Advocacy

2. Advocacy Define advocacy as you understand it. ____________________________________________________________________ In what areas have you had to advocate for your self or your child? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Are you comfortable advocating for yourself or your child? ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ How can we help? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Please give us contact info if you are in need of assistance…______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Know the Language: Repeat • Acronyms have become a huge part of your everyday life. Dr.s, educators and agencies all have their own language. • If you don’t know it learn it. Become familiar at the very least. • If this is not possible, NEVER, feel like you can’t ask for an explanation. Its better to learn something new then to leave confused or frustrated. • Transition will add a few new acronyms to the already long list you have had to know. CBI-CBVI-WBL SLC-FA-HMMMM? What are they talking about? • When possible help your child understand the language, after all it is their adult life you are now preparing for.

4. Evaluation • When: By this time you should have a good FIE that identifies IQ as well as strength and weaknesses that affect educational need. • A reevaluation may not occur more than once a year unless the parent and the LEA agree otherwise and must occur at least once every three years unless the parent and the LEA agree that a reevaluation is unnecessary. • FIE vs REED-a provision that permits parents and a LEA to agree that a reevaluation (FIE) of a student with a disability is unnecessary. http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=2147500009 • Who: The student’s parents or the adult student (e.g., information from outside agencies, medical or psychological reports, parent feedback regarding the student’s needs and progress, etc.), • teachers, diagnostician, counselor, other ISD personnel as needed • Service providers (OT, PT, Speech etc.) and agency reps/case workers • Transition Coordinator and/or VAC (by age 14) http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=2147500009 • HOW: REED or FIE • Previous evaluations or new ones • Evaluations and information provided by the parents • Teacher information/observations • Classroom based, local, and state assessments • Transition Evaluation • Why: At this time evaluation is crucial, from this evaluation all future plans will be made. "transition is envisioning where we want students to be in terms of living, employment, and post-secondary school options and determining and designing programs, services, and opportunities to help them get there. www.esc11.net/transition

5. The focus of all services should be transition, "Transition refers to a change in status from behaving primarily as a student to assuming emergent adult roles in the community. These roles include employment, participating in post secondary education, maintaining a home, becoming appropriately involved in the community, and experiencing satisfactory personal and social relationships. The process of enhancing transition involves the participation and coordination of school programs, adult agency services and natural supports within the community. The foundation for transition should be laid during the elementary and middle school years, guided by the broad concept of career development. Transition planning should begin no later than age 14, and students should be encouraged, to the full extent of their capabilities, to assume a maximum amount of responsibility for such planning.”    (Halpern, 1994) http://www.transitionintexas.org/domain/3 Education

6. What you can do: Prepare for the Transition/IEP Meeting • Complete the enclosed student/parent questionnaire with your child. • Be prepared to share this questionnaire with your child’s IEP team. • Bring suggestions to meetings on what actions you feel are needed to meet or move • toward goals in the transition plan. • Make yourselves familiar with the various roles and functions of team members. • Become aware of who is responsible for what services. • Become aware of timeliness for completion of goals. • Be supportive of your child’s transition program. • Participate in and reinforce the activities in the classroom and community that will prepare and help your child succeed in the adult world. • Promote appropriate behavior. • Teach and reinforce good grooming habits. • Teach money management skills. • Parents have rights on behalf of their child. • Parents have a right to have transition services included in their child’s IEP while in school. • The parents’ right to transition services transfer to their child at the age of majority (18) unless conservatorship has been legally established. • Your child is not necessarily entitled to adult services unless he/she meets the criteria I specific program to which he/she is applying.

7. Questions You Might Ask at the Transition/IEP Meeting • Questions for Secondary School Personnel: • What are the career and vocational objectives on my child’s IEP? • Will my child participate in job training, if appropriate? • On what social skills does the IEP team think my child needs to work? • I would like my child included in more vocational classes. What classes do you suggest? • What types of vocational assessments are administered to determine my child’s interests and strengths? • Will my child be taught functional math and reading? • What functional activities contribute to independence?

