The FIG Method Course!

Welcome to the All About Audiology podcast. I’m your host, Dr. Lilach Saperstein and this is the All About YOU! episode, and today we’re going to be talking about advocating. You guys know that this is a really important part of my message and of the mission of the All About Audiology podcast. And everything that I do is to help empower families, who are navigating this whole world of audiology and of having a child who has specific communication needs, specific health challenges and educational needs. A really big part of that is learning how to advocate. Knowing what it is that you need and what you want for your child to have, knowing what their rights are, what accessibility you want them to have and then fighting for it so that they get it. That big, big piece of the journey is often left to the side, and left to when we are able to think about it, when we are not in this super rush of everything else going on.

So, I mentioned this before on an earlier podcast about how with everything that’s changed in the world, in our new post-corona era, we maybe had time to take stock of what are the big things that matter. What do we really want for our kids, for ourselves, for our family, for our home, and for how we want our life to look. Of course, it’s been a very difficult time for many people and if you are struggling or grieving, then be there and I’m really with you in that. Maybe, you can also make room for more connection and being even more connected to your child and being involved in their journey. Not only their journey, but yours as well.

If you have been following me on Instagram, or you are in the All About Audiology Facebook group, then you know we are in the middle of the 5 day “Know What To Say” challenge. I’ve been sending emails and also going live every day on both Facebook and Instagram to talk about how to know what to say in those really difficult situations where you are hit with someone else’s comments. So, I really encourage you to come and join the group and check on those videos. You can always watch them, they are all recorded.

The big and exciting thing that I’m finally sharing with you guys is the FIG Method of Advocating Course. This is a framework that I came up with after working with many, many families. It helps you understand what is the process and it really breaks it all down. How am I supposed to know what to say? Am I really just supposed to swallow it and move on? Or do I fight back? Do I explain or educate?

All these times when you are in that place, someone is either attacking you or they are being super ignorant. I think we can all relate to this with any time in your life where you felt that someone has said exactly the thing that you didn’t need to hear. Something that was really hurtful to you, made you very angry or confused, uncertain, insecure or shocked, how could they say such a thing, right? With the FIG Method, I break down what are the elements that you can go through in order to know on the spot and in the moment what to say. What’s the right thing? What do you need out of this situation?

This is a training that I have given to groups of parents and non-profit organizations. It has been such an excellent workshop with a lot of back and forth and interaction,