What’s inside this article: What self-advocacy is, why it’s important, and practical ways for parents, teachers, and therapists to help neurodivergent children develop self-advocacy.
Table of Contents
As parents, educators, and therapists, one of the most important gifts we can give neurodivergent kids is the ability to advocate for themselves. This is a skill that will benefit them for their entire lives.
Self-advocacy helps children communicate their unique needs effectively with others, and it helps them receive the support, accommodations, and services necessary to be successful in a world that isn’t designed for them.
For neurodivergent children—such as those with ADHD or autism—learning self-advocacy helps them find success at school, at home, and in social settings. In the future, it will also help them in their career and to advocate for their healthcare, too.
This article explores the importance of self-advocacy, practical ways to teach it, and how to support your child so they develop this skill successfully.
What Is Self-Advocacy?
Self-advocacy is the ability to express your needs, desires, boundaries, and necessary accommodations clearly and effectively.
For neurodivergent kids, this includes things like communicating sensory needs, asking for specific accommodations, or explaining when they feel overwhelmed.
Self-advocacy has three main components:
- Understanding what your wants and needs are
- Knowing what kind of supports can help you
- Communicating this information to others
Self-advocacy is a pretty advanced skill that evolves and progresses throughout your child’s development depending on their level of self-awareness and their abilities.
It’s something you should work on with all children and at all stages of development, but for neurodivergent children, it’s essential they have this skill so they can navigate environments that aren’t always understanding or accommodating of their differences.
For Kids, Self-Advocacy Means:
- Communicating your wants, needs, and feelings
- Knowing your strengths, challenges, and triggers
- Asking for a break when you need one
- Expressing when you feel uncomfortable or overwhelmed
- Requesting support and accommodations
- Making choices about daily activities and routines
- Having a voice in your healthcare
- Setting personal boundaries
- Problem-solving in challenging situations
- Asking for help from a trusted adult when you need it
Why Is Self-Advocacy Important for Neurodivergent Kids?
We can’t always be with our kids to voice their needs to others, so it’s essential for neurodivergent kids to learn how to do this for themselves.
Sooner or later, your child will find themself in a situation where they don’t have the tools or support they need. Without the ability to advocate for themselves, they’ll have no way of meeting these needs. It’ll likely lead to frustration and feelings of helplessness.
Building self-advocacy skills is important for kids because it:
- Increases independence – By knowing how to ask for what they need, neurodivergent kids rely less on adults to manage their accommodations. This is important for prepping kids for adulthood.
- Builds self-confidence – When kids successfully advocate for themselves, it builds self-esteem and a belief in their own capabilities.
- Beneficial for mental health – Having a voice in their care and education can reduce feelings of anxiety and frustration often caused by unmet needs.
- Prepares for adulthood – Self-advocacy skills are vital as kids transition into adulthood, especially in post-secondary education, health care, the workplace, and social settings.
Common Challenges Neurodivergent Kids Face in Self-Advocacy
Although self-advocacy is essential, teaching these skills to neurodivergent kids comes with some challenges.
Some common obstacles include:
- Difficulty with communication – Many autistic children struggle with verbalizing their needs, especially in high-stress situations.
- Challenges relating to self-awareness – Sometimes, kids don’t understand their needs or recognize when they feel overwhelmed. Or they may not know the best way to meet those needs in different environments.
- Fear of being misunderstood or rejected – Neurodivergent children often fear being judged, dismissed, or rejected. For kids with ADHD, they may be dealing with something known as rejection-sensitive dysphoria. This makes the idea of advocating for themselves extremely scary.
- Sensitivity to confrontation – Assertiveness, a key part of self-advocacy, may feel like confrontation to some children, which can be anxiety-inducing. Find tips for teaching assertive communication here.
How to Teach Self-Advocacy to Neurodivergent Kids
Teaching self-advocacy requires a person-centered approach that respects the child’s individuality while encouraging them to develop the skills they need.
Here are some strategies to help neurodivergent kids learn to advocate for themselves.
1. Develop Self-Awareness
Self-advocacy starts with understanding yourself. The development of this skill is progressive over time.
Young children should recognize basic needs like feeling hungry, needing to use the washroom, etc. Older children become more and more aware of their emotions, strengths, challenges, triggers, thought patterns, etc.
When working on self-awareness, make sure you’re building it in a developmentally appropriate way.
There are many ways to help neurodivergent children recognize their strengths and challenges by encouraging them to reflect on their feelings, triggers, and needs.
Some self-awareness strategies include:
- Sensory check-ins: Guide kids to regularly assess how they feel in different environments. Is the room too bright? Is the noise overwhelming? This helps them get better at identifying their sensory needs over time.
- Emotion recognition: Teach kids to understand and identify their emotions. You can do this using tools like an emotion wheel, a social-emotional learning program like the Zones of Regulation, or other feelings printables.