8. Insurance and Health Care What: Start with your private insurance but it is never to early to look into alternate plans. How: Contact you're local SS office, MHMR, and HHCS , options include CHIPS, MEDICAID, SSDI.. When: Now Don’t wait till your private insurance runs out or you are in an emergency situation. The application process is long and very involved with many part and partners who will need to complete their part before approval can be given. Why: If you have private insurance there will many things not covered and it will run out before you realize. Don’t wait… If you don’t have private coverage you’ll need all the assistance you can get and again getting it is a long process. Who: Local SS office, MHMR service center and HHSC office.

9. Employment Why Employment at this time may look different, it may just in the planning stages. You may even think this is not an option. But ask your self “what do I get out of Employment?” Money is the obvious answer…but there is so much more. What : Community interaction, Independence, Social Opportunity, Dignity…. What does your child want to do to earn a living and become a productive member of society? When:According to the state 14 is the time to begin planning, The feds say 16, does this mean you should put your kid out on a job now? NO. But the planning and assessing, should begin no later than 14, for a person identified with a disability it may take the 4 to 6 years to plan accurately. By starting early you can identify trends in interests and skills. It may not be obvious, so development of pre employment skills are crucial. Exposure to job setting and job skills is often necessary. This can be done many ways. Lets talk about a few. Where:School districts take on the larger part of the responsibility because it is their job to prepare our children for there next step. However as a parent you can help. Lets talk about what you can do…

10. Community • Who: Agencies, DARS, Work Force, Communities is Schools type programs. • Why: Recruit or at least talk with these agencies and see what they have to offer, from training to summer work programs, to evaluations. Don’t leave out your non-profits either you never know what they have going until you ask. • What: activities, training, assessments/evaluations • Where: Use the net, talk to your local support groups. • When: begin no later than 14 • Please remember to start talking about and planning for any guardianship concerns you may have.

11. Student/Parent Questionnaire for Transition Planning • Please consider these questions as you prepare for the next IEP meeting for your child. At this • meeting we will develop a transition plan, which will identify future goals for your child. These • questions will help identify your dreams for your child as we prepare for the future. • Employment: • I think my child will work in a: (check most appropriate option) • Full time regular job • Part time regular job • A job that has support and is supervised • Other: • My child’s strengths in this area are:_____________________________________________ • __________________________________________________________________________ • __________________________________________________________________________ • My child seems to enjoy working as: _____________________________________________ • __________________________________________________________________________ • __________________________________________________________________________ • When I think of my child working, I feel that (s) he needs to develop skills in this area:_______ • ___________________________________________________________________________ • ___________________________________________________________________________

12. Education: After graduation, my child will attend: College Community college Vocational training On-the-job training Other: My child’s educational strengths are:_________________________________________________________________ Recreational: When my child graduates, I hope (s) he is involved in (check all that apply): Independent recreational activities Activities with friends Organized recreational activities Other: During free time, my child enjoys:_______________________________________________________________ My child’s strengths in this area are:________________________________________ My child’s weaknesses in this area are:__________________________________________________________

13. Please check 3 to 5 areas in which your child needs information/support: Transportation: When my child graduates (s)he will (check all that apply): Have a driver’s license and car Walk Use a bus or taxi independently Use supported transportation (i.e., car pools, special program) Other: My child’s strengths in this area are: My child needs to develop skills in this area: Social/Interpersonal: Making friends Setting goals Getting along with family Handling legal responsibilities Managing anger Communicating needs appropriately Getting along with the opposite sex Other:

14. Personal Management: Hygiene Safety Mobility/transportation Money management/budgeting Time management Other: Health Care Issues such as a serious medical condition or management of medications. www.state.tn.us/education/speced

16. References and L Links/references Education Insurance and Health Care At this point, I could give you a list of references that would go on and on but I would prefer to connect to the network and just a few direct websites. Please remember HOTAN is here to help. Whether it is policy, advocacy, training, or just someone to talk with.The Network is a great place to turn. http://www.hotautismnetwork.org/ http://texasprojectfirst.org/ECI.html http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/cshcn/ http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10026.pdf http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=2147496883 http://nsttac.org/ www.state.tn.us/education/speced Insurance Evaluation Employment Community What Who How Why Advocacy