For most of your life, your parents or guardians have been making decisions for you. However, as you get older, it becomes more and more important that you are independent. You will be expected to make decisions for yourself to the best of your ability.
What does it mean to self-advocate?
Simply put, self-advocacy is knowing how to speak up for yourself and make your own decisions. It is also about knowing your strengths and weaknesses as well as the accommodations you might need. Additionally, it is about knowing what information and skills that you will need and can use to help you succeed in the future. The main goal of self-advocacy is for you to make decisions and take your life into your own hands.
What are the benefits of self-advocacy?
Self-advocacy is a survival skill. It is more likely that you’ll be successful if you can master asking for what you need.
It increases self-confidence and the control you have over your life.
It allows you to find solutions to obstacles you face.
Where will I use these skills?
Here are some places you will need to advocate while in high school:
An IEP meeting
Asking for accommodations for an assignment
Meeting with a guidance counselor
There are many places you may advocate after leaving high school. Some examples are:
Moving out of the home
Interviewing for a job
Using public transportation
Meeting with a doctor
What are some tips for self-advocating?
Learning how to communicate your needs, whatever the setting, is one of the most important things you will learn. A strong self-advocate understands the following about themselves:
Self-awareness → What are my strengths and areas of growth?
Interests, strengths, and preferences
Goals and needs
Support needs
Accommodation needs
Responsibilities
Knowledge → What accommodations am I entitled to, and what are my rights?
Community rights
Human service rights
Consumer rights
Education rights
Steps to advocate for change
Knowledge of resources
Communication → How can I communicate my needs to schools and future employers?
Assertiveness
Negotiation
Body language
Use of assistive technology
Organizational participation
Leadership → How can I put all these skills together to help others?
Knowledge of group’s rights
Knowledge of resources
Advocating for others
Organizational participation
Where can I learn to self-advocate?
There are many different types of resources that can help you learn how to be a better self-advocate. Here some good examples of tools that you can use:
This is a Youtube video by the Medina County Board of DD where they ask their employees and some other individuals some questions about self-advocacy. You can get a first-hand account of how multiple individuals apply self-advocacy in real life.
Advocating for yourself is a pdf/self-help manual written by the Canadian Mental Health Association. It contains lots of in-depth information about self-advocacy that is perfect for individuals wanting to learn everything there is to know about self-advocacy.
Self-Advocacy for High School Students is a website that contains tons of tips and skills to help you with self-advocacy. They have a couple introduction videos followed by 3 different learning modules; learn about yourself, know your rights, and communication. Additionally, they have an extra 3 modules on how to prepare for self-advocacy after high-school.
Self-Advocacy is a skill that very few people talked about but is essential to becoming a successful young adult. Hopefully, you will be able to take some tips and tricks from this article and become a better self-advocate.
Sources
https://selfadvocacyhighschool.wordpress.com/students-corner/
https://www.understood.org/articles/en/6-tips-for-helping-your-high-schooler-learn-to-self-advocate
https://teachingselfadvocacy.wordpress.com/teaching-self-advocacy-skills/
https://www.smartkidswithld.org/getting-help/raising-independent-kids/self-advocacy-strategies-ages/
Edited by Riwa Amam.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Abbi Kamalesan is a ninth grade student from Ontario, Canada. She likes to spend her free time volunteering with various organizations and spending time with her family and friends. Abbi is hoping to pursue a future career in business.
Comments