- Journaling: A feelings journal provides a safe space for them to reflect on their feelings and gain a deeper understanding of their emotional world.
2. Model and Practice Communication
Kids learn a lot by observing the adults around them.
Model self-advocacy in everyday situations by verbalizing your own needs and showing them that it’s okay to ask for accommodations.
For example, you could say, “I’m feeling a little overwhelmed right now. Can I please have some space and a few minutes for myself?“
This demonstrates both self-awareness and communication in action.
Some other ways to practice communication include:
- Role-playing: Practice common scenarios with your child, like asking a teacher to take a break. This helps reduce anxiety when they face these situations in real life.
- Use scripts: Some children benefit from using pre-prepared scripts for specific situations. You can create simple, adaptable phrases like, “I need a break” or, “Can we turn down the lights, please?” If your child struggles with verbal communication, you can use pictures and phrases on printed cards as an alternative way of communicating these needs.
3. Allow and Encourage Decision-Making
Self-advocacy also means having control over decisions that impact your life. Personal autonomy is really important, especially for kids with pathological demand avoidance, and allowing decision-making is one easy way to respect your child’s autonomy while simultaneously building an essential skill.
Give neurodivergent children opportunities to make choices and decisions, both big and small, to practice advocating for their preferences.
- Choices at home: Start with simple choices, like what they want for a snack or which activity they want to do. You can start by offering two or three options, eventually leaving decisions more open-ended. Gradually, allow your child to make bigger decisions, like how they want to approach a challenging situation at school.
- Collaborative problem-solving: When a child faces a challenge, such as difficulty focusing in class, work together to brainstorm possible solutions. This reinforces that their input is valuable and teaches problem-solving as part of self-advocacy. You can find problem-solving tips here.
4. Build Confidence through Positive Reinforcement
Self-advocacy takes a lot of courage, especially in environments that don’t always accommodate neurodivergent needs.
Offer positive feedback when your child practices this skill, whether it’s asking for a sensory break or explaining their needs to a friend.
- Praise efforts: Even if the child still needs adult help or coaching to use the skill, praise their effort. For example, “I’m really proud of how you told your teacher you needed some quiet time today.“
- Create a safe space for practicing self-advocacy: Encourage your child to voice their needs at home without fear of judgment. The more they feel comfortable advocating in a familiar space, like their own home, the more likely they are to extend those skills to school or public spaces.
5. Use Visual Supports
Often, kids benefit from visual aids to help them learn new skills and navigate through complex tasks.
You can create visual guides that outline the steps to self-advocacy, including what to do if they feel overwhelmed, how to ask for help, and when to take a break.
- Visual reminders: Display visual aids in a central area of the classroom, therapy spaces, or at home to remind children of their self-advocacy tools. For example, a visual cue card might say, “If I’m feeling overwhelmed, I can ask for a break,” with a photo of their calming space.
- Checklists: Use checklists to help kids identify what they need in different situations, such as a checklist for what makes them comfortable in the classroom (e.g., noise-canceling headphones and a quiet workspace).z
6. Collaboration Between Parents, Educators, and Therapists
While building self-advocacy skills, parents, teachers, and therapists should work together to reinforce using self-advocacy consistently across different settings.
It’s beneficial for parents to communicate what skills they’re building at home and in the classroom so teachers can encourage kids to use these skills and provide positive reinforcement at school.
Having a team that works together and understands and supports your child’s development is crucial.
IEPs and 504 Plans
For children with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or 504 Plans, make sure self-advocacy goals are included.
For example, a goal might be to ask for breaks when needed or to participate in setting their own accommodations.
Supporting the Development of Self-Advocacy
Caregivers and educators play a key role in supporting the development of self-advocacy skills. The goal is to empower kids to speak up for themselves, but as this skill develops, children will need your support and guidance.
As a parent, educator, or therapist, you can:
- Encourage, don’t rescue: It’s tempting to step in and advocate for your child, but letting them try on their own is essential. Provide guidance for how they should address a situation, but give them space to practice. If you know they’re planning to ask a teacher for something they need, you can give the teacher a heads up so they know and can gently encourage them as well.
- Be patient: Self-advocacy takes time to develop, especially for neurodivergent kids who may face additional challenges in communication and self-awareness. Be patient as they learn and grow.
- Create supportive environments: Whether at home or in school, make it a priority to build a space where kids feel safe voicing their needs without fear of rejection or embarrassment.
Teaching neurodivergent kids how to advocate for themselves is one of the most valuable life skills they can develop. It helps them access accommodations and builds confidence, independence, and resilience.
Building self-awareness, practicing communication, providing opportunities for decision-making, and offering visual aids all help your child learn how to advocate for themself so they can get their needs met in a world that wasn’t built to support them.
