEP Team, high school seniors who are deaf or hard of and updated annually thereafter, the IEP hearing are underprepared to assume the must include: appropriate measurable 5 postsecondary goals based upon age- will learn and practice strategies to enhance appropriate transition assessments related to their ability to advocate for their rights. training, education, employment, and, where appropriate, independent living skills; and the transition services (including courses of DESCRIPTION OF MATERIALS study) needed to assist the child in reaching those goals. [34 CFR §300.320(b)] The materials in this workbook consist of 12 lessons, organized into four units with three An obvious component of transition evaluations and a summative learning planning should be the development of skills activity. The unit topics are as follows: that will enable students who are deaf and hard of hearing to identify, seek out, and obtain the assistance needed to succeed in • Unit 1: Introduction – What Is Self- the postsecondary setting, whether as a Advocacy? college student or an employee. Combining • Unit 2: Knowledge Is My Power information with guided practice has been Base shown to be an effective strategy in teaching transition skills. • Unit 3: Personal and Interpersonal Skills For the Self-Advocate Of course, not all students have an IEP. • Unit 4: Putting It All Together: Whether receiving services as described in a Using Knowledge with Skills 504 plan, or receiving no services at all, high school students with hearing loss still need to understand their future rights as college The articulation of each unit is students or employees. They also typically straightforward. After the introductory need support in developing negotiating and lesson in Unit 1, Unit 2 provides the "why" problem-solving skills. Instructors are urged (or theory) of self-advocacy. Unit 3 to include all students, regardless of special describes the "hows," with strategies for education status, in transition planning. developing interpersonal skills. Unit 4 provides opportunities to synthesize theory The set of curricular materials presented and interpersonal skills with guided practice here focuses on the unique issues of learners in self-advocacy. with all degrees of hearing loss, and provides teachers with classroom-ready These 12 lessons have been designed to lessons designed to focus on those issues in integrate into virtually any existing course a problem-solving context. The purpose of that addresses life skills, career preparation, these materials is to provide students who or community membership. The materials are deaf and hard of hearing with a reflect a "personal growth" orientation; that pragmatic knowledge base, information is, the lessons are designed to help students regarding appropriate interpersonal skills, identify a personal goal (in this case, the and opportunities to integrate their ability to advocate for oneself) and develop knowledge base with skills. strategies to work toward that goal. Several types of learning activities Students will become familiar with the are incorporated into the lessons, including rights of individuals with disabilities and case studies, role-playing scripts, self- assessments, and group projects. Homework 6 assignments are designed to introduce 4. Conduct a personal inventory of students to the resources and support hearing abilities and hearing services available in their community, and to difficulties, and identify technologies experience the positive effects of peer and strategies that best accommodate support. Because the wide range of reading one's needs for education and levels among students who are deaf and hard employment. of hearing can make access to written 5. Describe and role-play basic material problematic, student materials are negotiation skills and different written at a level that should be within the approaches to conflict resolution. reading abilities of most students. 6. Prepare for and actively participate in an IEP conference to discuss This text is designed for classroom learning, transition plans. but can also be used as a self-study guide or 7. Evaluate IEP participation. one-on-one mentoring tool for students who do not regularly interact in school with other students with hearing loss. Advanced IMPORTANT NOTE students should be encouraged to adapt REGARDING PLANNING lessons into slides, and present the material to others. Lessons 1-11 are designed to prepare students to actively participate in their IEP meetings. Lesson 12 includes post hoc EXPECTED OUTCOMES evaluations of IEP participation. Therefore, a student’s IEP meeting is the pivotal point With the successful completion of around which the delivery of self-advocacy assignments and unit evaluations, students instruction should be planned. It is will demonstrate the following recommended that instructors plan their competencies: instruction with respect to anticipated IEP 1. Define the concept of self-advocacy meeting schedules. and its role in the life of a person with a disability. If students do not have an IEP, instructors 2. Describe the basic rights of persons are encouraged to develop scenarios relevant with disabilities with respect to to the student’s situation to provide education and employment. comparable practice and feedback. 3. Describe the differences in law that protect a student’s rights before and after high school graduation. 7 UNIT 1 Introduction- What Is Self-Advocacy? OVERVIEW OF UNIT 1 In this introductory lesson, students will learn the meaning of the terms advocacy and self-advocacy, and will learn three reasons for developing self-advocacy skills. CONTENTS OF UNIT 1 Lesson 1: Self-Advocacy: What Is It and Why Is It Important? Unit Evaluation: Quiz 1 8 LESSON 1 ..……….………………..……………………………………….. Self-Advocacy: What Is It and Why Is It lmportant? …………………………………………………..