Afsheen Ali

SEFB 420

April 25, 2017

Self-Advocacy

Self-advocacy is the process of learning how to communicate ones needs

effectively and acquiring help in achieving learning goals. Under this precept, individuals

with special needs understand their strengths and weaknesses, learn how to obtain

information on topics of interest, find support in achieving goals and solving problems.

Moreover, counselors work to increase peoples self-confidence by engaging them in

making decisions affecting their lives. The skills acquired in self-advocacy help persons

with learning disabilities to integrate more smoothly with society by fostering their

independence and confidence.

The video, Self-Advocacy: Find the Captain in You, explores how individuals

with learning disabilities can overcome various obstacles to achieve more in life. As I

watched the film, I understood particular challenges that these people face. One of them

is a problem of communication where such individuals may not be able to express ideas

as concisely as their peers. This entails that although they understand their challenges,

these individuals may be unable to voice their needs to others who can aid them.

Moreover, such lack of communication leads to the people feeling devoid of the

opportunity to make important life decisions. Furthermore, some students with special

needs reject programs such as the Individualized Education Program, which is meant to

assist them since they feel left out on decisions affecting their lives . Self-advocacy

would allow these people to have a sense of control over their lives, thus, increasing
confidence in their competency. Over time, this self-confidence inspires people to be

more determined.

While the video focuses on students with special needs, it also applies the

concepts of self-advocacy to other individuals. In addition, the skills acquired through

self-advocacy are also relevant in other situations such as advocating for an important

matter to the public policy and combating peer pressure. One of the central tenets of self-

advocacy is understanding individuals needs and communicating them to others who can

help. Most people have difficulties expressing their needs while others have challenges

listening. Communication skills learned during the program would aid in communicating

ideas concisely to the appropriate audiences. Additionally, due to low self-esteem issues,

individuals usually conform to expectations from their peers, which may also contribute

to feeling out of control. These challenges make it hard for people to integrate smoothly

into society and live a productive life.

Since developmental problems manifest at an early age, it is also important to

begin teaching self-advocacy skills during childhood. In addition to becoming

independent as they build self-confidence in their ability to learn, individuals can explore

novel solutions to challenges. Addressing these issues early helps in improving their lives

socially and academically. For example, in a school setting, students with self-advocacy

skills would understand their learning issues and ask for the help necessary in

overcoming them. However, self-advocacy still presents challenges as it requires a lot of

patience and understanding. For example, individuals with special needs must identify

their specific challenges whether it is learning, reading, processing, writing disabilities or

ADHD, which requires a lot of guidance and interaction with counselors. Additionally,
there are questions on how effective self-advocacy is in addressing developmental

challenges from the perspective of the affected individuals as it is outward facing and

focuses on improving the social perceptions of the individual.

Basically, self-advocacy allows people to understand their strengths and

disabilities including how they affect their lives. Additionally, it gives them a chance to

acquire confidence in their learning abilities, which fosters independence and a sense of

control over their lives. However, these individuals face difficulties in expressing their

needs due to their anxiety and resource constraints. Moreover, self-advocacy requires a

lot of time in identifying particular individuals needs and the best ways to address them.

In general, to aid in mitigating the effects of learning disabilities, self-advocacy offers an

avenue where people can seek help from others to achieve success in their lives.