This activity will help students to understand in greater detail how they learn and prepare them to discuss their needs with others. When students request services from an office of disability services, they will have to describe their disability and what their needs are in the classroom. Students will gain a better understading of their learning differences in this activity by reviewing the professional documentation of their disability.
This documentation may be provided by a medical doctor or through testing done by a school psychologist. They should make an appointment with their doctor if they have medical reports describing their disability, or with the school psychologist if testing related to their disability was conducted at school. At the time they schedule this appointment, they will let the doctor or school psychologist know that they would like to review the documentation of their disability at this meeting. They may want to invite a parent or family member. At the meeting asking the following important questions provided in the link will help the student to learn about his or her disability. (How You Learn Questions) Students should take notes during the meeting and should not leave until they understand the answers to the above questions. If there is something they don't understand, they should ask about it. A copy of the questions provided in the link should be taken to the meeting as a reminder of what to ask the professional. Students need to make sure to complete each answer thoroughly. After the meeting, students should organize their notes into an outline or paragraph making sure to include the answers to the above questions. Students should imagine that they are 18 and will be starting college.
Each student will need to: *Go to the office of disability services and prove he or she has a disability with proper documentation. * Be able to talk about how the disability limits him or her in learning. *Know which accommodations effectively help him or her. *Request those accommodations and be willing to discuss alternatives. *Work out the logistics of the agreed upon accommodations. Students should write the answers to the following questions and statements. They may want to review information they collected from the earlier activities. • What is your disability? • Describe how your disability affects how you learn. • Describe how you learn best. • What accommodations are supported by your documentation? They should then identify a class in which they will need to use accommodations. Students should discuss with a special education teacher or counselor which accommodations would help them learn in this class. Keep in mind that in order to receive accommodations, they must be supported by written documentation. Students will develop a presentation with the information provided in the above questions that they can use to present to their teacher. Students should practice their presentations by role playing with a partner. Have students make a list of what they did well and what they need to work on. Students should provide positive feedback to each other. |
Getting Started:
Students will think about a time when they really wanted someone - a teacher, a friend, a neighbor - to know stuff about them but they really didn’t want to have to take the time and the words to explain it. They will think about their IEP and how long it takes for anyone to look at it and find out the important things about them.The One-Pager was created as a way to cut though all of that paper and get at the important stuff quickly and all on one page. How it Works: It has four categories: My Strengths, My Preferences, My Interests, and My Needs. They should identify these categories (with assistance from parents, teachers, etc.). Their one-pager can be used as a wonderful tool to introduce themselves to new teachers, employers, case managers and others in our support system to clarify their needs and goals based on their strengths and interests. What a way to self-advocate! How to do it: Use the template provided in this link. students can add whatever they like by typing, drawing, hand writing, or using picture symbols or objects. This is supposed to respresent the student so he or she should choose what best represents himself or herself. Students should listen to the podcast show number 47 on this website to understand how they can participate in their IEP meeting. http://main.disabilitylawlowdown.com/
Students will then use the format provided to hold a mock IEP meeting. This will help them to get comfortable in being a fully participating member on their IEP team. (Students use this template in your IEP mock meeting.) After holding the meeting students will write in their journals or make a video journal. Students should write about what they felt comfortable doing, what they did well, and what they think they need to work on. This will give students an idea of what they need to practice or problem solve to become more comfortable. |