Self-Advocacy

Having Self-Advocacy skills is said to be a primary predictor of future educational and employment success for individuals with disabilities.

Self-Advocacy is when an individual speaks or acts upon their own behalf, often resulting in some kind of positive change or to get needs met.

Why is Self-Advocacy important?

  • The adolescent years is typically when individuals strengthen in their ability to self-advocate through questioning authority, increasing independence, and setting goals.

  • Provides individuals opportunities to demonstrate their independence through various life experiences that involve exploration, decision making, risks, and consequences.

  • Prepares students for future educational and employment situations where they will need to make their own decisions and speak up for themselves.

What does Self-Advocacy look like?

Individuals are:

  • able to describe their abilities and needs, and the accommodations needed to support their success.

  • are actively engaged in the development of goals for their learning and post-secondary lives that are realistic and attainable.

  • able to identify when assistance is needed and are able to ask for help.

Strategies for building Self-Advocacy skills:

  • Identify strengths and needs

  • Understand disability and how it affects learning/functioning

  • Know what accommodations are needed for success

  • Asking for help

  • Provide opportunities for problem solving

  • Make decisions

  • Engage in decision making

  • Understand legal rights

Self-Advocacy Assignment and Assessment