Self-Advocacy for Students with Disabilities
Date of Award
Spring 5-12-2023
Document Type
Project Abstract (696 or 796 registration)
Degree Name
Master of Science in Special Education
Department
Graduate Studies
Committee Chair
Shirley Johnson
Abstract
Students with learning disabilities, specifically our elementary level students, can experience difficulty advocating for themselves when it comes to knowing their rights, personal learning strategies, and understanding their disability in general. Students with learning disabilities may be limited in understanding their rights when it comes to accommodations in their school setting and they may be unaware of learning strategies which may support their success. Some of these students may experience low self-esteem and lack self-determination skills, which has the possibility to hinder their ability to advocate for themselves. Given these hindrances and limitations, teachers can feel empowered to instruct on the topic of self-advocacy and incorporate learning into their daily practice. In order for teachers to be able to facilitate opportunities to teach and reinforce self-advocacy in their students, they need to first engage in discussion and the research behind the importance of self-advocacy skills for all students. Teachers should then reflect on their current practices, learn practical strategies to implement into daily practices, as well as share resources with students and families related to the skill of self-advocacy.
Recommended Citation
Voronyak, Katie, "Self-Advocacy for Students with Disabilities" (2023). Dissertations, Theses, and Projects. 790.
https://red.mnstate.edu/thesis/790