Sample Educational Materials and Other Services
Other Services:
Custom Educational and Edutainment Videos
Custom Educational Tools and Materials (Non-Video)
Writing
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Sample Educational Materials
Work_Accessibility_Examples_1718043087.pdfAlternative text:
Hiring Process:
Green drawing of balanced scale
Skill-based hiring processes if possible
Inform on the interview format
and ask if any accommodations are needed
Omit unnecessary qualifications and requirements from the job postings
Interview:
Purple drawing of two people facing each other with speech bubbles
Option for a virtual interview
Copy of questions during the interview
Clear open-ended questions
Interview questions or what kinds of questions to expect in advance
Work:
Pink drawing of a paper with a checklist and a gear
Option to work remotely if able
Provide clear instructions on tasks and job roles
Establish cues for when people can approach
Performance and skill-based advancement rather than just social interactions
Meetings and Events:
Blue drawing of people around a table
Share the agenda ahead
Provide meeting summaries and notes in various formats
Offer captions/live transcripts and slide copies
Allow Q&A after meetings or presentations
Image description: orange megaphone with text that says speak up
Self-Advocacy
Self-advocacy is speaking up for yourself while effectively communicating your needs as well as rights.
Important Self-Advocacy Skills:
Be familiar with your disability, your needs, and strengths
Know how to get clarity it you don't understand something
Be assertive, not aggressive
Know your civil and legal rights
Cartoon of an orange head outline with speech lines out of the mouth.
Describe the Problem
Request what you need
Cartoon of a green person and a orange person standing on a balanced scale holding two check marks within circles.
Research online who to go to or the steps to take.
Cartoon of an orange computer screen with a magnifying glass.
Use your strengths!
Image Description: cartoon of 4 schools on a background of a blue sky with clouds and a sun.
Disability Education in Texas Schools
Reduce Unconscious Biases: Legislation for education on disability in the public school curriculum can improve children's lives in the present as well as in the future.
15% of students were in Special Education, nationwide 2020-2021 (National Center for Education Statistics)
Stigma in School:
Research shows that in schools, children with disabilities often face:
Stigmatization
Social exclusion
Victimization
Long-term effects of stigma
Negative attitudes from non-disabled peers
Price of Biases:
Adults with disabilities face increased:
Healthcare inequity
Poverty
Unemployment
Research suggests attitudes and biases are factors in these hardships.
1 in 4 Texan adults has a disability (CDC, 2020)
Cartoon of 4 people out lines, one is orange, the other three are grey.
Research Shows Increasing Disability Knowledge:
Increases acceptance and positive attitudes toward disability
Decreases self-stigma in children with disabilities
Most effective with inclusive social contact
Early Education is Key
Research recommends:
Focus on similarities
Focus on importance of inclusion
Utilizing Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programs
Providing teachers professional development training
Yellow arc with a meter pointing towards Positive attitudes toward disability
Introduce Legislation to:
Integrate evidence-based disability education into the public school curriculum to effectively foster positive attitudes about disability before prejudices are longstanding.
Image description: Autistic Masking and Camouflaging
Autistic Masking:
Autistic masking is minimizing autistic or neurodivergent traits to appear more neurotypical.
Everyone masks to an extent, but autistic people have to mask more. Masking or camouflaging is an adaptive coping skill that some autistic people have.
This coping skill is usually an unconscious social survival defense mechanism from trauma. Masking can also be a conscious decision.
Cartoon of a green happy face theatrical mask and a purple sad theatrical face mask.
Masking Varies:
Masking can include things like practicing what you will say in social situations, engaging in eye contact, suppressing stimming, being quiet in social situations, smiling, not talking about a preferred topic, and trying to appear energetic.
Cartoon of a green man with a shirt and tie, holding a green happy mask up to his blank face.
Complications:
Masking can cause mental health complications like anxiety and depression. Masking can be very energy consuming and even cause what looks like a temporary regression or loss in skills.
A cartoon of a green woman on the floor with her hand on her head.
Created by Shine Lucky Penny
Image description: Conflict Resolution
Try to Stay Calm Outwardly
It's okay to feel angry or frustrated, but it's best to not show these emotions outwardly when trying to solve a conflict. Slowing down the rate of your talking can have a calming effect.
Cartoon of a woman with a white tank top and purple pants sitting crossed legged on the floor, she is surrounded by icons of a laptop, calendar, envelope, people, and gears.
Use Self-Regulation Skills
Try self-regulation techniques like pausing or taking a deep breath.
Cartoon of a woman sitting crossed legged on the floor with her arms on her body, breathing.
Suggest a Break if Emotions are High
If the conflict is recent or emotions are high, consider taking a break before resolving the conflict.
If it isn't time-sensitive, request you talk about it on a different day or even week.
If you need more time to calm down than the agreed upon date, you can request that it get pushed back further; suggest a date.
Cartoon of a blue and white calendar with a purple circle with a white check mark.
If it's very time-sensitive, try to come up with an excuse, like excusing yourself to the restroom so you can take calming breaths.
Cartoon of a green and white clock with a hour glass.
Created by Larissa Minner
Image description:
Autism and Stimming Overview
Stimming
Stimming is self-soothing behavior. Everyone stims, if someone taps their fingers, twirls their hair, or uses a fidget toy to calm down or focus, that's stimming.
Cartoon of green hands using a fidget object or toy.
Regulating Data
Some autistic people stim to compensate for sensory processing differences and for emotional regulation.
Cartoon of a green person jumping and running.
Multiple Reasons
While stimming is typically associated with anxiety or boredom in typically developed people, an autistic person may stim to focus, and show happiness, excitement, or other emotions. Sometimes an autistic person might stim more if stressed out. Non-autistic people may engage in stimming like rocking and flapping hands.
Cartoon of a green blue person with their arms out and shaky lines to indicate they are moving their arms.
A Mini Disclosure is an explanation for your behavior while asking for understanding and requesting what you need. Try to think of whom you are speaking to, the context, and the setting; adjust your wording as needed. You can use this page to practice making a 'mini disclosure'.