Overview

Welcome to the Community Transitions Self Determination blog.  

You will use this Blog as a guide to delve into the concept of Self Determination. 

Topics include:

• Assessment
• IEP Information
• IEP Planning Worksheet
• Person Centered Planning
• Awareness
• Acceptance
• Laws
• Worker Characteristics
• Self Advocacy
• Age Appropriate Transition Assessment
• Accommodations
• Values
• Self Esteem
• Learning Styles
• Communication
• Problem Solving
• Decision Making
• Agency Research
• Community Services
• BioPoem
• Voting
• College Preparation Activities

Create a folder on your personal network account entitled "Self Determination".  
You will keep documents you create and assignment you complete in this file.

Assessment

MAJOR CONCEPTS OF SELF DETERMINATION

AUTONOMY

• Self-governing
• Make your own decisions

SELF REGULATION

• Monitoring of your emotions and behaviors
• Maintain focus and attention

EMPOWERMENT

• Control
• Competence
• Improvement on your goals and objectives

SELF-REALIZATION

• Fulfillment of your potential
• Maturing ego
• Finding your true self

Complete the ARC Self-Determination Scale

This scale is designed to:

1) assess your strengths and weaknesses
2) encourage your involvement to help plan instruction
3) provide discussion topics for self-determination concepts


RESOURCES
www.thearc.org

IEP information

1) Obtain a copy of your Evaluation and IEP.

2) Identify and read the following sections:

• Disability Category
• Present Levels of Performance
• Transition Services
• Special Education Services
• Modifications
• Prior Written Notice

IEP Planning Worksheet

Download the IEP Planning Worksheet to your Self Determination folder.

Obtain and use the following documents to fill out the requested information:

Most recent Progress Report
Transition Plan
Interest Inventories
Vocational Evaluations

Person Centered Plan

A Person Centered-Planning meeting is a way to develop an action plan to achieve your dreams.

Components of a Person-Centered Plan

• Ongoing, collaborative
• Team of support
• Individual is at the heart of the plan
• Completes a picture of the whole person
• Focuses on the positive by highlighting abilities
• Proactive approach
• Roadmap for the future
• Teamwork and accountability
• Everyone has ownership

1) Save the document Person Centered Plan to your personal network account.

2) Complete the Person-Centered Planning document and remember to save when you are done.


RESOURCES
www.gowise.org

Awareness

Becoming aware of your learning differences allows you to increase your sense of self-determination.  
You can use this awareness to describe the attributes that make you unique.

1) Read the student case study provided at your table group.
2) Save a Word document called "Case Study" to your personal network account.
3) Copy and paste the questions below into the document.
4) Answer each question based on the information from the case study.

     What is the definition of the word used to describe this person?
     What is their learning disability?
     What challenges does this person face?
     What strengths does this person demonstrate?
     What resources does this person use to reach their goals?

1) Save a Word document called "Words that describe me" to your personal network account.
2) Read through the document provided called "Words that describe people".
3) Highlight 10 words that describe you.
4) Make a list of the 10 words on your Word document.
5) Underline 5 words that you do not know but want to learn.
6) Use the internet to find the definition of the words.
7) Make a list of the 5 words and their definition on your Word document.



RESOURCES
2003, Success at Work: Transitions to Employment, ProEd

Acceptance

In order to find success, it is important to accept your learning differences.

• Clearly understand your strengths and needs.
• Get involved.
• Start to define what you want in life.
• Find the strategies that compensate for your difficulties.
• Challenge yourself.
• Connect with others.
• Find a mentor.
• Be a mentor.
• Learn about adults with learning challenges who have found success.

1) Take control


2) Find a support network




3) See yourself in a positive way




Save a Word document to your personal drive called "Acceptance" and complete the following assignments.


REFRAMING 

Reframing is looking at a situation in a new way.  
Think of your abilities - not your disabilities.

Think about times when you have felt a sense of pride and accomplishment.  
Choose two experiences and describe the following for each experience.

1) Why was this experience positive and rewarding for you?
2) Describe your feelings during this experience.
3) How did you plan and prepare?
4) What support did you have?
5) What resources did you use?


CONTROL 

Control is to take responsibility for what happens in your life.



