FAF is a tool designed to assist adolescents and young adults who use AAC, their families, and professionals in identifying their preferences, interests and needs. FAF is a self-discovery survey which is organized around seven major life areas: Community Membership; Control of Personal Health & Welfare; Pursuit of Lifelong Learning; Developing Talents & Interests; Creating Healthy Relationships; Self-Reliance; and Developing a Personal Sense of Spirituality. Multiple formats of FAF provide adaptations for users to accommodate visual, motor/access and linguistic differences. FAF takes users through stages that address discovering 1) what is important to them, 2) how satisfied they are with benchmarks they consider important, 3) which areas are priorities for them, and 4) what steps need to be taken to accomplish their priorities. Attendees will be introduced to Future Connections (FC) which is a curriculum based on the FAF tool, developed with the Down Syndrome Connection of the Bay Area (DSCBA) in Northern CA. FC was designed for adolescents and young adults to use with their support teams in identifying their preferences, interests and needs as they plan their futures. User friendly implementation tools and resources are provided to guide individuals, their teams and families in identifying and developing skills that support self-determination and improved quality of life.
