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A SELF-DIRECTED LIFEA Guide for High School Students & Supporters

No images contained within this guide are property of LADD Inc.

Chapter One:Tools & Advice for Ages 13-15

What do you know how to do?

o Get together with someone that knows you well and fill out the following:o Life Skills Assessmen

to Independence Check

list

o Complete these at the end and beginning of each year to track your progress.

Stand up for yourself!

o Learn about your disability

o Practice goal settingo Build teamwork skillso Develop ability to

speak up for yourself/advocate!

o Participate in process of resolving differences

o Gain understanding of strengths/needs

• Advice on Self-Determination• Advice on Becoming A Self-Advocate

Parent MentorParents, try to find a parent mentor program at your child’s school or in your surrounding community

What is a parent mentor? A parent mentor is someonewho you can talk to who has

been through this process before, who can share advice and resources.

Where can I find one? Click here.

Individualized Education Plan (I.E.P.)

o First, fill out a Home Inventory Form (Base it off of Form 2.5) with someone you live with or that knows you really well.

o Include all involved peers, teachers, community agencies, employers, and family members.

o Make sure your voice is heard! If it’s about you, include you!

o Give all involved parties a chance to provide insight, think of creative solutions, make connections, etc. in order to have partial ownership of the plan, making it more likely to receive follow-through.

Transition Planning begins at age 14 (By Law) on the IEP:-Post Secondary Education & Training-Employment-Independent Living

o Go to some Transition Fairs with someone you know. Don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions. This is your life and future!

o Get an adult to help figure out how insurance benefits will change upon graduation, moving out, and becoming employed.

Get to know your options.

Jason’s Connection

Let’s Be The Help We Need. Click here to find out more.

o Talk to your doctor with a parent/guardian, asking who would be a good fit for when you outgrow your pediatrician

o Make sure your IEP team talks about Medical Transition

o Include the school nurse in your Transition Team to help with this.

Medical Transitions?

“ One of the many roles of the Transition Coordinator is to assist and support students, families, school and agency staff in learning about transition options that may be available for student and then planning and accessing transition activities for youth with disabilities . . . ”

Contact your Transition Coordinator

(most schools have one).

Transition Coordinator Services. . Retrieved May 7, 2014, from http://www.vbisd.org/domain/137

Have A Parent Help With This Stuff.o Call 513-559-6990; ask for

Introduction & Eligibility Dept.o Provide medical proof of

disability. Provide school ETR/IEP Documents.

o Receive visit from Eligibility Specialist to determine eligibility

o If determined INeligible, you can appeal the decision, and/or DDS. will help you find other resources.

o Look at the resource slide at the end for more legal/rights resources.

o ***Get your name on all waiver lists

Hamilton County DDSwill help get you the services you need.

o Start saving as early as possible. The sooner, the better. Funding is getting hard to come by.

o Have a parent/guardian research Asset Limits to SSI/Medicaido Income and Asset Limitso Disability Benefit Eligibility

o Your parent/guardian should attend Estate & Financial Planning Seminarso Plan4Retireo Cincinnati Estate Planning Council

o Individual Development Account(IDA)- matched savings accounts designed to help low-income workers plan for and reach specific goals- e.g. Buy a home, Start a Business, Continue Higher Education

Money, Money, Money!

• Record Keeping/ Personal Care Guide. Life planning: Google “life planning disabled Ohio”

• Letter of Intent

Some important paperwork. . .

Chapter Two:Tools & Advice for Ages 14-16

other ideas? • Religious Activities • Community Service • Political Awareness • Driver’s Ed – Bick’s• Physical Fitness • Arts Classes • Sports

• Cincinnati Community Events via Starfire Council

• CityBeat • Things To Do/Metromix • Special Olympics, Ohio

Expose yourself to new things.This will help you build friendships and develop skills.

o Who is on your team to help with this? Have different team members observe you in different settings to gauge how you’re doing.

o Be creative in keeping track of/measuring performance. Use a shared notebook, provide checklists, and conduct individual and group interviews.

o What is working / improving?o What needs more help?o Review IEP goals annually, at least.– Use Form 2.1 as a model

• What are the tasks you need to be doing for success? Have someone tally how often you do them in 15 minute intervals for one hour.

– Use Form 2.3 as a model• What parts of an activity are you doing well or need help in?

Break down a routine into small steps/skills/behaviors, and have someone observe you doing it multiple times- rating your performance on each step as you go.

Get Feedback on Your Performance

Chapter Three:Tools & Advice for Ages 15-17

Chapter Three:

Tools & Advice for Ages 15-17

• Quick, free online test• Talk to your guidance

counselor at school for more help and advice with this.

Take a career assessment test

• Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities

• The Arc of Ohio• Finding a job coach• Career Preparations• Ohio Client Assistance P

rogram

Need help getting a job?

o Participate in school work/study programs if available

o Set up meetings and shadow potential employers. Ask lots of questions. Make a list of demands, expectations and necessary supports at the workplace.

o Once you are working at a job/ participating in an activity, have a parent, peer or coworker track what you’re doing there. o Create a form based off of Form 3.

2 (Work Performance Evaluation)

Check out jobs & activitiesthat interest you.

Disability Rights OhioDisability Rights Ohio provides legal advocacy and rights protection to a wide range of people with disabilities. This includes assisting individuals with problems such as abuse, neglect, discrimination, access to assistive technology, special education, housing, employment, community integration, voting and rights protection issues with the juvenile and criminal justice systems.

Know your rights & get the help you need.