1) Describe a situation where you are not in control.  
2) List the steps you can take to be more in control.
    Examples of situations:
         Health
         Relationships
         Money
         Education
         Work


RESOURCE
2003, Success at Work: Transitions to Employment, ProEd

THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE

Independence or Self-Mastery
   Habit 1: Be Proactive
   Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
   Habit 3: Put First Things First

Interdependence
   Habit 4: Think Win-Win
   Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood
   Habit 6: Synergize

Self Renewal
   Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw

RESOURCE

R, Stephen. (2004). The 7 habits of highly effective people. New York, NY: Covey

1) Choose one habit to research.
2) Visit the website listed below.
3) Read the description about the habit.
4) List 5 key points from the description.

https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits-habit1.php

Laws

IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)


IDEA is part of Public Law 94:142 which was passes in 1975 and updated in May 2003.  It provides appropriate special education services to students with disabilities through age 21.  Qualified students with disabilities are entitled to specially designed instruction, accommodations and modifications, but only until high school graduation requirements are satisfied and IEP goals are met.

SECTION 504 OF THE REHABILITATION ACT



This law is about access.  Persons with a documented disability who are enrolled in or working for a school, company or organization that received federal funding may be entitled to accommodations in order to access their job or education under Section 504.  There is no age limit for receiving services under this act.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT



This law was passed in 1990.  Section 1 of this law protects persons with disabilities in any employment setting, whether the setting receives federal funding or not.  This law applies to people of any age.





1) Click on the website link entitled Special Education Law and read the information provided.

2) Read the handout "Knowing Your Rights and Responsibilities".

3) Save the document Special Education Law to your network account.  

4) Fill out the table based on the handouts that you read.

Worker Characteristics

It is important to know the differences between school and work.  
When you know what to expect, than you can prepare yourself to do well.

WORKER CHARACTERISTICS

Adaptable
Flexible
Dedicated
Collaborative
Skilled
Organized
Innovative
Responsible
Confident
Resilient


1) Download the document Worker Characteristics to your network account.

2) Make a Word chart to list and define the 10 Worker characteristics.

3) Put the 5 you think are the most important in red lettering.
Describe to your group why you chose those 5 characteristics.

4) Put the 3 characteristics that you need to improve in bold lettering. 
Describe to your group why you chose those 3 characteristics.

5) Answer the following questions:
What are your emotions about leaving school?
What will be different about your life?
What will a typical day look like for you?

6) Make a Word Chart to document your current responsibilities based on the example.
Determine which responsibilities are transferable beyond the school environment.

Self Advocacy

How can I be an effective SELF ADVOCATE?

• Ask for help

• Use strategies

• Keep learning

• Speak up

• Job Partners

• Accept Support

DISCLOSURE

• Telling someone about your learning differences

SELF-ADVOCACY

1) Complete the Self-Advocacy Checklist.

2) Open a Word document called Self-Advocacy and answer the following questions.

• What is your disability?
• Describe how your disability affects how you learn.
• Describe how you learn best.
• What accommodations are supported by your IEP documentation?

Age Appropriate Transition Assessment

AGE APPROPRIATE TRANSITION ASSESSMENT

1) Download the document Age Appropriate Transition Assessment to your Self Determination Folder. 

• Needs
• Strengths
• Preferences
• Interests

2) Use the following questions to help you fill in the information in our chart.

NEEDS

What are the accommodations that help me?

How can others help me?

What are some things that are difficult for me?

STRENGTHS

What do I do well in school?

What do I do well at home or in my community?

What do other people say are my strengths?

PREFERENCES

What works for me? What helps me be successful?

Where do I see myself in the future?

INTERESTS

What do I like to do when I am not in school?

What activities or organizations do I enjoy participating in?

What are my hobbies?

3) Compare your answers with what is already in your IEP.

Accommodations

1) In the Links section of the blog, click on JAN.

2) Save a Word document to your network account called "Job Accommodations".

3) Write a description of what the resource JAN provides for people with disabilities and their employers.

4) Click on the title "A-Z of Disabilities and Accommodations" and read through the list of disabilities.

5) Choose one of the disabilities listed below.

• Autism
• Intellectual Impairment
• Developmental Disabilities
• Learning Disabilities
• ADHD

6) Write a list of the accommodations that an employer can provide for someone identified with that disability.

