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
Resources
Assessing Self-Advocacy/Self-Determination Skills
Instructional Tools
Self-Advocacy Assignment and Assessment
Can't video? Alternate assignment