It’s Up to You to Advocate for You
Written
by: Daniella Florin Tuerack, M.S.
Ed, founder of Insightful Families is a
certified school psychologist who has had
formal instruction in Applied Behavior Analysis and special education
regulations. Daniella works with students and families assisting them in
accomplishing their goals, providing them with guidance and resources. For more
information about Daniella and Insightful Families, please visit www.insightfulfamilies.com.
Individuals
who know how to self-advocate for their educational and emotional needs have an
important skill that supports success throughout all aspects of their
life. This skill could be difficult to
obtain when someone has advocated for them, but have not been provided the
opportunity to advocate for themselves. Most students
are not actually taught how to understand their needs and communicate them to
others.
Students
whom have disabilities and/or learning disabilities often have special needs
educationally. As time progresses, these
students transition into college and later into the workforce, where the
assistance of their parents, teachers, and other individuals are not as readily
available. As an adult, people need to
make sure their rights are being respected and that the necessary
accommodations are available.
Whether
it is in school or at a workplace, being an advocate for yourself consists of
understanding your rights, your strengths and weaknesses, and the best way to
ensure your needs are being met.
Following are various ways individuals could acquire the skills to
advocate for themselves. These tips are
beneficial throughout all settings, such as: school, work, and socially.
- Be aware of what your diagnosis and/or
learning disability is and gain knowledge of the description and
characteristics.
- If you need specific support and services, you
must disclose your learning disability to others who can help you.
- Always have current and proper documentation
of your disability.
- Research and/or ask
individuals about your rights as a student.
- Know your rights. You have a right to
participate in educational programs without discrimination and to receive
accommodations in courses and exams.
- Understand your needs as a
student (i.e, amount of time needed to write a paper, flash cards to
memorize content).
- Learn how to communicate
with professors, university staff, and other students.
- Meet with your advisors to talk about what you
want to learn and discuss what challenges you may encounter.
- Know what your educational
requirements are in order to succeed.
- Review time management and
organization skills in order to complete tasks.
- Correspond with family
members to get assistance when necessary while still independently
advocating for yourself.
Everyone
learns differently and requires particular support in order to succeed both
academically and professionally. For
students and individuals who need more guidance, following these steps could be
greatly beneficial. Knowledge truly is
what will give someone with a disability the power to thrive. Self-advocacy begins with having the proper
information and self-esteem to use that information to your advantage. The strongest self-advocates are those who
are have awareness and are confident.
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