Self+Advocacy,+Person+Centered+Planning+Post

[|amp05003]

Allison Pescik

I really learned a lot about person-centered planning and self-advocacy through the story of Sabine in this module. Originally, I defined self-advocacy as one's ability to speak up for what they want or believe in. In this module, I realized it is more in depth than that- self-advocacy is one's ability to know their strengths, and weaknesses, formulate personal goals, and to be assertive in the decision making process. I think this definition shined in the "circle of support" meetings held for Sabine. I liked how the team even designed the meeting around her needs, to ensure that her voice was heard. Sabine took a bit longer to process or verbally speak up for herself on the spot. I learned that for students who may have these issues, we can help them prepare for the meeting by coming to the table with previously written notes that discuss her strengths, needs, interests, choices, etc. I think this is very valuable in person centered planning, especially when developing an action plan with the team. Even the room was designed to fit her needs- the student had the chance to arrange the furniture any way they like. I don't see this happening too much in settings I have worked in, and I think this is a way to make students feel more comfortable during a meeting. I have had some of my students say that it is uncomfortable and intimidating to sit around a long table, with chairs, and have eight to ten people talk about them. I also like the idea of taking breaks during the meeting if needed. This would allow the student to reflect on what is said and come back to speak after a few minutes of thinking. As I become more experienced in my career, and perhaps even become a special ed team leader one day, I think these are some valuable techniques we can put in place for all students.


 * //From Joe - nice points. Think about some typical IEP meetings. Lots of (well intended) professionals looking at (and often talking at) the student and family. Its a nice idea to talk to students about this and what they experience. Also, your point about bringing notes is a good one. Don't we tend to bring notes to important meetings? In Module 9, you'll see some other approaches to this!//**