Promoting Self-Advocacy Skills in the Classroom*
Choicemaking, decision-making, problem-solving, goal-setting, selfregulation, self-awareness, and self-knowledge are all critical skill areas
that can be addressed in any classroom.
Choicemaking is a relatively easy skill to incorporate throughout the day in the
classroom. Do you ask students to choose from two assignment options? To
choose a partner for a field trip? Try to determine how often do you ask students
to make choices during the school day?
Other ways to incorporate choice-making in your classroom include:
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Reward students when they pursue new experiences;
Present students with multiple pre-determined opportunities from which to
choose;
Discuss among students the consequences and limits that come with some
choices;
Invite adults with disabilities to discuss leisure, health, transportation,
employment or other choices they have made;
Invite guest speakers to talk about their personal life experiences and the
consequences (both positive and negative) of the choices they made at different
points along the way.
How can you encourage decision-making in your classroom?
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Teach students to prioritize their preferences, listing possible consequences, and
discuss the decisions made according to those;
Have discussions, role plays, mock elections that involve making decisions and
discuss the actions and outcomes (Test, Aspel, & Everson, 2006).
What are ways to facilitate the development of problem-solving skills?
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Help students define problems and discuss how they could solve them;
Help students find ways to overcome barriers to when proposed solutions do not
work;
Use mock courts to include students in solving classroom-wide problems and
issues and/or real-world problems such as driving issues, relationship problems,
health decisions, etc. (Test, Aspel, & Everson, 2006).
How can we involve students in goal-setting?
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Define concepts such as goals, future and vision and incorporate those words
and concepts into games, puzzles, activities in the classroom;
Role play and have discussions to provide students with opportunities to think
about their future;
Have students set goals, timeframes, and determine the benefits of reaching
their goals;
Have students prioritize among the goals they would like to accomplish;
Discuss potential supports that could help students reach their goals or match
their needs;
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Identify examples of adults in literature or current events that are engaged in
meeting their goals;
Invite adults with disabilities to share their goals and experiences (Test, Aspel, &
Everson, 2006).
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How do we help students develop their self-regulation skills?
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Teach students to self-assess and self-manage their goals and actions;
Identify examples of adults who use these skills in literature and current events;
Work with students to set up individual or group reinforcement;
Have students reflect on what motivates them, their accomplishments, and
rewards for themselves (Test, Aspel, & Everson, 2006).
It's important that students learn who they are, their strengths and weaknesses,
and how their disability impacts them. They should be able to answer the
questions:
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How do you learn best?
What are some of your strengths?
What are some of your weaknesses?
Knowing and understanding one's abilities is an important part of selfawareness. Everyone has certain abilities and strengths and it is important to
recognize and support these. Students need to identify their interests and
understand their abilities to make decisions, find supports, and pursue their
goals. Help students identify their strengths and learn in accordance with these.
Facilitate the development of self-awareness and self-knowledge by:
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Allowing students to develop preferences and future maps that include their
gifts, attributes, and capacities.
Providing students with facts concerning their disabilities and the functional
impact their disabilities may have on different aspects of their lives (driving,
legal rights, health independence etc.).
Providing students with strategies that help address their disabilities and their
impact.
Providing students the opportunity to use assistive technology.
Allowing students to interact with students with similar disabilities so they can
discuss and learn about each other’s experiences, attributes, and goals. (Test,
Aspel, & Everson, 2006).
Taking the time to incorporate the teaching of these skill areas into your classes
is critical if teachers are going to adequately prepare students for the world after
high school.
*Adapted with permission from “Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction, an online workshop by Dr.
Colleen Thoma, Director, Doctoral Programs, VCU School of Education Assoc. Professor, Dept. of Special
Education & Disability Policy, located at http://www.ttaconline.org/staff/s_training/s_course_info.asp.
Test, David, Nellie Aspel, and Jane Everson (2005). Transition Methods for Youth with Disabilities. New
York: Prentice Hall.