Teaching Self Advocacy
Self-advocacy can play a significant role in a child’s success in the classroom. It is important to evaluate a child’s ability to self-advocate for their needs or when they need help. Children may not self-advocate for themselves if they have reduced awareness for their skill level, feel anxious when needing help, or if they are unable to find the words to use to request assistance. Self-advocacy also requires executive functions such as planning, inhibition, and organizing. Teaching self-advocacy using graphic organizers, visual supports, and rating scales can help children become more confident in their self-advocacy skills. See the article from the American Speech and Hearing Association regarding self-advocacy for more information: https://leader.pubs.asha.org/do/10.1044/leader.FTR1.26082021.32/full/