Domain 5:
Community-Referenced Curriculum and Programs
5.1 Use or share instructional resources addressing independent living
5.2 Use or share instructional resources addressing community participation (e.g., transportation, recreation, services)
5.3 Use or share instructional resources addressing healthy social relationships
5.4 Use or share instructional resources addressing self-advocacy and self-determination
5.5 Provide or facilitate instruction in self-advocacy and self-determination skills
5.6 Support student self-advocacy within the transition planning process
5.7 Collaborate with school and community programs to foster self-advocacy
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TNT Flyer
Job Training
Promoting Person Centered Planning
Transition Planning for Families
Planificación de transición para familias
When providing instruction for individuals with disabilities, self-advocacy and decision-making skills should be specifically taught and embedded into multiple aspects of academic planning. “From these perspectives, self-determination means having the power to make decisions, to direct one’s actions, to dream and take risks, and to exercise rights and responsibilities (Powers, 2012).” This instruction can take on many forms in the classroom, from understanding the requirements of a dream job to helping plan school events on a high school campus. Students who can self-advocate are more likely to succeed in the transition process and gain a say in their own goals and life outcomes. In addition, families should be included in the planning process and provided information from the local Tri-Counties Regional Center and other local agencies to better understand and facilitate the transition process in their community.
Learning to self-advocate in the workplace can be a challenging obstacle for individuals to overcome, but the skills to assist with this are avaiable.
Working with peers both with and without disabilities at a campus-wide inclusion event. (5.6, 5.7)
It can be a very personal decision to disclose a disability. Students may need to understand the impact of their disability in the workplace and have family support for goal setting. However, specific instructional strategies in self-advocacy and self-determination can lead to better vocational and community participation outcomes. “Workplace accommodations and natural supports can greatly improve job tenure for people with severe mental illness disorders, especially supports by co-workers and supervisors (Corbière, 2014).”
Individuals with disabilities are at increased risk of abuse and poorer post-transition outcomes. Specific instruction and skills provided to students who are at risk may be more likely to defend themselves, speak up, and avoid exploitive situations. “They improved their safety and self-advocacy knowledge, their confidence to defend themselves, and perhaps the most compelling outcome, they spoke up more to stop potentially abusive situations (Dryden, 2014).” Community-referenced instruction in the classroom and during the transition process is beneficial to at-risk students. The outcomes can result in more successful independent living and self-advocacy scenarios.
Using money in the classroom, on campus, and in the community can help increase independence and generalize skills.(5.1, 5.2)
References:
Benitez, D.T. & Morningstar, M.E. (2005). Secondary Teachers Transition Survey. University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS.
Corbière, M., Villotti, P., Lecomte, T., Bond, G. R., Lesage, A., & Goldner, E. M. (2014). Work accommodations and natural supports for maintaining employment. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 37(2), 90-98. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/prj0000033
Dryden, Desmarais, J., & Arsenault, L. (2014). Effectiveness of the IMPACT: Ability Program to Improve Safety and Self-Advocacy
Skills in High School Students With Disabilities. The Journal of School Health, 84(12), 793–801. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12211
Powers, Geenen, S., Powers, J., Pommier-Satya, S., Turner, A., Dalton, L. D., Drummond, D., & Swank, P. (2012). My Life: Effects of a longitudinal, randomized study of self-determination enhancement on the transition outcomes of youth in foster care and
special education. Children and Youth Services Review, 34(11), 2179–2187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2012.07.018
UNIQUE Learning System. (2013) Transition Passport. Community Job Training Job Training Site Matches. https://www.n2y.com/unique-learning-system/
Ventura County Office of Education, 2021, Transition Networking Team (TNT) 2021 – 2022 Events [Brochure]
Ventura County Tri-Counties Regional Center, 2015, Person-Centered Practices [Brochure] https://www.tri-counties.org/
Ventura County Tri-Counties Regional Center, 2015, Transition to Adult [Brochure] https://www.tri-counties.org/
Ventura County Tri-Counties Regional Center, 2015, Transition to Adult-Spanish[Brochure]
Photos (Doepking, 2022)
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