Self-Advocacy, Self-Determination, and Peer Mentoring Resources
What is Self-Advocacy?
Self-Advocacy is all about learning to make your own decisions about your life. It's understanding your strengths and weaknesses, developing personal goals, standing up for yourself, and making decisions.
The three parts to becoming an effective self-advocate are:
- knowing yourself
- knowing your needs
- knowing how to get what you need
This knowledge will help you better communicate what you need and why.
Why is Self-Advocacy important?
So you can have the information and resources needed to succeed and are given the chance to participate in all decisions that are being made about your life.
What is Self-Determination?
The right to make your own decisions without interference from others.
Why is Self-Determination important?
Self-determination is important for all people. Skills like goal setting, problem solving, and decision-making enable you to assume greater responsibility and control over your life.
What is Peer-Mentoring?
Counseling and advice provided to people with disabilities by other people with disabilities who combine knowledge about resources and experience with their own personal experience living with disabilities.
What can a Peer Mentor do for me?
A Peer Mentor can help you identify and use community resources and services that support your quest for a more independent life.
Interventions are aimed to improve skills (reading, spelling, math, comprehension, speech, etc.). The goal of the intervention is to improve skills and work towards independence. Regardless of age, it is never too late for intervention.
Accommodations are tools to help you accomplish a goal that do not change the outcome of the task.
