Project Description:
Finding Me is a twelve-week curriculum developed to guide small group participants through the process of developing a "Personal Statement", a one-page document designed to be used during annual ISP meetings (as well as numerous other venues) to assist people with DD in expressing their wants and needs. All too often, people with DD come unprepared to answer important questions asked during ISP meetings, such as, "Is there anything you want to change about your life?" Participating in Finding Me provides each person the opportunity to examine major facets of their life (i.e. Where I Live, Things I Do Everyday, My Body and Mind, People Who Support Me, Where I Go and How I Get There, People I Know and Care About, My Strengths, Interests and Hobbies, How I Learn Best and What I Want to Learn, Where I Work, and My Dream for My Life). Participants engage in topical activities, read a short story, and complete sentences designed to address what they like about their life and what they would like to change; these sentences comprise the Personal Statement, which is the culmination of the curriculum. Feedback from Finding Me participants has been encouraging, with reports of Personal Statements being incorporated into several ISP's. FY22 update: Due to the impact of COVID on collaborating partners, Finding Me was not implemented in FY22. FY23 update: While the curriculum has remained available for individuals and organizations to use, the statewide implementation of the Charting the LifeCourse framework has supplanted Finding Me.
Keyword(s):
self-determination, self-advocacy, advocacy, individualized service plan
Core Function(s):
Developing & Disseminating Information, Other Direct/Model Services
Area of Emphasis
Quality Assurance, Education & Early Intervention, Health-Related Activities, Employment-Related Activities, Housing-Related Activities, Transportation-Related Activities, Recreation-Related Activities, Quality of Life
Target Audience:
Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers, Adults with Disabilities
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Geographic Areas, Urban
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
Regional
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
