Advocacy Goal in 504 or IEP?

[notnutty]

We are writing my DS's IEP for next year.  His case manager asked me if we want to add an advocacy goal to address my DS's LTFA.  I think they are trying to help my DS advocate for his needs re: his allergy.

I think it is a good idea, but the case manager wants specific language or ideas on what to include.  Anyone here have an advocacy goal written into an IHP, 504 or IEP re: LTFA?

[CMdeux]

Yes, I think that Mac does.

We have it written in indirectly-- there are line-items which are shared responsibility with DD at this point, and a lot of that is having her act as a "sentinel" for risk evaluation in the moment.

[DJMom]

That's an interesting concept.  If it were written into a 504, it would be an accomodation; it would be required that the child would be allowed to self-advocate regarding his LTFA.  With an IEP goal, it would be an evaluated expectation of the child. 

My non-PA DD has an IEP at school for high-functioning autism.  She has had non-academic goals written in her IEP.  All of her goals are written stating the expectation of her performance.  "DD will answer multi-step, higher order math problems correctly 4 of 5 times" or something like that.  Her non-academic goals have had to do with her difficulty with transitions or processing something that is out of her normal routine, like having a substitute teacher.  That goal might be written, "DD will successfully self-manage such transitions without crying 4 of 5 times."

I'm trying to think how a similar goal could be written for self-advocacy.  So very many things that are part of a FA child's regular daily routine fall into the category of self-advocacy.  Many of them might not be recognized by a person who does not deal with LTFA.  My PA child is 13 and, at school, his day-to-day allergy management is his own.  Something as simple as moving away from a kid eating PB for lunch would be self-advocacy.  Who knows how many other things he does through the day to advocate for himself?

I like the idea of having something in place to encourage the child to self-advocate and think putting it in the IEP is great, if that would strengthen the child's self-advocacy skills.  I'm just trying to think how it could be worded and then how the progress toward that goal would be assessed.  I hope someone will be able to help with their experience.

[Mfamom]

well, we sort of addressed that back in 3rd grade when the teacher told my ds to put his hand down and shut him down when he was trying to indicate he had hives on his arms and needed to go to the nurse.
really easy for a kid who is trying to advocate for himself etc to be shut down by a focused teacher or a teacher having a trying day with the class. 
we didn't consider it a goal, more of a what ds should do to signal he needs help.

I'm not sure what I would write though as far as a "goal" for advocacy.