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The Success of a
Self-Advocate:
A Transition StoryBy Jessica Laine Hart
Moderated by: Debbie Wilkes
Jessica L. Hart
Self Advocate
D.R. Wilkes Consulting
Who am I?
Jessica L. Hart
Self Advocate
Employee at
Region 10
Self-Advocate
D.R. Wilkes Consulting
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Objectives
• Avoid pitfalls of transition planning –
– Learn to listen to the person
– Avoid making assumptions
– Follow through
• Discover what worked and didn’t work in
the school system and Vocational
Rehabilitation
• Learn the role of Medicaid Waiver
Programs to enhance transition.Jessica L. Hart
Self Advocate
D.R. Wilkes Consulting
How You Can Help Today
• Audience participation
–Ask questions
Jessica L. Hart
Self Advocate
D.R. Wilkes Consulting
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I was born on January 3, 1984
weighing in at only 2 lbs. and 3
oz. The day after I was born my
parents found out that I had
Cerebral Palsy.
Jessica L. Hart
Self Advocate
D.R. Wilkes Consulting
D.R. Wilkes Consulting
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D.R. Wilkes Consulting
CP is a group of brain disorders
that affects movement. The brain
does not send proper signals to
the muscles. The person is
unable to control how certain
muscles tighten or relax.
Jessica L. Hart
Self Advocate
D.R. Wilkes Consulting
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Cerebral Palsy
• Not a disease.
• Doesn’t get worse over time,
• Not contagious
• There is no cure
• Cases vary from mild to severe
D.R. Wilkes Consulting
Control/Support versus Cure
• Speech Therapy
• Occupational Therapy
• Physical Therapy
• Electric Wheelchair
• Botox treatment
Jessica L. Hart
Self Advocate
D.R. Wilkes Consulting
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CP and Me
• The Problem: My left hand basically is
fisted all of the time
• The Solution:
– Occupational Therapy
– Touch Screen
– Wireless Mouse and keyboard
– Enlarged grip on fork
Jessica L. Hart
Self Advocate
D.R. Wilkes Consulting
CP and Me
• Problem: Mobility, grooming, dressing, and sometimes eating
• Solution:
– Mom helps me
– Attendant care
• While in school – 30 hours
• After graduation- 60 hours a week
– Adaptive equipment at the home
– Paratransit
– Soup - someone helps me or I avoid it Jessica L. Hart
Self Advocate
D.R. Wilkes Consulting
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Elevator
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Track
for lift
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Roll-in
Shower
Lift
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Wheelchair
Accessible
VanD.R. Wilkes Consulting
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Getting to know ME
• Direct questions to me
• Don’t assume that I have an Intellectual
Developmental Disability
• If you don’t understand me, ask me to clarify.
It is worth listening to me. You may learn
something new.
• Don’t be afraid of meJessica L. Hart
Self Advocate
D.R. Wilkes Consulting
Cortical Visual Impairment
• Larger font
• Customized computer (touch screen)
• Great memory
Jessica L. Hart
Self Advocate
D.R. Wilkes Consulting
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School Days
D.R. Wilkes Consulting
Jessica L. Hart
Self Advocate
Terrace Elementary: PPCD
What worked
•Being around other kids
What didn’t work
•Expecting me to see and
learn like others
Jessica L. Hart
Self Advocate
D.R. Wilkes Consulting
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Richland Elementary: K-6
What worked•Aides who expected me to do my own
work
•Teachers who accommodated
•Third grade Mom began thinking
about transition
What didn’t work•Aides who over helped
•OT who wrote inaccurate assessments
with no functional plan
•Expecting me to learn things on the
curriculum schedule and not my
schedule
•Wasting time
Jessica L. Hart
Self Advocate
D.R. Wilkes Consulting
Elementary Transition
• Put on waiting list
for CLASS 1992
• Received CLASS
end of 1995
• Parent attending
Transition
Information Team
Meetings
• Began Person
Centered Planning
• Parent connecting
with other
agencies
– UCP Dallas
– UCP Texas
• Testifying in
Austin regarding
CLASSJessica L. Hart
Self Advocate
D.R. Wilkes Consulting
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Richardson Junior High
What Worked
•Switching aides
•Took state assessment with
accommodations only
•Math teacher recognized that some days
were better for learning than others
•Including friends my age at my person
centered plan
•Choir
What didn’t work
•OT didn’t want to try computer
programs Apple versus IBM Jessica L.
Hart
Self
Advocate
D.R. Wilkes Consulting
Gold Award
Jessica L. Hart
Self Advocate
D.R. Wilkes Consulting
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Berkner High School
What Worked
•Discontinued OT
•Rolinda Duran from TCB
•Continuing with Person
Centered Planning
•Relationship with Tyler
•Summer employment
•Riding DART
•Being part of the high school
What didn’t work
•Huge school/elevatorJessica L. Hart
Self Advocate
D.R. Wilkes Consulting
Prom
Ram Jam
Jessica L. Hart
Self Advocate
D.R. Wilkes Consulting
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Transition Program: RichlandWhat worked
•Person Centered Planning
•Employability Skills Class at Richland
•Traveling to Chicago and New Orleans
•Starting and ending day at home
•Determining what I wanted to do (not take
classes, telemarketing)
•Got paid job
Jessica L. Hart
Self Advocate
D.R. Wilkes Consulting
CLASS Medicaid Waiver
I am on the CLASS Medicaid waiver or
Community Living and Assisted Support
Services.
CLASS provides funds for habilitation,
therapy services, adaptive aids, case
management, nursing and minor home
modifications.
Jessica L. Hart
Self Advocate
D.R. Wilkes Consulting
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How I use CLASS
• 60 hours attendant care
– 12 hours helping at Region 10 and Police
Department
– 15 to 20 getting up in AM and ready for bed
in PM
• Occupational Therapy (1 hour a week)
• 12 hours recreational therapy a month
Jessica L. Hart
Self Advocate
D.R. Wilkes Consulting
There is a reason that God
created each and every one
of us. I believe God has
many purposes for me.
Jessica L. Hart
Self Advocate
D.R. Wilkes Consulting
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I hope you’ll feel free to ask me
any questions, because I want
you to have a full understanding
about me.
Jessica L. Hart
Self Advocate
D.R. Wilkes Consulting
Jessica Laine Hart
Jessica L. Hart
Self Advocate
D.R. Wilkes Consulting