a website with information and resources to help teens and ... resource for self-adv… · a...

Westchester Institute for Human DevelopmentUniversity Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities

A website with information and resources to help teens and young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, families and caregivers to achieve successful health transition.


• The Taking Charge of My Health team:

• Marilyn Vitale, MA

• Mitchell Levitz

• Barbara Levitz, MS Ed

• Katie Borras, MS

• Karen Edwards, MD, MPH

Website development was supported through a grant from the Special Hope Foundation


• Find out how to:

• Transition from pediatric to adult health care

• Live more independently

• Become a self-advocate!


What did Taking Charge of My Health mean to me

when I was a teenager and was starting to plan for

when I became an adult?

• Being able to make my own appointments

with doctors and to go on my own so the

doctors would talk to me and not my

parents

• Taking care of getting my own

prescriptions for medicines and then

taking them by myself





• Having a way to record and keep track of

my own medical information

• Speaking up for myself when talking to my

doctors and other staff in the doctor’s

offices





• Being the one to make choices and

decisions about my health but with help

from my Circle of Support that I set up

myself

• Deciding what activities I want to do as

part of my lifestyle in order to stay healthy


Besides those things that I told you were

important to me, are there other things you

can think of that are part of Taking Charge

of Your Health for you?


Overview

• Learning to be more in charge of

your own health care is part of

being more independent in your life.

• These topics will guide you

through learning new information.

• You will look at the many resources

that are available.


Overview

• You can read and listen to what other teens and young adults have to say.

• Going through all the topics at your own pace can help you get a full picture of making changes in your health as you become a young adult.

• But if you only want to learn certain things about health, you can just read the parts of this learning series that are of interest to you.


Topics

• Getting Started: Transition Plans,

Timelines, and Checklists

• Health Goals in Individualized

School and Community Plans

• Health Records and Health

Summaries

• Health Insurance


• Health Choices and Medical Decision

Making

• Moving from Pediatric to Adult Health

Care

• Health Management and Self-Advocacy

• Staying Healthy

• Changing Roles: Letting Go/Taking

Charge

Topics


Let’s explore the website!

http://www.takingchargeofmyhealth.org/

http://www.takingchargeofmyhealth.org/


A Self-Advocate’s View on

Managing Your Health

• Self-advocacy means speaking up for

yourself with doctors and other health

professionals.

• A good circle of support—family and

friends—can help you make good medical

decisions.


A Self-Advocate’s View on Managing

Your Health

• Taking care of your health means keeping

track of appointments, taking your

medications, and learning what to bring to

the doctor’s office.

• If you can, learn how to travel to your

medical appointments. Family, friends,

and support staff can help you learn how

to do that.


• Whenever possible, choose doctors and other

health professionals who listen to you and make

you feel comfortable.

• Practice how to talk with your doctor and ask

questions. You should understand what to do to

get and stay healthy before you leave the

office—how to take a new medicine or care for

an injury at home.


Your Health


• Eating right, exercising, and getting enough

sleep are important ways you can take charge

of your own health.

• Preventing illness before it starts is the best way

to by stay healthy.


Your Health


Contact Information

Please feel free to contact us for more

information:

• Mitchell Levitz [email protected]

• Marilyn Vitale, MA [email protected]

• Katie Borras, MS [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



a website with information and resources to help teens and ... resource for self-adv… · a...

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