jmitchell_selfadvocacy

My Definition of Self-advocacy:
Self-advocacy is ones ability to seek out, find and/or mobilize the resources he or she needs to accomplish a task or other event.Self-advocacy is important for students in transition because at the post-secondary level, accommodations and services rarely, if ever, seek out students in need.The student needs to be aware of his or her needs and make an effort to obtain and utilize the products and/or services.

Essential Elements to Self-advocacy
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 * Understanding your strengths and weaknesses
 * Understanding factors that could affect performance (e.g., disability, learning style)
 * Know your rights and responsibilities
 * Identify the problems that could arise
 * Identify steps to counteract, minimize, or solve the problems
 * Seek assistance when needed
 * Know your resources

**Person-Centered Planning**
Person-centered planning can aid in creating and enhancing self-advocacy. By focusing on the person and his or her needs, as well as actively involving him or her in the process, you begin to build confidence. Encouraging him or her to provide feedback about anticipated problems and future goals helps create a sense of empowerment and self-awareness. This also builds confidence in being able to later articulate abilities, limitations, and needs.

Self-advocacy Wallet Card from the Mental Health Association of Minnesota
Self-advocacy is the act of speaking up for yourself and your needs. The self-advocacy wallet card gives you some helpful reminders on how to effectively prepare, document, and communicate your needs before you address an issue.

//(Note: The text and image above are both taken from the Mental Heath Association of Minnesota Web site.)//
//From Joe: Excellent posting, Joshua. I really like the card too. Note the three points listed. We need to provide some students with this kind of concrete information, and we need to be working with them to help them understand what effective SA looks like.// //And for everyone, this posting, and Joshua's from last week, are great models for what your final wiki project will look like.//