chapter 13

Self- Determination and Self-Advocacy

SCHOOL success is ultimately measured by how well schools prepare students to meet the challenges of adult life. Successful adult life includes setting goals, having employment and a career, living independently, and having successful relationships. In order to achieve these outcomes students need to begin to learn and practice the skills of adult living and decision-making while they are in school. Educators and families are usually so centered on the current year and the current progress that long-term future goal setting does not get equal consideration. This chapter introduces parents to the world of advocating for students with emotional and behavioral challenges beyond K–12 and will answer the following questions:

• What is self-determination and why is it important to school success and success beyond school?

• What are the factors of a successful transition from school to work or postsecondary education?

• What supports are available for students with emotional and behavioral challenges after K–12 schooling?

Myth	Truth
Once my child applies to college the college will give him accommodations and services.	College and universities are not allowed to ask about disability status when students apply. Also, in order to receive accommodations for a documented disability students must self-disclose to the Office of Disability Student Services and present any documentation to be given to students’ course instructors.
Job experience is not helpful.	Structured internship programs or programs where there is a job coach who can help students navigate the challenges of working with others and completing tasks is very helpful and can ensure future employment.
There is little support for students once they leave school.	People with disabilities must take initiative to access adult services but services do exist at the state and federal level.

Self-Determination

The theory of self-determination relates to the “can do attitude” necessary for all students to succeed. Promoting self-determination has become a best practice in special education. Self-determination is the ability to know one’s personal needs and to take action to meet those needs.

Self-determination is “a combination of skills, knowledge and beliefs that enable a person to engage in goal directed, self-regulated, autonomous behavior” (Field, Martin, Miller, Ward, & Wehmeyer, 1998, p. 2). Basically, self-determination is the ability to know yourself and get what you want from life. Sometimes, in schools and at home, adults do not let students with emotional and behavioral challenges make choices, try new things, or do things independently. At school and at home we need to help students find their strengths and talents and then have them practice attaining goals and making choices.

With practice and guidance, students can learn to be self-determined and to advocate for their needs. Students with emotional and behavioral challenges need this more than other students; they need to believe in themselves and recognize their strengths. Additionally, they need plenty of opportunity to practice the skills of self-knowledge, self-advocacy, and goal setting. Self-determination can be taught in schools through developed curricula (Field & Hoffman, 1996; Fullerton, 1994; Halpern et al., 1997; Martin & Marshall, 1995).

The spirit of self-determination and empowering students to help make their own choices also can be modeled and highlighted at home and in the community. Adults surrounding students with emotional and behavioral disabilities must have high expectations for students, recognize strengths, and allow youths to practice real-life situations. Below is a list of ways self-determination can be built in to schools and classrooms:

• if students have a documented disability, have them participate in their IEP meeting;

• have students complete inventories that identify their strengths;

• practice short-term goal setting with a built-in planning time and then a built-in reflection time;

• offer choices in ways to complete assignments that give students ownership of the process as well as the content; or

• have mentors or older students come in and discuss goals and future planning.

Often when we hear about transition and think about postsecondary outcomes, parents and educators do not think about students from elementary schools and middle schools. This is a big mistake. Students at all levels of schooling must start learning about self-determination and planning for transition. Self-determination can be taught in elementary and middle school. Simple goal setting and exposure to the strengths of each individual will help bolster the positive attributes of each individual. Social skill exercises and practice in real-life situations can help students become better able to manage their connection with their community throughout their school career.

Transition can be thought of as a broad category rather than only as a plan for postsecondary outcomes. For example, the transition from elementary school, to middle school is often a stressor on all students. Students in elementary school often have one teacher. In traditional middle school, however, students transition to changing classes and having many teachers. This change increases the chances of a breakdown in communication between family and school and decreases the likelihood that teachers form strong relationships with each student. Dealing with the social stress of middle school where peer relationships and acceptance play a large role in the activities also can impede progress. Parents and teachers need to build a support team for a student with challenging behaviors. Before a change in school happens, students should tour the school, meet key teachers, be involved in creating a back-up plan if the students feels they need help or support, and be introduced to a few mentor students who can help ease the transition process. Parents and educators should recognize that change often is difficult for students with challenging behaviors. Each change in schooling, teachers, activities, and family situations should be discussed, defined, given rules, and practiced, if possible.

Factors of Successful Transitions
to Post-K–12 Schooling

Students with emotional and behavioral challenges have a variety of postsecondary education options to consider. Some students will go on to higher education, vocational, or technical schools whereas other students will enter the workforce. Most living-wage jobs require at least some postsecondary education, training, or certification. Readiness for college and career requires increasingly similar sets of skills. College and career readiness requires proficiency in a set of reading, writing, mathematics, and social skills. Regardless of where students go next, there are factors in the transition planning process that need to be considered. The top five transition principles are: (1) know your strengths and disability or needs, (2) have a realistic plan, (3) use the resources available, (4) build in plenty of practice, and (5) create a back-up plan and seek help when needed.

Know Your Strengths and Disability or Needs

Before students can advocate for themselves they need to understand their strengths and weaknesses and be able to explain these to others. This process needs to be started in middle or high school. Students should know the name of their disability and things that they can do without aid or accommodation and tasks where they know they will have some difficulty and need supports. The better students can explain their needs the better they can help set up situations where their needs are recognized and a reasonable plan is created. Make sure that students understand their unique learning needs or triggers and develop a plan to communicate this to others.

