Enlisting and providing support

Questions you have with which your colleagues may be able to provide help and support

I’m having a hard time making the goals SMART goals. Does anyone have any pointers on making sure I am stating the goals correctly?

Resources and information you are seeking

I am seeking information on other schools to see if they have parent support groups. It will be helpful to know how other schools went about it and how they got started.

         

Resources and/or information you have found helpful and insightful

There were several internet websites that I found extremely helpful. The one that provided the most information about children with autism was Autism Speaks. There was a lot of valuable information about advocacy and plenty of resources for teachers and parents. There were also articles on the website, that could be printed out for the parent’s, with useful information.

Personal Advocacy Journey

A quote that I find inspirational regarding the role that advocacy is, "Our lives will end the day we become silent about things that matter." ~Martin Luther King Jr. This quote is so powerful because it shows how important it is to have a voice.

What excites me the most about my advocacy plan is that I'm actually going to have an impact on many lives. I am looking forward to the day that I can put my plan into action and see the difference it makes. I never really imagined, before this class, that I would be standing up for something I feel so strongly about. I'm shy when it comes to public speaking and tend to back off when things bother me. But I've realized that one voice, my voice, can make a difference in these children's lives.

I'm a little nervous presenting my idea to my target audience. I want to be able to present my plan in a way that everyone understands. I am hoping that it is a strong and solid plan that everyone will be happy with. 

Strong support from people around me would help me overcome my fears. Some advice from my classmates and my mentor would also help me when I think about ways to present my plan and implement it. 

I would encourage my classmates by giving them advice and letting them know that they can do it if they put their heart and mind into it. I would let them know how important it is to stand up for what they believe. I would also let them know that it's not going to hurt anything by taking a stand, but it will only make things better.