Self-Advocacy Scripts for Work and College: Boss, Job Coach, Disability Office, Ages 14 to 21

In high school, a lot of people speak up for a student with an IEP. After graduation, most of that stops. The IEP ends, and at work and at college, the student is the one who has to ask. These are the words for the boss, the job coach, and the college disability office.

What's included:

• Job coach scripts, including how to ask for less help

• Should I tell my boss? A plain page on the choice and how to keep it short

• College or job training: how the disability office works, and scripts for the first call, instructors, and the testing center

• A fill in email to an instructor and 10 practice situations

• A wallet size script card and a "before I graduate" checklist

How I'd use it:

Use it in the last two years of high school or in a transition program. Have students rewrite each script until it sounds like them, then practice out loud with a partner. The first call to the disability office is the one I'd practice twice, because nobody makes it for them. Hand the checklist to families at the last IEP meeting.

Each script is short and polite, with a tip on timing. There is nothing legal or complicated here. It sticks to what a graduating student needs to know: the IEP ends when you leave high school, and at college you have to contact the disability office yourself. The disclosure page does not tell anyone what to do. It lays out the choice and gives them a short way to say it if they want to.

Who it's for: Teens, teachers, and job coaches. Grades 9 to 12, plus adult education.

What you download: one printable PDF, 4 pages, US Letter.

Made by Jeremy D. Gooch, special education teacher and transition coordinator. Drafting and layout had AI assistance; every page was checked by me.