This March, UGDSB’s Wellness Works focus is self-advocacy. Self-advocacy is the ability to understand and communicate your strengths, needs, interests, and goals. It also includes recognizing when extra support may be helpful and knowing how to seek it.
What Does Self-Advocacy Involve?
Self-advocacy can look different for everyone, but it often includes:
Speaking up for yourself
Knowing where and how to access information
Understanding your rights and responsibilities
Identifying trusted people and reaching out for support
Problem-solving and decision-making
A person’s ability to self-advocate can be influenced by many factors, including personal identity, lived experiences, and how welcoming and inclusive different environments are. In some cases, advocacy may happen with the support of another person.
Supporting Self-Advocacy at Home
If this is a topic you’re able to explore with your child(ren), consider using the following questions as conversation starters or reflection prompts:
How do you know when things aren’t going well for you? How might others notice?
What helps you when things aren’t going well?
Who can you turn to for extra support (at home, at school, or in the community)?
What strengths do you have that help you during challenges?
What makes it easier or harder to talk about your needs?
What factors might make it harder for others to communicate their needs, and why is it important to remember that?
Additional Ideas
Teach Problem-Solving: Discuss strategies like "talking it out," using "I-statements," or asking for help.
Provide Scripts: Give them specific phrases like, "I need help," "Can you repeat that?" or "Can we try it this way?".
Identify “go-to” people: Make a list of trusted adults and supports at home, at school, and elsewhere.
Celebrate strengths: Ask your child(ren) to share something they’re proud of and talk about the skills and strengths they used to accomplish it.
Championing Health and Well-being
"You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes, you can steer yourself any direction you choose." - Dr. Seuss.
Studies show that students who develop strong self-advocacy skills are better equipped to seek help, understand their learning needs, and communicate effectively with teachers and peers. This leads to increased academic engagement and achievement (Test, 2017). Test, D. W., et al. (2005). Self-Determination and Self Advocacy. Research to Practice Series. University of Kansas.
— The Wellness Works Committee