Aspire Advocacy

An IEP goal bank seems like a great tool until you look into the specificity of the goals themselves. Let's talk about writing SMART goals! http://aspireadvocacy.com/2021/10/08/iep-goal-bank/ #advocate #advocacy #education #specialeducation #iep #iepgoal

October is #AACAwarenessMonth! To celebrate, five Awesome AAC (and more) apps from AssistiveWare are available with a 50% discountworldwidestarting today, an...d through Saturday, October 9th. Details: https://www.assistiveware.com//five-days-of-discounts-aac- -SR [image: Graphic with a purple background. In the center is large white rectangle. Over its upper left corner is an orange rectangle containing white text reading "50%". In the top of the white rectangle, black text reads, "AAC Awareness Month 2021 5-9 October". Under the text are five icons for Assistiveware apps, each with its name underneath in small black text: Proloquo2Go, Proloquo4Text, Pictello, Keeble, and Video on Demand. To the left of the rectangle is an illustration of a person with light skin, curly black hair, and glasses, holding a tablet. To the right of the rectangle is a person with brown skin, long straight black hair pulled back, and orange headphones, holding a large table from which lines emanate, indicating sound. Both people are looking at the icons and text at the center of the rectangle.]

The essence of a reasonable IEP timeline has not changed, even if the times have. Let’s talk about it what that looks like! http://aspireadvocacy.com/2021//01/reasonable-iep-timeline/ #advocate #advocacy #education #specialeducation #iep

Our periodic posting of After an Autism Diagnosis: 13 Necessary Next Steps For Parents. Welcome to new parent members! We are here to answer any questions you (...or anyone else) may have. And please know that this is the advice I wished I'd been given, when my son Leo was first diagnosed with autism. -SR http://www.thinkingautismguide.com//after-autism-diagnosis [image: white toddler boy being smiled at by four adoring members of his extended family.]

One reason autistic journalist Eric Garcia wrote his book We’re Not Broken is to pay it forward for autistic people who "didn't have the same opportunities I ...did, even though many of them were smarter than me, or harder working than I am, or were kinder, or more good and decent people" and help both society *and* his neurodivergent community members see and act on what autistic people need to succeed in life. In conversation with Steve Silberman, at Family Action Network. Video with auto-captions. https://youtu.be/0UJdN57FX88 -SR [image: Zoom screenshot of Steve Silberman, a white man with short silvery hair, wearing headphones and making air quotes while talking.]

The longer I do AAC, the more I understand the concept of autonomous communication. When I was first introduced to the concept, I took its meaning at face value.... Yes, of course, everyone should be able to say whatever they want to say... But it's deeper than that. It's choosing your own words and choosing when you will use them (or not!). It's about choosing how you will communicate and to whom. It means being able to build relationships where your voice is equally valued. It's about expressing your unique personality. It's about the opportunity to feel truly seen and heard. As stakeholders, the decisions we make impact the likelihood that our learners will experience autonomous communication. The goal of communication autonomy should be our guide. As you weigh options along your AAC journey consider how choices and decisions will impact communication autonomy long term. How do you plan for communication autonomy? Image description: Bitmoji of white woman with brown hair points up at quote. Text reads: The goal of AAC: Autonomous communication. Quote being able to say what I want to say, to whoever I want to say it to, whenever I want to say it, however I want to say it unquote. Gayle Porter, Speech-Language Pathologist, Developer of PODD.

Rethinking Autism and "Picky Eating: If you could experience my senses for a few hours, I bet you’d be more understanding, less judgmental, and I’m fairly cer...tain you’d stop using the word picky pretty quickly. Autistically Alex, at TPGA: http://www.thinkingautismguide.com//rethinking-autism-and- -SR [image: Lunch box with each food type in a different compartment. Foods include pretzels, jellybeans, raspberries, sliced cucumber, and whole wheat sandwich bread in a butterfly cutout.]

