VR Contact Report—Self-Advocacy Training Continued

Ethan was in today to discuss what he learned from the materials introduced to him in our last meeting. Ethan shared what he learned about his rights. He was relieved. "Before I read that stuff," he said, "I thought people had a right not to hire me." Ethan is still nervous about how to advocate for himself. To help him, we completed the What I Need to Succeed worksheet. (See below.)

Before completing the worksheet, we talked about deciding whether or not to apply for a job. The first consideration is to make sure it's compatible with one's interests and abilities. To determine the latter, I explained the importance of obtaining and reviewing a detailed job description and asking two questions:

1. Do I meet the education and experience requirements? If yes, move to the next question.

2. Can I do the listed job duties with or without my accommodations? If yes, one can confidently apply for the position.

We then turned to the worksheet and reviewed the top reminder about rights and responsibilities, including his right to work and his responsibility to request the accommodations he needs to succeed.

The next step was to learn how to explain his disability and the accommodations he uses. We used the worksheet to flesh out explanations in language with which Ethan is comfortable. We then used that information to develop response scripts for Ethan's recent encounters. See Ethan's scripts below.

• To self-advocate at the DMV, "My goal is to pass my driver's exam. I live with a learning disability that makes it difficult for me to read the traditional way. To pass the test, I need the audio version of the test."

• To self-advocate at school, he developed these responses: "My goal is to pass my classes. I live with learning disabilities that make it difficult for me to learn in the traditional way. I require the apps on my phone to record class lectures to do my best in my classes. This accommodation is on my IEP."

• To self-sdvocate in a general job interview—"My goal is to be the best worker I can be. I live with learning disabilities (or dyslexia), making it difficult for me to learn in the traditional way. I use apps on my phone to help me process printed and verbal instructions so that I can do my best."

We then role-played various scenarios, allowing Ethan to practice in a safe setting. Ethan's confidence appeared to approve as we moved through the scenarios. I suggested he practice with his parents and his close friends, too. I explained that most people will accept the news he shares with interest and will respect him for sharing it. In the next appointment, we agreed to do a mock interview to help Ethan practice his script and interview skills.