Know Yourself
People with developmental disabilities are often the least able to explain their needs. Why? Their parents tend to do that for them.
Ne’eman tells the story of a friend who runs a university program for people with learning disabilities. “The single largest problem that he has when students come to his office is he asks them, ‘can you explain your disability to me,’ and they don’t know how to do that,” Ne’eman says. “It’s hard to advocate for yourself if you don’t understand your own needs.”
So, study up. Know your strengths and your needs.
Parents who have children with disabilities need to teach self advocacy. If your child can communicate in anyway, please teach them to stand up for themselves!
Awesome article and extremely timely for me as I am simultaneously growing into Autism Sel-Advocacy and creating my own Foundation to advocate for the Rights of other Autistic Persons, who don’t yet have the Ability to do so for themselves. My Foundation is going to help Autistic Persons do everythIng for themselves, one day, because I Am. I am 47.8 years old and I was non-verbal from birth until age 7. I taught myself Life and now I Am Ready to Live. When I was a Child, when I began to start Speaking, I told my father, I want to be a Clinical Research and Child Psychologist so that No Child has to grow up Like I Am. And I Will Be because I have been doing the Work all my Life. I finally know what Self-Love Is because I Am Taking Care of Me, First. God’s got My back and that makes it that much more Divine. My Autism at birth was a Gift from God and today, I Feel Proud to honor that Gift by making sure, through the creation of my Autism Foundation, No Child Ever Has To Grow Up Like I Did. Thank you for giving the Strength, through this article, to continue Fighting the Good Fight
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