Find A Role Model
Anyone can be a self-advocate, but sometimes you have to see things to believe them. That’s where a role model comes in.
“Parents as well as children can see people who are succeeding and advocating for themselves and realize that it is possible for people with a wide array of disabilities to achieve success through self-advocacy,” Ne’eman says. “It’s very important for those who are seen as the weakest and most dependent in society to see others like them succeeding and advocating for themselves even against significant odds or significant opponents.”
Want to connect with others like you? The Autistic Self-Advocacy Network has list-serves for teens and adults on the autism spectrum. Or, contact ADAPT, the American Association of People With Disabilities or your local Center for Independent Living.
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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