Adult services are systems of eligibility, not systems of entitlement. Students in K–12 schools are entitled to a free appropriate public education. The public schools are charged with finding children with disabilities in order to serve them appropriately. Adult services and postsecondary education providers do not have similar mandates for students with disabilities. The Americans With Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 provides certain “reasonable” accommodations and protections for Americans with disabilities. But adults with disabilities must self-advocate and qualify for accommodations and services. Parents of adult children with disabilities must realize that they will not be allowed access to their child’s adult records without written permission. Preparation for this transition is necessary so that each student knows his or her rights and can begin to be the main person who is the advocate for these rights.

Have a Realistic Plan

Future plans for higher education or the workforce should start early. In order to go to community colleges or universities, students need to be sure that they are enrolled in the correct classes so that they will meet the requirements of the college or university. Often these classes must be taken early in the student’s career. Families should be aware of courses and course credit beginning in ninth grade if not earlier. Part of a realistic plan is to test out options. If students are interested in a particular field or course, have them take an internship, get a part-time job, or take a supplemental course over the summer to begin to test their ideas about jobs and future directions. In addition, if a student has a documented disability, it is the student’s responsibility to communicate with the university’s disability services office. Students may choose not to disclose their disabilities; however, if there is a problem, it is difficult to go back and try to get accommodations later in the process. The question of whether or not a student should disclose a disability is a personal one.

Students should investigate programs that include a vocational assessment and skills component to help them begin to work on skills for a selected job. Completing a career and vocational assessment will help lead a student to a job that is aligned with his strengths. There are technical colleges and vocational training schools that may be good options for further skill development. The more a student can be exposed to his options early the more he can “try out” different options.

All states and the District of Columbia have federally supported vocational rehabilitation agencies established to support adults with disabilities. Students and their families should be sure that referrals are made to their local agency at least three semesters before graduation or high school completion. This agency will provide funding for postsecondary education and training. Students and their families may have to exhaust other sources of financial aid, such as grants and loans, before they will qualify for rehabilitative services funding.

Use the Resources Available

Students who want to attend higher education need to be aware of resources that are available to them as they apply to colleges and resources. Students with documented disabilities with current eligibility can petition the College Board, which administers the SAT, or ACT, which administers the ACT test, for an accommodation while taking the exam. This must be done before scheduling the exam. Before enrolling in college there are courses one can take to “get the feel” of college and also summer programs that introduce higher education to students. Once on campus it is up to each individual to contact the institution and find out about disability services that are available. Interviews about tutoring services, taking a reduced load, or the openness of faculty toward accommodating students with disabilities can take place while visiting colleges.

Students who enter the workforce can take advantage of internship programs and career and technical schools in their area. Some schools offer school-to-work options with job coaches to help a student transition to work while still in school. These programs give students the support and coaching they need to make a successful transition to the workforce. Students who enroll in an apprenticeship program or internship program or work in high school are more likely to attain and retain employment.

Some key personnel who can be helpful in the transition process include (Kochhar-Bryant, Bassett, & Webb, 2009):

• Transition counselors: If a student has a documented disability, secondary transition specialists can help begin to plan for transition. By law, transition planning needs to be incorporated into a student’s IEP beginning at age 16.

• School counselors: School counselors can help students choose courses and apply for college and job-training programs.

• Disability support specialists: Disability support specialists can support students at a college or university and can serve as the liaison between faculty, staff, administrators, and other social service agencies.

• Vocational rehabilitation counselors: Vocational rehabilitation counselors work for the state’s vocational rehabilitation agency and help people with disabilities prepare for employment.

• Social Security administration: The federal social security administration operates programs for people with disabilities who work.

Build in Plenty of Practice

A key indicator of future adult life success and satisfaction is employment during high school. Students with and without disabilities who hold even a part-time paid or volunteer job have more positive records of postsecondary employment. Parents are strongly encouraged to support their child with emotional and behavioral disabilities to experience some employment success as early as feasible. Middle school is not too early to begin volunteer employment.

In order to transition from K–12 education, students need to know how to communicate, interview, get along with others, and manage finances. These skills need to be explicitly taught and practiced to help ensure smooth transitions from school. Students should be exposed to work and higher education environments, take advantage of support groups and coaching to discuss new environments, and know the expected rules and norms. Successful transition means that students are not just dropped at the door of their new experience but that students are aware of the new environment and have practiced the necessary skills to succeed in that environment.

Create a Back-Up Plan and Seek Help When Needed

All plans need a back-up due to unforeseen circumstances. Many times students who are starting fresh in higher education or work think that they want to “try” without any supports and see how they do. Although this is a wonderful show of independence and determination, it is advisable to have frequent check-ins and an established back-up plan in case of difficulty. For example, students may want to have an early meeting with their instructors to determine their progress in a course. It usually is advisable to have more supports in the beginning and then to gradually wean off of the supports as a person progresses. In addition, there needs to be a counselor, a parent, or someone connected to the student to be a sounding board for his ideas and thoughts. Students need to identify a coping plan in times of stress and have a written plan to ask for help if school or work becomes too difficult.