Why Student Self-Advocacy is So Important
Student Self-Advocacy
Student self-advocacy is an essential life skill all students need to have in and outside the classroom. Here's why it matters and ways schools, teachers, and parents can encourage it.
Are you looking for ways to encourage self-advocacy with your students? Keep reading to find a link to my FREE Present Level Form - Student Self-Assessment!
If you’re a special education teacher, this is an easy way to help your students give insight into their strengths and areas of need. Plus, you’re gathering meaningful info for the student's IEP!
What is Self-Advocacy?
Self-advocacy (communicating strengths, needs, and preferences, asking for help, and taking responsibility for learning and employment, etc.) is important because it teaches students to be independent, confident, and effective problem-solvers. The Student Version of my Present Level of Performance Form Bundle asks students to rate themselves on 8 statements like:
"I ask for help when I need it."
"I make goals to get what I want or need."
"I know the goals in my IEP and can explain them to someone else."
Encouraging self-advocacy in students can empower them to take ownership of their learning and personal development. It also helps them develop essential communication skills that will serve them well in college, careers, and personal relationships.
If we help students develop their communication skills related to self-advocacy, they might eventually be able to lead their own IEP meeting (or co-lead with an adult). Students will have many responses prepared for their transition IEP meeting if they fill out my Student Transition Worksheet (with or without a teacher, depending on the student, of course).
How Schools Can Encourage Self-Advocacy
Schools can encourage self-advocacy by providing students with resources, choices, and support. This can include:
workshops on study skills and time management
access to counseling and support services
academic advising
opportunities to get involved in extracurricular activities.
Schools can also incorporate self-advocacy training into their curriculum. Teachers can teach students how to identify their strengths and weaknesses, set goals, and communicate their needs. Additionally, schools can offer workshops or programs that focus on self-advocacy, such as peer mentoring or leadership development.
How Teachers Can Encourage Self-Advocacy in the Classroom
Teachers play a vital role in fostering self-advocacy in students. They can encourage self-advocacy by creating a safe and supportive classroom environment that values students' voices and opinions. They can promote self-advocacy in the classroom by giving students choices and encouraging them to ask questions, seek help, and take ownership of their learning.
Special education teachers can teach self-advocacy skills to students with disabilities, such as requesting accommodations, asking for clarification on assignments, and even leading their own IEP meetings.
Use my FREE Present Level Form - Student Self-Assessment to measure your students' self-advocacy skills. It's an easy form students can complete with or without an adult (depending on ability levels). It's perfect for transition IEPs!
Teachers can also model self-advocacy behaviors by sharing their own experiences with advocating for personal needs or making life decisions.
How Parents Can Encourage Self-Advocacy at Home
Parents can encourage self-advocacy at home by fostering independence and encouraging their children to take responsibility for their own lives, including their education, such as:
making decisions about their schedules or advocating for themselves in social situations.
working with their children to identify their strengths and weaknesses
helping them set goals for personal and academic growth
model self-advocacy behaviors by advocating for their children's needs
encouraging their children to express their thoughts and feelings.
By encouraging self-advocacy, parents will be helping them form the skills they need to succeed in school and life.
Student Self-Advocacy
As you can see, schools, teachers, and parents all promote student self-advocacy by creating supportive environments, providing resources and support, and modeling self-advocacy behaviors. By fostering self-advocacy skills, we can provide our students and children skills they need in school and beyond.
Resources
Here’s a list of the resources I talked about in this article:
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