Helping Students Build Self-Advocacy Skills: Why It Matters & Practical Strategies
Student sets a meeting with their teacher before a project to discuss how they’ll approach the project.
I’ve had the privilege of observing and participating in classrooms that serve learners with a wide variety of needs. One of the most powerful capacities any student can develop — especially those who are neurodiverse or have learning differences — is the ability to advocate for themselves.
Why Self-Advocacy Matters
When students learn to speak up for their own learning needs, preferences, and accommodations, the benefits are considerable:
Greater independence: Rather than relying solely on the teacher or support staff, students become partners in their learning journey.
Better outcomes: Students who understand their strengths and challenges — and can ask for what they need — are more likely to succeed academically and socially.
Preparation for life beyond school: Self-advocacy isn’t just for K-12. As students move into post-secondary education, employment, and adulthood, this skill becomes critical.
What Self-Advocacy Looks Like
In classrooms I’ve visited or worked in, self-advocacy takes many forms:
A student asks for a break or uses a sensory tool when they begin to feel overwhelmed.
A learner reads their IEP/504 plan and says, “These are the things I’m going to use this year.”
During group work, a student requests to explain how they prefer to receive instructions (e.g., written and verbal).
A teenager sets a meeting with their teacher before a project to discuss how they’ll approach it and what supports will help them excel.
Practical Strategies for Educators & Parents
Here are some actionable ideas that have worked, or that I’m excited to try, and I hope you’ll adopt and adapt them in your setting:
Teach the Language of Advocacy
Help students learn to say, “I need …”, “I prefer …”, “What I’ll do is …”.
Role-play scenarios: e.g., “You don’t understand the instructions; how will you ask?”
Create a classroom poster of self-advocacy phrases and review it regularly.
2. Encourage Self-Reflection & Strengths Awareness
Use “I’m good at … / I find challenging …” prompts at the start of each term.
Have students create a one-page “My Learning Preferences” sheet that they keep handy and can share with new teachers.
3. Build Access to Support Tools, Don’t Just Offer Them
Model how to use accommodations: not just “Here is the tool,” but “Here is how you ask for it and when you use it.”
Encourage students to try a tool, reflect: “Did this help? How so?” Then adjust.
4. Create Safe Opportunities for Asking
Make “office hours” or check-in times where students can bring questions about process or accommodations.
Celebrate when a student uses their voice: e.g., “I asked for extra time and the teacher suggested a planning meeting — great job!”
5. Involve Families in the Advocacy Journey
Share simple templates with families so students can practice self-advocacy at home: e.g., “This week I asked for … and here’s how it went.”
Suggest that families encourage students to lead meetings (with support) with teachers or support staff early in the year.
Final Thoughts
Self-advocacy is not an extra — it’s central. When students develop the skills to articulate what they need, they move from receivers of instruction to active participants in their learning. As we build more inclusive classrooms, helping students build self-advocacy skills will make our teaching more meaningful — and their learning more sustainable.
I’d love to hear from you: what strategies have you used to help students advocate for themselves? What questions do you have? Drop a comment below or send me a message.
Thanks for reading, and visit www.graceriviezzo.com to learn more or connect.
Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional educational advice.
