A How-To Guide for Creating This is Me: A Self Advocacy Tool

A How-To Guide for Creating This is Me: A Self-Advocacy Tool Authors: Danielle Evans, M.A., CCC-SLP, Speech-Language Pathologist & Ann Kern, M.S., CCC-SLP, Speech-Language Pathologist

INTRODUCTION

As Speech-Language Pathologists in our school-to-work Post High School program at the Ivymount School, one of our primary goals was supporting the communication and self-advocacy skills of our neurodiverse students.

Self-Advocacy is a critical component of self-determination, which supports positive transition outcomes for youth and young adults with disabilities (Burke et al., 2018; Shogren et al., 2018).

Individuals in our program were learning vocational, daily living, and academic skills to support independence, employment, and post-school quality of life.

We recognized the potential benefit of a tool that would support our students in sharing their unique skill sets, strengths, and interests as well as advocating for communication and behavioral supports and strategies to promote inclusive environments and interactions with novel communication partners.

While we originally developed This is Me (TiME) to be shared by transition-aged young adults, we have found that the principles behind the tool can apply to any individual that benefits from an efficient and effective way to share information about themselves across ages, communication partners, diagnoses, and environments.

Whether you are an individual or caregiver, a related service provider such as a speech-language pathologist, an educator, and/or someone offering support to neurodiverse individuals in any capacity, we are excited for you to begin. Use this digital how-to guide or print our This is Me Creation Checklist * resource to get started!

What is This is Me?

This is Me is a personalized, digital self-advocacy tool to support neurodiverse individuals during transitional periods.

This tool may include: • Specific information about the individuals • Interests, preferences, and strengths • Communication • Behavioral and sensory support needs • Strategies to support all areas • Any information that will set the individual up forsuccess in novel environments.

EACH PAGE HAS A STRATEGY SCRIPT WRITTEN IN THE STUDENT’S PERSPECTIVE AND A CORRESPONDING PICTURE OR VIDEO *File located in resources document

TiME Individual Perspective .mov

AN EXAMPLE OF A COMPLETED THIS IS ME TOOL

Quick Links: 1. Get Started

2. Complete Planning Guide

3. Create Digital This is Me Tool

4. Follow-up and Practice

Resources

References

Get Started

The steps in this section will help you and your team initiate the This is Me process

Complete Planning Guide

Send This is Me Sample Letter/Email * home to parents or caregivers to let them know tool is being created

Create Digital This is Me Tool Follow-up and Practice

• A caregiver is likely the individual’s strongest and most present advocate • Involve the caregiver as part of the development process

Complete Getting Started * document with your team • Document includes considerations and possibilities when creating the This is Me tool

The steps in this section will help you and your team create a This is Me Planning Guide. The Planning Guide will be the basis for the digital tool. This will help the team select relevant strategies and track development of the digital tool.

Observe individual in natural contexts (e.g., jobsite, lunch, academic classes)

Review relevant documents for information (e.g., IEP, evaluation, teacher/specialist reports)

Complete This is Me Planning Guide * based on gathered information using the provided resources • Use the Sections Document * to draft potential strategy scripts

Sections Content Video

• Prioritize and be conscious of the length of the tool • Use scripts that reflect the language style, comprehension level, and preferences of the individual • Include strategies that are applicable across many communication partners and context • Select sections most relevant for the individual. Not all may be needed • View Example Planning Guides * for support

Share completed This is Me Planning Guide * with team including individual and parents/caregivers, get feedback, and finalize TiME Planning Guide

Get Started Complete Planning Guide Create Digital This is Me Tool Follow-up and Practice

Get Started Complete Planning Guide Create Digital This is Me Tool Follow-up and Practice

The steps in this section will help you turn your TiME Planning Guide into a digital tool. Including the individual in each step will personalize their tool and showcase their talents and strengths. A story creation application that allows for audio recording, pictures/ videos, and text per page can be used.

Download application on staff device • Initially create TiME on a staff device and transfer to the individual once the tool is complete.

Work with the individual to add strategy scripts to each page Work with the individual to obtain and add pictures and/or videos for each page

• Have the individual choose settings, topics, and people in the videos and pictures • Help the individual participate in video examples

Work with the individual to record audio for each page

• Many different options for recording audio • If the individual is difficult to understand or is a non-speaking communicator, consider using a staff member’s, family member’s, or the individual’s speech-generating program digitized voice

Back up periodically

• Back up the tool often using a platform such as Google Drive • Ensure the system is compliant with your company’s confidentiality standards and policy

Obtain permission to use individual’s personal device Transfer TiME to individual’s personal device.

