5456 SELF ADVOCACY

Discussion  - Self-Advocacy in Our Community

Teaching students the skills, self-advocacy and self-determination, can lead to happier and more productive lives when they leave school.  There are so many opportunities for individuals with disabilities, including individuals with cognitive disabilities, to attend post-secondary school, organizations, and employment.  In order for students with disabilities to access the opportunities in the community, it begins with them learning the skills to be successful.  

Instructions:

· Discuss how a special education teacher can involve a student with a disability in an IEP meeting to teach self-advocacy.  What other opportunities are available in a secondary setting for students with disabilities to learn self-advocacy skills?

· Research organizations, community centers, employment agencies in your community that assist individuals with disabilities after they complete public school.  What is the criteria?  What activities can the individual participate in?  What services are provided to the individual?

Posts to the forum must adhere to the Discussion Board Rubric for the course.

Submission Instructions:

The Discussion Board is intended to foster a dynamic, flowing discussion that stems from students’ engagement with course materials, one another, and faculty.  Students are expected to ground their ideas and responses to one another in the course materials, in their own experience, and in additional outside references. 

Be sure to use and cite from  two  professional journal readings AND  one  assigned textbook reading in your initial post.  Conform to  APA guidelines (Links to an external site.)  as you write your response and create your source citations.  Be sure to also follow APA guidelines for your in-text citations.  (One of your professional journal readings should be from the module's assigned readings; the second reading may come from either the assigned readings or your own research.)

Your initial post should be 300-350 words each. 

Peer Responses

For your reply posts, cite (Using APA format) from module required readings or enrichment materials, and relate your comments to your own experience or opinion.  When you write your responses to two peers, both questions can be answered in the same paragraph(s).   Peer reply posts must be at least 150 - 200 words each.  

Your may respond in any of the following ways:

·         Ask a question.

·         Share an insight.

·         Offer an opinion.

·         Make a suggestion.

·         Note a similarity or difference to your posting.

Return to the Discussion forum and read responses given to you by other students. Reflect upon what you learned and/or any insights you gained. Be sure to respond to any follow up questions from classmates. 

Required Textbooks (Required for both EDU 5455 and EDU 5456: Strategies for Teaching Learners with Special Needs (Eleventh Edition) Authors: Edward A. Polloway, James R. Patton, Loretta Serna, and Jenevie Bailey Publisher: Pearson ISBN-13: 978-0-13-457579-7 ISBN-10: 0-13-457579-2

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