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Autism Society records most keynote and concurrent sessions at their annual conferences. You can see and hear those recordings by purchasing full online access, or individual recordings.
9647
Choices and Voices: How We Can Build Strong Advocates Early and Influence Policy.
Thursday, July 13, 2017: 3:45 PM-5:00 PM
Room: 102B (Wisconsin Center )
Person-centered thinking, self-determination, self-advocacy: What does it mean? Where do we begin? How do we foster it in ourselves and our family members? This session will answer these questions, and offer an introduction to legislative advocacy, highlighting the critical role of self-advocates and family members in impacting public policy.
Historically self-advocates and family members have been the change-makers impacting policy for individuals with autism and opening doors for inclusion and independence to the greatest extent possible. It is our experiences, successes, and struggles that have shifted the paradigm. But where does it all begin?
Before we acquire self-advocacy skills on the larger scale, we must understand the correlation between small choices and big voices and the need to embrace this concept early. This session discusses ways to ignite future change-makers by offering empowering opportunities at various developmental stages and emphasizing the impact of fostering decision-making skills from a very early age.
By growing a diverse community of advocates that utilizes person-centered thinking and self-determination on levels most appropriate for each individual, we can better educate decision-makers about the experiences of individuals across the spectrum and drive policy that is inclusive of the array of needs and wants that exist among the autism community.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the concepts of self-determination, person-centered thinking, and self-advocacy.
- Identify the role of self-advocates and family members in impacting public policy.
- Develop skills to effectively communicate with decision-makers
Track: Public Policy - All Ages
Content Area: Inclusion
Presenter:
Jolene Sanders, M.S.
Advocacy
Easterseals Central Texas (ESCT)
Jolene Sanders is the Advocacy Manager at Easterseals Central Texas and is currently the Project Director for the statewide Easterseals Leadership Development and Advocacy Training Program. She also serves on the Special Education Advisory Committee for the Austin Independent School District and is the parent of a child with autism.