Feature Articles: Disabilities
Advocacy and You:
Advocacy for Persons with Learning Disabilities in Higher Education
By Nakeisha Ferguson, M.A. Missouri Protection and Advocacy Services
While organizations like Missouri Protection and
Advocacy Services, UMKC-Institute for Human Development-UCEDD,
and the Missouri Planning Council offer helpful
resources and services, advocacy really begins with you.
In the last issue, we focused on Special Education
concerning children; however education for individuals
with special needs does not end at childhood. Therefore,
this article is directed to adults with learning
disabilities in higher education.
Learning to become an effective self-advocate, especially for
individuals with disabilities that are less obvious,
such as learning disabilities, is all about educating
the people around you. Consequently, successful
self-advocacy can be achieved by:
- Knowing yourself and what you need
- Developing a support team
- Being professional
- Offering suggestions
(www.wrightslaw.com and Dr. Linda G.
Tessler, a licensed psychologist who specializes in
helping individuals struggling with learning
disabilities and related emotional difficulties, and
a member of the International Dyslexia Association)
To be an effective self-advocate, you should
understand your disability and its effect. Being
able to answer questions such as: ”How do you
process information? What strategies work for you?”
allows you to successfully assess your strengths and
weaknesses.
Wrightslaw.com recommends diagnostic testing as
a method of identifying your educational needs. A
good evaluation should consist of an aptitude,
achievement, memory and a phenological processing
test. Formal testing and diagnosis and lots of
personal research and evaluation is the beginning of
truly knowing yourself and knowing your needs.
Dr. Linda Tessler suggests that you develop a strong support team. This
team can include officials in your schools Office
for Students with Disabilities, professors, and
classmates. Developing good relationships with all
of these people can offer both emotional and
educational support. However, when meeting with
staff or faculty, be sure to be professional.
This is especially important when you are meeting with your course
instructors. Remember to schedule an appointment and
bring some documentation describing your disability.
In your meeting you should explain what kind of
disability you have and what accommodations you
need. Offering proactive solutions definitely helps
further the process. For example, if you are an
individual with ADD, you may request a quiet room to
complete tests or assignments. The main goal of this
meeting is to develop a working and respectful
relationship between you and the professor.
In short, remember that increasing these communications skills helps
develop your emotional intelligence, which is one of
the most important accommodating techniques for
conquering a learning disability. For more
information about advocating for yourself, contact
MO P&A at 1-800-392-8667, TDD 1-800-735-2966 or
visit us on the web at
www.moadvocacy.org.
**Reprinted with permission from the May 2004 issue of Missouri Disability Network Newsletter.
Last update: Sunday, April 06, 2008
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