Chapter Four:Tools & Advice for Ages 16-18

o Keep attending Transition Fairso Strengthen friendships & community

connectionso Support independent decision-making by

pursuing activities that YOU want to do and practice saying “No.”

o Ask yourself who the existing supports around you are: family, friends, businesses, social groups, organizations, teams, and institutions:o Are they meeting your needs /wants

collectively? o If not, what can you do to change that?

Here are some things to keep in mind :

“Guardianship takes away a person's ability to make choices. Because the appointment of a guardian takes away a person's ability to make decisions about his or her life, other options which place fewer restrictions on the person with a disability should be considered first. ” –from Disability Rights Ohio website

Take Charge of Your Life : more information

Guardianship: Is it for me?

• Click here to find out how to obtain a Ohio I.D. card

Get an Identification Card

o What you should know before you turn 18

o Men must register for Selective Service (The Draft)

At age 18 in Ohio, the following rights transfer from Parent to Student:• Notice of meetings• Notice and Consent for Evaluation• Access to school records• Notice and Consent for special

education and related services• Right to invite additional participants

to IEP meetings

What to know about age 18

• Contact Living Arrangements for the Developmentally Disabled (LADD) 513.861.5233

• Contact your DDS Service Facilitator for Housing Options 513.794.3308

Figure out your housing goals.

Chapter Five:

Tools & Advice for Ages 18-22

HIGH SCHOOLIndividuals with Disabilities Education Act

• Services are delivered to the student.• Teachers identify students who need

accommodations.• IEPs, 504 plans and annual reviews are used.• Schools provide evaluations for disabilities.• Educational and psychological tests are

provided.• Information is shared with parents.• Accommodations are provided with an

emphasis on student success.• Services are based on an agreed-upon time

allotment and menu of choices.• A case manager acts as an advocate.• Applicable laws include entitlement law (IDEA)

and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

COLLEGEAmericans with Disabilities Act

• Students must seek out services.• Students self-identify as having a disability and

needing accommodations.• IEPs, 504 plans and annual reviews are not used.• Students provide documentation of disabilities

and take responsibility for getting updated evaluations.

• Students cover the costs of testing and treatment.• Students are responsible for their own educational

choices and sign their own paperwork. Parents are not involved without the students' permission.

• Accommodations are provided to ensure access to education.

• Students act as their own advocates.• Applicable laws include the Americans with

Disabilities Act of 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

High School to College Transition. (2012). Retrieved November 14, 2013, from http://disabilityservices.missouri.edu/prospective-incoming-students/hs-college-transition.php

What’s the difference?

• 20 pro-resume tips from a graphic designer

• Show off your skills with a video resume

• A how-to on video resumes

• Resume tips from a top recruiter

Make an awesome resume!

• The top three reasons you should avoid disclosing a disability are:

• 1. Fewer Interview Invitations: "Not securing an interview is one of the major potential pitfalls of revealing a disability on a resume," Klare says.

• 2. A Reason to Eliminate You: Your resume is a marketing document. "Show that you have the requirements the employer is seeking, and eliminate anything that might move you to the 'reject pile,' whether that's typos, coffee stains on your document or having a disability," Ryan says.

• 3. The Law Is on Your Side: "Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, you don't have to say anything," Kaufman points out.Isaacs, Kim. Should You Disclose a Disability on Your Resume? (2013). Retrieved November 14, 2013, from http://career-advice.monster.com/resumes-cover-letters/resume-writing-tips/disclose-disability-on-resume/article.aspx

When should I disclose my disability to a potential employer?

• "The first thing job seekers need to ask themselves is, 'Can I do the job?'” says Jonathan Kaufman, president of DisabilityWorks.com. “If the answer is yes and the disability doesn't affect job performance, then don't mention it.”

• "I would only reveal a disability on a resume if I knew that it would increase my chances of getting the job," says Ryan. "This is rarely true, except for when applying for programs designed specifically to recruit people with disabilities, or if the disability is related to the position -- for example, a visually impaired counselor for those who are visually impaired.”

• "Each disability has a built-in accommodation requirement, from none to many," says Klare. So you need to know the accommodations you will need for your disability and pose proactive solutions once there's mutual interest in your candidacy. "For example, a diabetic might need two 15-minute breaks for insulin and access to a refrigerator, but it's best to discuss this after you get the job," he adds.

Klare recommends knowing what equipment may be needed to accommodate your disability and where to source it. "Become a team player from the beginning," he says.

So should I ever disclose my disability to a potential employer?

Isaacs, Kim. Should You Disclose a Disability on Your Resume? (2013). Retrieved November 14, 2013, from http://career-advice.monster.com/resumes-cover-letters/resume-writing-tips/disclose-disability-on-resume/article.aspx

• 10 Tips for Acing Your Next Job Interview

• Be sure to ask the interviewers a few questions at the end. This shows you are interested in the position.

• One question that is always good to ask at the interview is “Is there any reason that you are doubting my ability to do well at this job?” – This gives you the

opportunity to address worries and shows you are capable of solving problems.

Tips for a great interview

• Apply for SSI at Age 18• Difference between Soci

al Security disability and SSI disability

Connect with Adult Services.

• Missouri AHEAD College Guidebook• Office for Civil Rights Online Guide• Legal Information• Cincinnati Resource List• Special Needs Resource Directory• Red Tree House• Jason’s Connection• Health care for adults with intellectua

l and developmental disabilities

More resources!

• Down Syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati

• Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council

• MassMutual• Cerebral Palsy Association of Ohio• National Disability Institute• Disability Rights Ohio• LAUNCH, U.C.• Living Arrangements for The

Developmentally Disabled, Inc. (LADD)

• The New Transition Handbook by Carolyn Hughes and Erik W. Carter

• University of Missouri Disability Services

Resources thanks to:

Good Luck!

www.laddinc.org 513.861.5233