Kentucky Youth Advocacy Project

Jane Kleinert, Ph.D., CCC/SLP University of Kentucky/Division of Communication Disorders/College of Health SciencesTracy Fisher, MS University of Kentucky/Human Development InstituteKaren Hill, BHS University of Kentucky/Division of Communication DisordersJennifer Davis, BHS University of Kentucky/Division of Communication Disorders

What is the Kentucky Youth Advocacy Project?

Two year project funded by Kentucky Council on Developmental Disabilities (KCDD)

Designed to provide students ages 8-18 years with individualized and group activities to support early development of self-advocacy skills

The University of Kentucky Department of Communications Disorders, College of Health Sciences and the University of Kentucky, Human Development Institute are responsible for implementing the project

What Are the Unique Goals of KYAP

STARTING YOUNG: To provide INDIVIDUALIZED AND GROUP activities in self-advocacy to 100 children aged 8-18 with developmental disabilities over a two year period in Kentucky,

COLABORATING with SELF ADVOCATES with developmental disabilities as mentors to young students: Self Advocates for Freedom; Eastern KY People Who Care; Commission for Children with Special Health Care Needs.

Emphasize COMMUNICATION SKILLS and including teachers AND SLPs

UTILIZING OF STUDENT-DIRECTED LEARNING to provide individualized programming for students to learn self-advocacy and self-determination skills (Agran, King-Sears, Wehmeyer, & Copeland, 2003), specifically using an adaptation of the “Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction.”

Emphasizing self advocacy and self-direction as components of the broader highly valued personal characteristic of SELF-DETERMINATION, which has been shown to be related to a positive quality of life for persons who have developmental disabilities (Wehmeyer & Schalock, 2001).

Include children with more significant disabilities and students who have or need augmentative communication to be successful self-advocates.

Developing and disseminating self-advocacy training materials for use by schools, children and families across Kentucky. This is done via trainings and development of a WEBSITE on which training materials and student work samples can be displayed.

Goals of the KYAP

1. Provide individual and group programming in self-advocacy to 100 children aged 8-21 with developmental disabilities in the state of Kentucky. Fifty to sixty children will participate each year for two years.

2. Provide teacher of students with developmental disabilities training in use of the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI).

3. Provide children with disabilities a venue to share their accomplishments in self-advocacy.

4. Provide mentors in self-advocacy, who themselves have a disability, to children with developmental disabilities.

5. Demonstrate that children/youth with significant disabilities and students who have or need augmentative communication can be successful self-advocates.

6. Develop and disseminate materials for use by teachers, children and families across Kentucky in the area of self-advocacy. This will be done via presentations and the development of a website on which such materials and student work samples can be displayed.

Why Teach Children/Youth with Disabilities Self-Advocacy Skills?

Research has shown that: individuals with disabilities who have strong self-determination/self-

advocacy skills and those who utilize augmentative communication systems to express themselves have better post-school outcomes and reported quality of life (Hamm & Mirenda, 2006; Wehmeyer & Garner,2003; Wehmeyer & Schwartz, 1998).

young students, including those with autism, have been found to increase their participation in academic work and decrease negative behaviors when given opportunities for choice in the academic setting (Jolivette, Stichter, & McCormick, 2002; Moes, 1998).

children, as young as kindergarten age, have been shown to successfully utilize a self-determined learning model of instruction with teacher assistance (Palmer & Wehmeyer, 2003).

By beginning training in self-advocacy and self-determination at a young age, we give children with disabilities a head start on an improved quality of life, improved post-school outcomes, and increased participation in current academic programs

A Personal View Spencer

So, How Does All This Work:

The Sequence

Key Project Elements and Sequence

What: Teacher and SLP training on the Self-Determined Learning Model of InstructionWhen: At the beginning of the school yearWho: Training will be conducted by the project PI and Co-PI

What: I CAN DAYWhen: During the first full month of the school year.Who: Selected students with developmental disabilities who will participate in the self-advocacy training programWho Else: Mentors, project staff, teachers/ SLPS, Coop Consultants

What: 1:1 goal selection and training in self-advocacy and self-direction using the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction

When: During the school year, after I CAN DAY.Who: students with disabilities and classroom teachers/SLPsWho Else: Regular technical assistance from project staff, mentors, Coop. Consultants

What: I DID IT DAYWhen: Last month of the school yearWho: Students with developmental disabilities and their teachers and/or SLPs who participated in the self-advocacy program.Who Else: Project staff, Mentors, Invited family and friends

Program Elements

Who will the project work with?

The KYAP focused initially on children with disabilities in rural areas of Eastern Kentucky and will now expand to central, northern and southwestern KY.

What are the characteristics of students

who may benefit? Children/youth who have developmental

disabilities and are between the ages of 8 and 21 may or may not be attending public school have not had training in self-advocacy may also have disabilities related to

communication (and so are at even greater risk for decreased levels of self-advocacy and self-determination)

want to learn how to self-advocate!

The basic steps of this model include teaching students to:

Select a personal goal Develop a plan to reach their goal Identify potential barriers to attaining the

goal Develop a plan to deal with potential

barriers Share successes!

The Self-Directed Learning Model of Instruction

Roles and Responsibilities

DOSE ~ Help identify Speech/Language Pathologists (SLP) within

membership LEAs who would like to participate Help identify Special Education Teachers within

membership LEAs who would like to participate Disseminate Teacher/SLP Packet to Teachers/SLP in your

school district Encourage participation by your school districts Share information about the KYAP with district

personnel, parents, and others

Roles and Responsibilities

Participating LEAs ~ Allow Teachers and SLP to attend three trainings:

1). a training on the Self Directed Model of Instruction to be held in September;

2). An “I Can Do It” Day of training to be held in October, which will include student participants and mentors as well as the Teachers and SLPs;

3). An “I Did It” Day, near the end of the 2006-2007 school year, which will include all project participants.

Allow student participants to attend two trainings: 1). The “I Can Do It” Day of training to be held in October 2). the “I Did It” Day, near the end of the 2006-2007 school year.

Allow Teachers and SLPs to receive on-site technical assistance visits from KYAP staff.

Help identify any potential student participants who might not attend public school, but might be interested in the project.

Students will…

Student participants will attend two workshops: 1). The “I Can Do It” Day of training

2). the “I Did It” Day celebration and present their work, near the end of the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 school year.

and also: 3). Work with school personnel and/family to select, plan and

work toward a personal goal.

Roles and Responsibilities KYAP ~

Provide reimbursement for substitute teacher expenses Reimburse mileage, lodging, meals and other costs

associated with travel to training events (including school bus travel)

Provide training materials Provide training in the Self Directed Model of Instruction Provide technical assistance to project participants Develop a KYAP Implementation Package Develop KYAP web site with training materials,

protocols, etc.

Sequence of Activities for School Personnel

Participation in 1 day training on the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI)

Identification of possible children to participate in the project Attendance at the I CAN DAY program Initiation of the SDLMI with students Interaction with project staff Interaction with Mentors Submission of materials for the website Possible participation in presentations on the project if interested Completion of the SDLMI with targeted children Participation in the “ I DID IT DAY” program Complete satisfaction survey and make suggestions for alteration of

the program Provide work samples of children for website. Participate in presentations about the project (if interested in such

activity)