Rights & Self Advocacy
Self-Advocacy and Reopening
Watch these two videos back to back
George the Poet: Collaborating
The first one encourages us to speak up for ourselves. That's important and it matters. A LOT!
The second one says we need to collaborate, come together, to keep everyone safe and fully recover from the pandemic.
When you go back to program, or here online, you may find that there are times when what you want and collaborating with others go in opposite directions. This may happen on the vans with the new seating. Or it may be a problem when you want to put your food in a hope fridge and we're not allowed to use them any more.
PRESENTERS: offer scenarios where what we want in face to face program may not be good for the group, or may cause risk of spreading covid.
If you are a good self-advocate it may seem like going backwards to compromise. If you aren't used to speaking up, the rules may feel like they got a lot worse and harder to deal with. Here is a general guide to help you choose when to advocate, and when to collaborate.
- Is what I'm advocating for a NEED or a WANT?Needs are usually about safety, health and feeling emotionally safe. Wants feel strong but we can do fine if we don't get them
- Then ask is what I'm advocating possibly dangerous or harmful to someone else?
If what you are asking for meets a real NEED and is highly unlikely to cause any harm or danger to others, then you can feel confident advocating for it. Otherwise, try to collaborate and compromise. Use your communication skills to understand everybody's point of view.
Hygiene Practice & Body Break
Let’s move! Get our bodies stretching!
After the break, practice some role play. Imagine your friend is standing too close to you in line. How might you remind them about social distancing? Share with the group.
Life Skills Worksheet "Caring for Pets"
PRESENTERS: just share the sheet and annotate on it as your group works through the prompts.
For each pet listed on the sheet, decide what special care that pet would need. You can use the annotate option to write in the box of each pet.
- Do you have any of the pets listed? If so, what special care do you give your pet?
Remaking Friends
Taking our time remaking friends is worth it. Social skills get rusty when we don't use them for a long time. We may not feel as comfortable as we used to, or we may be more or less anxious than the people we know. Here are some tips to communicate your level of comfort.
- Be honest with friends about how ready you feel to go back to normal
- Make sure you understand how your friends feel
- If one of you feels more ready than the other, go by the pace of the person who less comfortable
- Practice conversations with people in your home to prepare for talking to people in the world again
Body Break
What was the sequence of today's topics?
What do you remember best?
