Last post Thu, Apr 24 2008 9:52 AM by nancycccslp. 1 replies.
I am a graduate student studying special education. I specifically want to work with students with visual impairments.
Self advocacy is a skill that children with disabilities should be taught early on so that they know how to stand up for themselves. Along with that goes self-determination which is basicall a "can do" attitude hat they have a purpose and can go out and be successful. In your opinion what are some ways to start teaching young children advocacy skills? How can we promote self determination among our youngest students? Also along these lines, what are your feelings about student run IEP meetings? At what age should students be allowed to attend there own IEP meetings and be involved in decisions made about their education?
Thank you.
Self-determination and self-advocacy both take a certain level of metacognition; the knowledge of how you learn, what strategies work for you, and how to repair a breakdown. There is no absolute "age" for this; but neurotypical children can be expected to show these abilities by middle school, APPROXIMATELY. I have seen older students participate in their own CSE/IEP meetings, and in general it is a positive experience for them. A lot depends on the adults present; specific questions to the child re: what worked/didn't work this year, what would YOU like to see for next year/what would you like to work on...........................carefully and supportively handled, this can be a very empowering experience for the student.
Teaching self-advocacy is done along a continuum. It starts when the child is taught the word "no" and is allowed to use it. I have exhausted many a parent with this; all children need to be able to say "no." Of course, we cannot always honor the "no," but we must always acknowledge it ("I hear you saying no. Good using your words. We need to do this now, but after we (task) then we can (fun thing)."). Children can also be supplied with the language they obviously want to use before they are capable of formulating it themselves. If a child is angry and clearly wants a turn with a toy, I may say "Michael, you want to say 'It's my turn!!'" When the child uses their language to make their needs and feelings known, a positive acknowledgement should always be given ("Nice using your words! I hear your words, you want to go outside now."). Also, always give a child choices whenever you can. This can be as simple as "do you want the blue crayon or the red crayon?" or more complex, such as "do you want to go to Speech now or during snack time?" These simple techniques let a child know that their words have power, and they are being listened to.