What are some ways autistic people of all kinds can stay safe, and calm unsettled bodies and brains? Autistic artist EisforErin has ideas! In a printable poster... that has spaces for you to add your own ideas! https://eisforerin.com/2020/01/04/ideas-for-safe-and-calm/ -SR transcript: [Image of a smiling cartoon cat face at upper right.] In checklist format, two columns [with a large open box icon to the left of each text item and a graphic image to the right]: Drink water ([image of a glass of water with ice and a straw] Take a deep, slow breath [image of cartoon cat with open mouth, breathing out] Ask for help [image of cartoon cat with sweat droplet, spiral icon and question marks above head] Leave the room [image of a door] Imagine being in a peaceful place [image of a landscape with green hills, road, sun, and blue sky] Get a hug [image of a gray cartoon cat hugging a smaller white cat, with heart icon] Stretch, jump, or run around [image of a cartoon cat arching back and tail in the air] Listen to music [image of a musical note symbol] Draw or write [image of a paper and pencil] Look at a book [image of open book] Spin a fidget spinner [image of fidget spinner] Squeeze a squishy toy [image of a cartoon cat playing with a ball] Remember everyone makes mistakes and it is okay to feel whatever you feel! [image of cartoon cat winking and blowing a kiss/heart]

Every child deserves effective communication, but many autistic and non speaking students never get the tools they need. Jordyn Zimmerman's story shows how "whe...n we know better we can do betterin our schools and in our communities." Watch the trailer for the forthcoming documentary #ThisIsNotAboutMe: https://thisisnotaboutme.film/watch/ -SR [image: Graphic with a yellow background. Black text on the left reads, "this is not about me: a story about growing up non-speaking". On the right are black-and-white photos of Jordyn, a young white woman with a large gerber daisy blossom superimposed over her face, and a small Boston terrier-looking dog.]

We would all love to have an easy IEP that works well for our child with special needs. But is it possible? http://aspireadvocacy.com/2021/08/26/easy-iep/

With thanks to "The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism" for sharing this

5 IEP Mistakes To AvoidIEPs are high stress, and we want to do the best for our children with special needs. Here are some mistakes to avoid! #education #specialeducation #advocate #advocacy http://aspireadvocacy.com/2020//21/5-iep-mistakes-to-avoid/

Trudy Grable of PHP is looking for parents to fill out a questionnaire so that she can share concerns that families have had during the pandemic with Regional Center staff and others. Please fill out if you can. https://docs.google.com//1FAIpQLScleXjbF3WfevZE0/viewform

Today is the last day - please fill out if you have not. It only takes a few minutes.

Aspire Advocacy quick tips: Children with disabilities need structure in their day, but did you know that giving them time to play is just as important? #education #specialeducation #advocate #advocacy #DisabilityAwareness #disability... http://aspireadvocacy.com///13/children-with-disabilities/

Do you know how to be a good advocate for your child with special needs? Let's talk about some of the things you can do to get started! #education #specialeducation #advocate #advocacy http://aspireadvocacy.com//10/06/how-to-be-a-good-advocate/

When asked for IEP meeting tips for parents, we often give these four points of advice. Let's talk about how to optimize your IEP meetings! http://aspireadvocacy.com//28/iep-meeting-tips-for-parents/

When SHOULD you sign your child's IEP document? Let's talk about some of the tactics schools might use and what your rights as a parent are! #advocate #advocacy #education #specialdeducation http://aspireadvocacy.com//when-should-you-sign-your-chil/

Is it adversarial to hire an advocate? Advocates assist you in getting what you need in your child's IEP! Let's talk about advocacy and how it is NEVER adversarial to bring an advocate when you meet with your school district! http://aspireadvocacy.com//adversarial-to-hire-an-advocate/ #education #specialeducation

A Person-Centered Plan will greatly improve your life, but what is it? Let's talk about this new program and how you can get started today! http://aspireadvocacy.com/2020/09/08/person-centered-plan/

Parents' rights in an IEP meeting are less-discussed than they ought to be. Let's talk about a list of things that will help you! http://aspireadvocacy.com///31/parents-rights-iep-meeting/