Consider screen recording TiME as video file.

•Transfer TiME to the individual’s personal device using Google Drive, airdrop, etc.

•Consider screen recording TiME as a video file for easy sharing

The steps in this section will support the individual in sharing their TiME tool across a variety of communication partners and settings. There are many receptive, expressive, and pragmatic language skills involved in the development and sharing of TiME. It may be helpful to teach caregivers to share the tool on the behalf of some individuals.

Email parents/caregivers and team to let them know when electronic TiME is complete Observe the individual sharing the inished TiME. Use Baseline Data Checklist * to note strengths and support needs Teach individual to share TiME using modeling and prompting Critical skills when sharing TiME may include the following: • Responding to specific (e.g., “Can you show me your TiME tool?”) or general cues (e.g., “What strategies help you?”) to share • Locating TiME on their personal device • Navigating through TiME • Solving problems when sharing (e.g., device volume) • Making comments • Answering questions • Proximity to communication partner

TiME Individual Sharing Video

Generalize sharing to novel listeners and settings using This is Me Sharing Tracker *

Get Started Complete Planning Guide Create Digital This is Me Tool Follow-up and Practice

References

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2023). Asha Practice Portal. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/

Burke, K. M., Raley, S. K., Shogren, K. A., Hagiwara, M., Mumbardó-Adam, C., Uyanik, H., & Behrens, S. (2020). A Meta-Analysis of Interventions to Promote Self-Determination for Students With Disabilities. Remedial and Special Education, 41(3), 176–188. https://doi-org.proxygw.wrlc.org/10.1177/0741932518802274

Kagohara, D., van der Meer, L., Ramdoss, S., O’Reilly, M., Lancioni, G., Davis, T., Rispoli, M., Lang, R., Marschik, P., Sutherland, D., Green, V. & Sigafoos, J. (2013). Using iPods and iPads in teaching programs for individuals with developmental disabilities: A systematic review. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 34, 147-156.

Mazzotti, V., Rowe, D., Sinclair, J., Poppen, M., Woods, W., & Shearer, M. (2015). Predictors of post-school success: A systematic review of NLTS2 secondary analyses. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 1-20.

Müller, E., Evans, D., Offutt, K., & Kern, A. (2022). This is Me: Impact of an electronic secondary transition tool on novel adults’ knowledge of students’ support strategies and interests. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation. Preprint, 1-15.

Müller, E., Pouliot Evans, D., Frasché, N., Kern, A., & Resti, I. (2018). Stakeholder perceptions of the impact of individualized electronic “Communication Stories” on workplace communication. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 48(1), 11-25.

Payne, & Swanson, E. (2022). Targeting the Transition Goals of Teens Through Executive Function Support.

Teaching Exceptional Children, 4005992110669–. https://doi.org/10.1177/00400599211066919

Pouliot, D. M., Müller, E., Frasché, N. F., Kern, A. S., & Resti, I. H. (2017). A Tool for Supporting Communication in the Workplace for Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities and/or Autism. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 40(4), 244-249.

Roberts, E., Ju, S., & Zhang, D. (2016). Review of practices that promote self-advocacy for students with disabilities. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 26(4), 209-220.

Ryan, T. G., & Griffiths, S. (2015). Self-advocacy and its impacts for adults with developmental disabilities. Australian Journal of Adult Learning, 55(1), 31-53.

Sauer, A., Parks, A., & Heyn, P. (2010). Assistive technology effects on the employment outcomes for people with cognitive disabilities: A systematic review. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 377-391.

Shogren, K. A., Burke, K. M., Anderson, M. H., Antosh, A. A., Wehmeyer, M. L., LaPlante, T., & Shaw, L. A. (2018). Evaluating the Differential Impact of Interventions to Promote Self-Determination and Goal Attainment for Transition-Age Youth with Intellectual Disability. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 43(3), 165-180. https://doi.org/10.1177/1540796918779775 Test, D., Mazzotti, V., Mustian, A., Fowler, C., Kortering, L., & Kohler, P. (2009). Evidence-based secondary transition predictors for improving post-school outcomes for students with disabilities. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 32(3), 160-181.

Wehmeyer, M. L., Shogren, K. A., Little, T. D., & Lopez, S. J. (Eds.). (2017). Development of self-determination through the life-course. Springer Netherlands.

Thank you for visiting our how-to guide.

Please reach out with any questions or feedback about the This is Me process.