The SPAN Youth Hub

Like any other art form, writing is an amazing way to express yourself. Whether through paper or online, for an audience or just for yourself, there are a lot of wonderful ways writing can lead to self improvement, higher self esteem, and other benefits. Let's get together for our final blog post of 2022, to learn how to get your next story started.   Featuring… How To Write Your Own Story When writers start out, one the first things that comes to mind is how others will view what you've written. For some, this might be a worry, since you never know how someone will feel about what you've written. However, no matter the reaction to your writing, there's only one person who knows the real quality of your work: yourself. In this TEDTalk YouTube video, U.K author Beth Reekles describes her experience of using writing as a form of escapism growing up, and how she eventually wrote a smash hit, and got a deal from a publishing house. Three Ways to Write for Yourself So you wa...

People in your life will get to know you through your words, your actions, and your feelings. But there's one person who knows you better than anyone else: yourself. Learning about yourself is an important life lesson that we all learn about to some degree. The benefits to doing so can be life-changing, from helping you better achieve your goals, to making new connections easier, to figuring out what makes you truly happy in life.   Featuring… Past,  Current, and Future Strengths When we start learning about ourselves, one of the first things we notice is what our strengths are . Strengths can be qualities like determination, assertiveness, kindness, and many more. Above, we've linked a worksheet that you can fill out, to help discover your current strengths and abilities, and how they can lead you to future goals and successes.  6 Steps To Discover Your True Self So now you have an idea of your strengths, but what about your likes, dislikes, hobbies, and whatever makes y...

  Getting too comfortable may keep you from growing or trying new things. Trying new dishes, places or hobbies can be part of growing and learning more about yourself. Let's learn how to leave your comfort zone in the past, while embracing new opportunities in life.   Featuring… The Pros and Cons of Comfort Zones When we’re inside of a “comfort zone”, that means we’re in a position where we feel secure and risk-free. There are definitely benefits to having a safe space for ourselves, but sometimes comfort zones can prevent us from trying new things or exploring more of our world. On waldenu.edu , there's a resource article  that lists various pros and cons of comfort zones.  Growth Zones For  those looking to step out of your own comfort zones, this next article might be of interest. On positivepsychology.com , there is a very in depth article that looks at comfort zones from a psychological view. Interestingly, the article coins the term "growth zones," basical...

Active listening is more than listening. It's trying to understand and respond to information from a speaker, keeping eye contact or replying. Each of these are a form of active listening. Let's rediscover the benefits of active listening and how it can strengthen the bonds we have with one another.   Featuring… Active Listening Listening is one of the most important skills you can have. Given all the listening that we do, you would think we'd be good at it! However, active listening is a skill, and like all skills, it takes time to become good at . On Mindtools.com , we've found an article detailing the definition of active listening and it's benefits.  6 Steps for More Effective Active Listening While everyone can easily understand the basic concept of active listening, enhancing the skill of active listening itself can be slightly more difficult . There is however, a checklist of tips one can use to improve their active listening skills. On the   ccl.org (Center...

Education is often described as an important step for youth and young adults to find success in the world. However, for those with disabilities, quality education can sometimes be hard to come by. Eye-To Eye National is a community whose goal is to improve education for those with disabilities, in addition to working towards an anti-ableist and inclusive society for all.  They were kind enough to join our Chat this week, so let's dive into the resources that they shared with us .   Featuring… Featured Work From Eye To Eye A major component of Eye To Eye's success is the work of their community. This blog post found on their website features several research  projects created by six young adults. These diverse projects do a great job of advancing education standards for youth with disabilities, while also opening discussions about different issues facing youth of different backgrounds.  The Transitioning Guide, Plus A Shared Story In addition to the research projects,...

Self-advocacy gives youth and young adults with disabilities the confidence to ask for the tools they need to be successful in the real world. The strategy not only benefits youth at home and school, but helps to explain their learning disability to friends and family members.   Let's explore some resources that focus on self-advocacy.   Featuring… Four Steps To Self-Advocacy A great self-advocacy resource comes to us from the Churchill Center & School website.  While there's an entire page of resources available, we're going to focus on the 4 Steps To Self-Advocacy found at the beginning of the page. Know your strengths. Be aware of your weaknesses. Identify strategies to overcome those weaknesses. Effectively communicate those needs to others.  These simple to follow steps can serve as a good inspiration for anyone learning to advocate for themselves.  Adulting Shorts: The Tea On IEPS Like the one discussed before, most of our resources are usually blog po...

Halloween is a nationwide celebration for millions of families. But there is still much work to make it an inclusive holiday for individuals with disabilities .  Read on to learn how families and communities can create an inclusive Halloween in the future.   Featuring… How to Have a Safe Halloween The best part of Halloween isn't the decorations, the costumes, or even the super sweet candy. The best part of Halloween is having the community come together, with youth of all ages and backgrounds showing off their creativity and having fun. Of course, staying safe should also be a top priority, and this YouTube video from the channel   National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD)  includes some great ways to stay safe, while also making the spooky season more accessible to everyone.  How to Host An Inclusive Halloween If you're interested in creating a more inclusive Halloween for next year, there's a lot more that can be done to accommodate...