It seems like there could be a partnership with SEPTA to help deploy this more. Are you interested in working on this?
On April 26, 2017, from 9:00-11:00 a.m., the Arlington Public Schools Parent Resource Center hosted a two-hour information session on the I’m Determined Project, which is a Virginia Department of Education-sponsored program designed to help students develop self-advocacy skills. About 20 parents were in attendance.
APS I’m Determined Team
Shannan Ellis, Assistant Principal, Swanson – her 24-year-old niece is deaf and has ID, she needs some supports with self-care and will never live independently. She also has a twice-exceptional son who is a senior in high school. He has an extremely high IQ but has “ADHD x 10,” has a very difficult time focusing, has some fine motor issues too. Is a National Merit Scholar, nationally recognized playwright. She is passionate about teaching kids to advocate. Stresses relationship-building with parents.
Kelly Flaherty, Special Ed Teacher of Life Skills Class at Swanson – self-determination is fundamental. Some of the most important work she does.
Elissa Norton, SLP at Abingdon – used to work at middle school level. A lot of her students have no clue they have IEPs or why they are getting speech services. Find it is hard for them to carry skills over to regular lives.
Janet Needham, OT at ATS at W&L and has worked at the Career Center – Important to teach self-advocacy.
Andrew Wojciechowski, Special Ed Teacher, Abingdon – been teaching for 26 years. Have learned that students who have strong parent support and who know who they are and can advocate for themselves, they do the best. Joined team this year.
Yvette Bullock, Special Ed Coordinator – Served in almost all APS schools, former SLP – has been involved in I’m Determined since inception. We are the first school division in VA with an official I’m Determined team. See it in action in Ms. Flaherty’s class.
Program (with slides and handouts)
Ellis
Goal of team is to bring awareness to APS staff and parents about I’m Determined
Started her career in Michigan for 6 years, came to Arlington in 2003. Lots of resources here. If you have a kid with special needs you are lucky to be here. Not everything is perfect, but our mindset is to work together. We want to assure you we are on the same team.
Trying to support and train staff to help kids develop self-advocacy skills
Bullock
It is a state initiative to empower all students; we are focusing on students with 504s and IEPs but is useful for all students. Youth Leadership Forum is 2-day youth summit each July; have had a number of APS students participate, but not sure any will be there this summer (applications are closed at this point).
Ellis
Feel it is very important for students to know they have a disability and to understand their IEP goals.
At Swanson, all administrators mentor at least one student (with IEPs or not). She mentored a student and got permission from her mom to talk with her about her disability and she was angry and appalled she was only being told as a 7th grader/12-year-old. She said she wished she had known sooner. Students also need to know they are supposed to legally know they are supposed to be getting accommodations and monitoring that.
Need to eliminate stigma behind disability labels (e.g., why do you prefer OHI to ED)
Team Presentation/Discussion
One-pager Implementation Guide: Identify your strengths, interests, preferences, needs (coral colored handout)
One-pager is accessible here: http://www.imdetermined.org/resources/detail/one_pager_implementation_guide
I’m Determined website is a great resource: http://www.imdetermined.org/
Have done this with students in grades 1-12
For interests: What is your favorite part of the school day, what do you like to do when you get home from school?
For strengths: tough concept for some kids. Ask, what is easy for you? What do people tell you are good at? What do you feel like you are good at?
Can be hard the first time you do this because this is a novel thing for kids, self-reflection is not something kids do a lot of
Normalizes accommodations for them
Q from parent in audience: what if they say they like Dunkin Donuts? Do I question that or try to steer them to a real hobby?
A: No, we try to validate everything they say. Don’t lead them. Whatever they are telling them is what they are feeling in the moment.
Also later as a strength arises or it seems like they are interested in something, you can highlight for them – is this a new strength for you? A new interest? Ask them questions and draw attention and help them develop thinking about these things. Be specific about their strengths. Don’t just say “great” – say “you did a good job on identifying the denominator.” Often will get “I’m good at video games” — that’s fine! Catch students at being good at something in the moment.
SLP: some kids may not know what a strength is — some of it is vocabulary building.
Accommodations – when first introducing this concept talk about it more in the abstract – we accommodate our guests, glasses are an accommodation, point out accommodations in every day life for others.
Ask students if these accommodations are useful and needed or not. One 4th grader said he needed to take tests in smaller groups because he gets nervous — teacher had no idea.
When they say they are interested in karate, e.g., it helps the teacher talk to them more
Also help kid look at progress of their work over the years — they often really like this
Q from parent: When should kids be included in IEP meetings?
A: Kindergarten! But younger kids may not stay through the entire meeting. They can introduce themselves, present their one-pagers (on strengths, interests, preferences, and needs) and then leave; or they can stay the whole meeting.
Kids start to be formally invited at 14 though for transition purposes
Shows video from I’m Determined website about a student presenting their one-pager
Can prepare a PowerPoint presentation to present their strengths, interests, preferences, and needs; can use pictures
Save the one-pagers each year so you can look back at growth with the student
There’s also an app called “The One Pager” on the App Store and on the I’m Determined website
Understanding your strengths and preferences can also really help with your social relationships
Helps student own their needs: “My working memory is not as good as yours, and I need the following….”
Handout: My Good Day Plan
Accessible here: http://www.imdetermined.org/resources/detail/good_day_plan_implementation_guide
Helps students figure out how to fix a day that is going awry
A good day is your decision in large part: you are in charge of your own emotions, what you accomplish, going to bed on time, doing your homework, etc.
Identify: What happens on a good day? Does it happen now? What needs to happen to make it a good day? Who can help me?
Can help put fires out quickly
Let them fill it out by themselves the first time without leading them.
Fluid document, can fill it out multiple times during the year, like with the one-pager above. Their answers will start to change. Will learn about consequences, e.g., going to bed on time will help them have a good day tomorrow. Pull out the plan when they are resisting going to bed. Empowers them and gives them a choice. Helps students learn from those mistakes. Teaches consequences; empowers them to control the situation.
At training last October learned there was an entire elementary school in Virginia that had embraced I’m Determined — not just for students with disabilities, can be helpful for all students!
Handout: Yellow Self-Determination Checklist Parent Assessment
Accessible here: http://www.imdetermined.org/files_resources/97/selfdeterminationchecklistparentassessment.pdf
Goal of handout is to drive next steps in building self-determination for child
See other useful handouts and documents here: http://www.imdetermined.org/resources/documents/
Some supports and accommodations for your child are available through the ADA and might not be on the IEP through the IDEA; if you are confused talk to your case carrier
If your school is not doing this yet, you should ask them why not! Encourage them to start! This was our first year educating staff on this in a deliberate manner. Some related service providers, transition coordinators, autism coordinators have been using these tools for a while.
Parent: given Whole Child conference recently, surprised the Superintendent hasn’t directed this and made this mandatory yet — why is that? Good question!
APS staff on I’m Determined team are volunteering, but think this is part of the job of the case carrier. If a staff member wants to go to the training, APS will pay for that. Look at it as a better way to work with your children. And will make your job easier. But not a directive of the School Board.
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