Archive for the ‘Quiet Advocacy’ Topic

Advocacy Training – A transformative experience for parents of special needs children

Saturday, June 25th, 2011

Advocacy is good for our kids, but many of didn’t realize that it is good for parents, too. A new study completed by doctoral student Michelle Reynolds for the University of Missouri cites that parents who take advocacy courses become stronger and more confident advocates for their children with disabilities. Among the main benefits of advocacy for parents are:

A decrease in intimidation. Confident advocates felt less likely to be afraid to express their options and disagree when dealing with medical and educational staff.

Hopefulness about the future. Parents learn how to navigate the maze of organizations, manage transitions and learn about success stories of children who have ‘made it’ in the real world.

A sense of community. Parents can also rely on each other, thus lessening the sense of isolation that many of us face.

More respect for our children. Sidelining the focus on ‘fixing’ our kids, we learn how to celebrate their individuality, while identifying and meeting their needs.

The increase in control, hopefulness and community help reduce the oft-mentioned symptoms of combat-fatigue which parents of children with disabilities encounter due to fear, worry, isolation and guilt. Advocacy training marks a transformative experience where parents obtain an increased sense of control and learn to feel better about themselves and about the future for their children. Read the full report here.

The Value of a Parent Mentoring Chain

Friday, September 4th, 2009

Okay, I admit it.  My normally sunny, positive disposition occasionally suffers (spirals?) into an abyss of self-doubt, despair and worry.  When I get that way,  I have a gift I can rely on time and time again… I’ve learned the value of a parent mentoring chain. (more…)

Quiet Advocacy

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

As parents of children with autism, you are by definition, advocates.  Why not take your advocacy efforts further to help others?  Advocacy efforts don’t  have to be noisy and confrontational.  Communication and relationship-building seem to work much better for me anyhow. 

Schedule a meeting with school administrators to let them know how things are going and to share your ideas – they’ll love to hear from you.  Write a letter to your newspaper talking about what you think should be changed (like removing the R word) or why you think your child’s school district deserves a pat on the back. Schedule a meeting with your local legislators, and let them know how you feel about current policy related to people with autism, or just to tell your story.  You may not get to speak with Senator so-and-so or Governor whosit, but you will most certainly get to speak to someone on staff.  It’s true!  I always thought that I’d have to be a big-time lobbyist to speak with anyone in office, but that simply isn’t the case.  Some lobbyists have already worn out their welcome, so a real constituent is like a breath of fresh air. If you are too shy or too busy to meet in person, send an email or make a phone call.

Most of all, be there for other parents.  You’ve learned a lot, now share it with other parents who are just beginning their journey up Mt. Autism. You can sign up to be a parent mentor through a number of different organizations.  Call your state’s Department of Mental Health or ARC to see how you can help.  Or simply go to your  childrens’ parent-teacher organization meetings.  Supporting your child’s school is  a great way to meet new people and to gently make them aware of the sensitivities related to autism spectrum disorders.

And, if you have something you’d like to say, send your comments my way, and I’ll do my best to post them.

Stuff that works - for us

We  don’t assume these products will work for everyone–that’s why we ended the title with the parenthetical (for us). But if you are looking for new things to try, please read the accompanying blogs to view our experiences with these products. 

Mama, Don’t Cry for Me a song written by Mandy Harker and Sharee Wolfley and Sung by Kalii Palmer. Listen when you really, really need the strength to keep believing that everything will be okay.

 Model Me Kids

Model Me Kids® has broken the code on tools to teach social skills to children on the autism spectrum.

Click here for our success story and a full product review.

 

Do You Have a Product?

Do you have a product you’d like us to review for Stuff That Works™? Contact us today.

 

L. Mae Wilkinson:

National Examiner for Autism and Education

National Public Policy Examiner

St. Louis Examiner for Autism and Parenting

Co-moderator, The Coffee Klatch blog talk radio and tweetchat 

Reporter,  Autism Hangout 

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Twitter, AutismisnotBoss