The Impact of Self-Advocacy Instruction on the Secondary Learning Disabled Student

Abstract

The concept of self-advocacy has become important in the field of special education over recent years and has become an integral component of the high school experience for students with learning disabilities (LD). Most students with LD enter high school with little understanding about their disability, are unaware of their learning needs, and incapable of seeking educational support. The research premise is that if students with LD are provided opportunities to practice active decision-making, problem-solving, and goal-setting skills through exposure to disability awareness, and are coached on how to recognize and meet specific learning needs, they will improve their skills in self-determination to become better prepared for their high school careers and post-high school lives. Formalized instruction was officially established in this research study to investigate the intended promotion of self-advocacy skill building in four ninth-grade high school students with LD. Success toward behavioral targets was monitored over a period of nine weeks. All four participants demonstrated noteworthy improvements in self-advocacy skills as a result of the intervention. In the following field report, the need for self-advocacy instruction in the special education department at a rural high school in Wisconsin is outlined, including the intended purpose, goals, and impact on students with LD. A delineation of the methodology of the study, results, and implications for future research is also reported.