CREATING a SELF-ADVOCACY PLAN Part 2

CREATING A SELF-ADVOCACY PLAN Part 2

1. The first step in creating a self-advocacy plan is to think about what causes problems for you in the classroom and what you might request of your instructor to best assist you in working around it. See below for examples of requests students make at the college level.

Some common requests:

·  Note-taker

·  Tutor

·  Audio recording lectures

·  Use of laptop in classroom and/or on exams

·  Preferential seating

·  Distraction-free test room

·  Leniency around spelling on tests

·  Extended time on tests

·  Extended time on papers

·  Short breaks/Opportunity to move about

·  Check-ins with professor

·  Oral review of important points and homework assignments after class

·  Opportunity to ask questions – is it better to ask questions after class or in the moment?

Some less common requests:

·  Large print

·  Leniency around lateness and absences

·  Alternative chair/table

·  Oral exams

·  Scribe

·  Interpreters/CART

2. The second step is to develop concrete examples of how these requests will improve your access to academic material:

Learning barrier / Request / Why helpful?
Sometimes I get anxious during a long class, and that anxiety prevents me from paying attention / Short breaks / If I can leave the classroom for a moment, I can re-gather and come back feeling more focused
It is hard for me to both listen and write notes at the same time / Audio recording/note-taker / If I have a back-up for my notes, I can focus more on listening to the lecture
If I am distracted during a test, it is hard for me to remember what I studied / Distraction-free test room / If I can take the test in a distraction free setting, I can better demonstrate what I have learned/studied
I have trouble following and remembering complex oral instructions, sometimes I do hw wrong as a result / Oral review at end of class or written assignments provided by the teacher / If I can check with you that I’ve written down the hw assignment thoroughly and correctly, I can focus on doing the hw to the best of my abilities

Now try it for yourself! Start by listing the accommodations and/or requests you will discuss with your instructors:

Learning Barrier / Request / Why helpful?
I have trouble following and remembering complex oral instructions, sometimes I do hw wrong as a result / Oral review at end of class or written assignments / If I can check with you that I’ve written down the hw assignment thoroughly and correctly, I can focus on doing the hw to the best of my abilities

Next, develop concrete examples of how these accommodations/requests are helpful: