National Training Initiative in Developing Choice Making, Self Determination and Advocacy Skills Tia Nelis, Essie Pederson Objective Provide the advocacy training to adults based on their advocacy experience: 1) train their peers in later life choice making, 2) participate on community boards and in research projects, and 3) assume leadership roles on the boards of agencies.

Target Audience

Adults with mental retardation, board members, support persons, families, students, the general public, service provider paraprofessionals and professionals, researchers.

Training Content

Making Choices as We Age: A Peer Training Program trains persons with disabilities how to teach other adults with I/DD about choice making rights and responsibilities and how to make later life choices. Voices That Count prepares people with I/DD how to present to boards so they can become part of the decision making process which affects their lives. Leadership Today trains board and committee members how to assume leadership responsibilities.

Progress to Date

Conducted 238 training sessions including in-service and workshops at conferences with a total audience of 14,102.

Utility of the Training

As a result of training 50 self-advocates joined boards as member.

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