Self-Determination/Self-Advocacy

This presentation provides information for teachers, students, and parents about transitioning to college life.

This booklet on advising offers a strong philosphy of self-determination and how persons without intellectual disability can support and advise without controlling those with intellectual disability.

This document reveals in one page the differences in academic and independent life expectations between high school and college. An excerpt from a journal article regarding students with learning disabilities, it is critically relevant for secondary teachers, parents, and students interested in a college pathway.

Newsletter highlighting STING RAY students running IEP meetings

Self-Advocacy Online is a content rich, accessible online educational and networking tool and includes multi-media lessons on a variety of topics such as living self-determined, healthy, contributing lives in their communities;. a story wall of videos of self-advocates sharing their stories; and a national listing of self-advocacy groups to connected people with I/DD both locally and nationally.

Florida Self-Advocates Network’D (FL SAND) is a statewide association of self-advocates led by self-advocates that exists to support advocacy efforts at the local, grassroots level and to provide a united voice for statewide issues and topics that are important to self-advocates and all persons with disabilities in Florida.

The Self-Determination Toolkit is designed for teachers, parents, students, and other professionals interested in supporting self-determination in home, school, and community settings. The Toolkit is a collection of resources, which provide a basic framework to build self-determination activities into both traditional and adapted curricula for students of all ages.

This presentation will provide information on self-determination and one student’s story of putting it into action.

This pilot program supported four school districts in implementing projects for all students regardless of their abilities in order to build leadership skills and increase student knowledge of disability rights and accessible transportation.

Easter Seals Project ACTION, with a long history in supporting a transportation continuum for students with disabilities in transition from K12 to postsecondary settings, will offer replicable strategies to build transportation education programs across the educational spectrum.

This training manual, developed at the Clerc Center, is intended to train students for safe and independent travel.

FSACentral.org serves as a news hub.  The site features information and resources to improve the quality of life of people with IDD, as well as policy development updates and advocacy talking points.  Self-advocates can use FSACentral to become informed, educated, and motivated to make change.

This Department of Transportation link provides contact information for each county in Florida.

This guide is created to provide assistive service information and easy to find resources to help individuals with disabilities access services through Florida’s Transportation Disadvantaged Program and services.

This page provides resources on transportation for people with disabilities as well as useful links and laws and regulations relating to people with disabilities.

This site provides links to Community Transportation Coordinator Contact Information by County as well as other useful links relating to public transportation.

This publication provides county-by-county transportation information, including specific services available in each county, as well as contact information for the various agencies that manage transportation services in Florida.

A 2018 DCDT VISIONS presentation, this comprehensive power point, by the Project 10 staff, describes key concepts and the why and how to teach self-determination and self-advocacy as well as resources for instruction.

The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) provides demand response transportation services for people who, because of their disability, are unable to independently use the regular, accessible PSTA buses.

The Pinellas County Transportation Disadvantaged (TD) Program is a state-funded program that provides reduced cost transportation throughout the county to residents who qualify as “Transportation Disadvantaged.”

This site provides a single access for self-advocates, professionals, policy-makers, families, and the general public on the current best practices and evidence-based activities in enhancing self-determination in the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

This downloadable (40 + page) guide from Autism Speaks is written for youth with autism and their families with 11 sections including Types of PSE programs, Life on Campus, Peer-to-Peer Advice, and Advice for Parents.

This PDF from the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities is accessible to all students. It teaches students what the popular social media apps are and how to use them safely.

This is curriculum focusing on teaching interpersonal and professional skills to youth, including youth with disabilities, in both in- and out-of-school environments.

The User Guide and student, parent, and educator Assessment versions are available for download. developed the of the AIR Self-Determination Assessments. The AIR Self-Determination scale identifies levels of self-determination, improvement needed, and goals.

INTELLIGENT LIVES is an award-winning documentary following three young adults with intellectual disabilities: Micah, Naieer and Naomie, who, with the support of family, educators and colleagues, work toward a future marked with increased inclusion and independence. Their lives challenge staid notions of intelligence as they navigate high school, college and the workforce.  It is a film of possibility, normalcy, and dignity. 

This 2019, 4-page Brief identifies the guardianship options available and the level of decision-making support an individual may need when turning 18.  A number of suggestions are provided to promote self-determination, no matter which option is chosen. 

Learn about qualifying, applying for, and receiving SSA benefits. Presented by the Disability Independence Group at the 2020 Hartwick Symposium.

Learn how to help your student navigate advocating for themselves with this PowerPoint presented by Dr. Kathleen Becht at the 2020 Hartwick Symposium.