Advocacy

It's important to learn how to communicate your needs to others. Others can be teachers, parents, caregivers, bosses, friends, family members, or health care providers. Talking up is one those things that takes practice to find your comfort zone. Self-advocacy supports success in all areas of you - find your voice!

Speaking UP

Self-Advocacy: What, Why & How

It's important to figure out your needs and communicate them to others. Others can be teachers, parents, caregivers, friends, family members, or health care providers.

Self-advocacy can support life-long success! For some, speaking up is easier than others. Some people are naturally outgoing and some are shy.

Research notes that 40-50% of Americans are shy!
If you are feeling a little timid at speaking up, you are not alone.

The good news is self-advocacy is a skill that can be learned. Did you know some adults pay 'life coaches' to help them practice for important meetings? Really!

Get comfortable speaking up! Start by taking the lead in conversations with people you know well. You might feel awkward at first, but with practice, you will gain confidence.

Let your parents know you are ready to take an active role in your health. For medical appointments, prepare your questions ahead of time. If it helps write your questions down and rehearse. Talk to your health providers directly. Let them know your likes and dislike.

The same goes with school meetings and when talking with your counselors.

Next Steps

The main takeaway here is, your opinion counts! It is important for you to be able to share your thoughts so you can achieve your future goals.

Remember speaking up is awkward for many teens, you are so not alone.

Check out the self-advocacy tools and links below for more skill building techniques and tools.

Build Self-Advocacy Skills

Self Advocacy Skill Build

Step 1: Start by knowing what you want or need.

Take time to think about the things that are really important to you.
Do things that build confidence - start with the things your are good at
Know your rights
Volunteer and get real world work experience

Step 2: Work on general conversations.

Take the lead and begin the conversation - tell a story about something that happened at school
Volunteer your opinion in class or a group of friends or people you know.
Next try starting up a conversation with someone you've just met. The more you practice general conversation, the easier speaking up will get.

Step 3: Practice self-advocacy by taking the lead at your health care visits. Start with one of your pediatric providers that you are comfortable with.

Be prepared to answer questions about the purpose of your visit. Are you coming in for a check-up, are you feeling sick, is it time for a flu shot? On the way to the office talk it over with your parent so you will have a ready answer.
Ask your parent/guardian to give you a few minutes alone to talk to your health provider when you are comfortable taking that step
Ask any questions that you have about your health, nutrition, sex, really anything...
Ask your pharmacist about any medications you take. It is important to know how to take medications correctly and if there are side-effects to watch for. Your pharmacist is a medicine expert!

Self-advocacy tips for teens

Practicing self-advocacy enables you to participate in the decisions that affect your life and receive what you need to be successful. For teens, speaking up can be a daunting process. Speaker and learning disability advocate LeDerick Horne shares his insight to help teens to learn how to self-advocate.

How to be your own healthcare advocate

Teens are often in a challenging spot when it comes to healthcare, as they shift from a time when their parents handled everything to a time when they have their own ideas of what they want from a provider. The University of Michigan Adolescent Health Initiative’s youth advisory council created this video to help teens and young adults learn ways to advocate for themselves.

jobs and communication skills

Communication: Skills that Pay the Bills!

References

Building Resilience in Children and Teens: Giving Kids Roots and Wings. 2011, Ginsburg & Jablow. Elks Grove, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics.

Effective Communication: Improving your Social Skills. https://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/

Helping Teenagers with Stress. American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2013. Envisioning My Future: A Young Person's Guide to Health Care Transition. Chen's Medical Services-Florida Department of Health, 2005.

Surviving Adolescence: Adolescence and the Development of Habits. Pickhardt, CE. 2012, PsychologyToday