………………. PURPOSE OF LESSON 1 This lesson provides an overview of the concepts of advocacy and self- advocacy. The lesson describes how skills in self-advocacy can be used to protect the rights of persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. EXPECTED LEARNER OUTCOMES 1. Learners will define and give examples of the concepts of advocacy and self-advocacy. 2. Learners will state three reasons for the need for self-advocacy skills for high school students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Instructional Activities Performance Activities Materials 1. Warm-up activity: Students vote yes or no Worksheet 1a “What do I think?” 2. Core material Students complete worksheet as Worksheets 1a, 1b note taking assignment 3. Learning activity: Review Group discussion Worksheet 1a “Think” questions 4. Summary, homework Homework assignment Worksheet 1c 9 SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL/ high dropout rare for students in college and PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES (b) limited opportunities for students moving into employment. 1. State today's goal: Today you will learn what the words advocacy and self- High Drop Out Rate for College advocacy mean and why they are important Students to high school students who are deaf or hard of hearing. 2. As a warm-up activity and Getting into college does not seem to informal "pretest," present "What Do I present much of a problem for students who Think?" questions to class (Worksheet 1a) are deaf or hard of hearing. The entry rates and ask class to answer/guess with true-false are nearly the same as for students without responses (take a show of hands and keep a disabilities. However, once in college, tally on the board). students with hearing impairments are at 3. Present Lesson 1 Core Material high risk of dropping out. Approximately while students follow along on Worksheet 7l% of students who are deaf or hard of 1b. hearing leave college before completing a 4. Provide practice with new degree, compared to the withdrawal rate of information: Ask students to review only 47% for students without disabilities. Worksheet la and compare answers with Why? We know that college students new information from lecture. who are deaf and hard of hearing often 5. Lead group discussion. experience difficulty in (a) getting the 6. Summarize with Worksheet lc and technical assistance (interpreters, FM describe homework assignment. systems) that they need to make good 7. State topic of next meeting: Next grades; and (b) integrating into the social time we meet, we will talk more specifically system of college (establishing a circle of about your legal rights. friends), even when doing well in the academic system (earning good grades). College students who are deaf or hard of hearing typically report that they LESSON 1 CORE MATERIAL need help and often do not know how to obtain it. For example, they may easily Parents and teachers are concerned that a recognize that they need a note taker but not high number of students who are deaf or know how to arrange for one, or whether hard of hearing leave the relatively sheltered they are expected to pay for the service. Or a environment of high school with little or no information regarding their legal rights in student may ask a teacher to wear a microphone for an FM system but the educational and work settings. Typically, students are not familiar with the laws that teacher refuses. The student typically does not know how to proceed from that point. protect their rights through their high school years and are unaware of the change in their In addition, students (with and without hearing loss) often are not aware of legal status upon high school graduation. This change in legal status will affect the importance of making friends and developing a sense of "belonging" to the you whether you continue your education in college, attend vocational training, or seek college. Most students who drop out of college do so not because the academic employment. The cost of "not knowing" contributes to two major concerns: (a) a very work is too hard but because they have not 10 developed a social network of friends, the rights of a person or a cause. faculty, and staff to help them when they are discouraged or tired. Given what we know Examples from the news: about the difficulties of communicating with a. Persons who raise money hearing loss and the effects on developing for food pantries are social relationships, it is easy to see why advocates for hungry students who are deaf or hard of hearing neighbors. need both information and skills before b. Persons who petition the going to college. government to pass laws protecting animals from cruelty or extinction. Limited Opportunities for Students Moving into Employment 2. Self-advocacy: understanding and seeking support for one's Employees who are deaf or hard of hearing personal rights. have reported a variety of difficulties in work settings, including (a) problems Examples from the news: obtaining reasonable accommodations such a. Citizens who protest as interpreters, texting services, and against limits on voting amplified telephones, and (b) limited access times or locations to advanced training opportunities. Both b. Other? issues result in workers feeling locked into entry-level positions with reduced In summary, there are three reasons why opportunity for advancement. In addition, students need to learn self-advocacy skills: employers frequently are not familiar with collaborating with vocational rehabilitation 1. Employers may not know about services, and employees with hearing the rights of persons who are impairment are often not skilled in deaf or hard of hearing. interpersonal skills such as negotiation and 2. College teachers may not know assertiveness, which could help them obtain about the rights of persons who accommodations and advanced training. are deaf or hard of hearing. 3. Laws will protect persons with In this introductory lesson to self-advocacy, hearing loss, but individuals must two definitions are necessary: look out for themselves once they leave high school. 1. Advocacy: seeking support for