Values

What Is A Value?

A value is an idea that someone believes to be important and rates highly in their lifestyle.

"Values play an important part in our lives. They help us decide what we expect of ourselves and of others. Our values help us to make decisions."

achievement	appearance	creativity
courtesy	cleanliness	family
friendship	justice	liberty
knowledge	love	patriotism
power	religion	respect
skill	wealth	wisdom

1) Which 4 values are the most important to you? Explain why.

2) In the United States, two values are seen as very important. Which do you think they are?

• "Liberty" says that a person is free to do whatever he decides, within the bounds a society (home, school, city, county, state, nation) has established. 

• These boundaries are called "Justice", which sets limits for personal liberty on the basis of truth, fairness, right, and benefit to all concerned.

3) Draw a large rectangle to represent a football field.

"Liberty" allows a person to run around anywhere he or she wants on that field.

"Justice" is the two sidelines and the two endlines. 

These four boundary lines could be called:

            

Illegal

Verbal abuse

Hurting self 

Hurting others

Persons who step on these lines are "out-of-bounds." They choose to suffer a consequence.

RESOURCES:

http://www.freewayfoundation.org/

Peacemakers Violence Prevention Curriculum

Self Esteem

“Self-esteem is appreciating one’s own worth and importance, and having the character to be accountable for one’s self and act responsible towards others.” 

(US state task force on self-esteem, personal and social responsibility) 

“A confidence and satisfaction in oneself.” 

(Webster’s dictionary) 

COMPONENTS OF SELF-ESTEEM 

1) TRUST



Trust starts early in life and is based on how we are received into the world. We learn to trust ourselves and begin to have a realistic trust of others. We begin to develop confidence in the self’s ability to choose others who are safe or who will 
not injure or exploit us. 


2) SELF-NURTURE



Self-Nurture is born of trust. We learn how to be caretakers of ourselves. 

3) AUTONOMY




Autonomy comes from mastery. We work through necessary dependencies to a growing independence. We find interdependence when we can separate ourselves from other around us and yet retain vital connections to others. 


4) IDENTITY



Identity grows. We begin to know who we are and who we are becoming. In each stage of life, self-esteem undergoes change and growth. We feel more solid as our identity grows. 

5) INTIMACY




Intimacy develops from identity and the need for connection. It is the ability to relate closely and to know the limits of closeness. We yearn to lose ourselves in love and yet we need to retain our own separate essence. 


Healthy self-esteem involves all of the above basic elements. If we lose those characteristics or never develop them, there is a significant absence of self-esteem. 

Low self-esteem affects our body, mind, and spirit. 

RESOURCES
http://www.steppingstonesforvets.org/Self-Esteem/Understanding_Self.pdf
Dianne Barham, Call Centre for Youth Program, YWCA of Greater Toronto





1) MY BEST

Write down the answers to the following questions on a piece of paper.

• What is my best feature?
• What is my best talent?
• What is my best work skill?
• What is my best relationship?
• What is my best memory?
• What is my best achievement?
• What is my best recreational activity?
• What is my best recipe I make?
• What is my best subject in school?
• What is my best time of day?

2) REINFORCEMENT

• Stand in a line facing each other.
• One person at a time walks through the middle of the line.
• Each person on the outside states something positive about the person walking through.

3) FEELINGS

Self-esteem fluctuates at various times in one’s life. 

Think of a time when your self-esteem is high. 

• How do you feel when your self-esteem is high? How do you behave? 
• How do you feel about others when your self-esteem is high? How do you behave? 

Think of a time when your self-esteem is low.

• How do you feel when your self-esteem is low? How do you behave? 
• How do you feel about others when your self-esteem is low? How do you behave? 

Learning Styles

VISUAL
Learners who learn best by seeing information.




AUDITORY
Learners who learn best by listening to information.



TACTILE
Learners who learn best by experiencing things through 
movement and touch.






Complete the following inventories.
Compare and contrast your results.

1) What's Your Style?

2) How to Learn Inventory

3) Learning Style Inventory

4) Multiple Intelligences Inventory



RESOURCES
www.sunburst.usd.edu
www.howtolearn.com
www.odessa.edu