High School Students with Learning Disabilities: Self-advocacy Skills in the General Education Classroom

This study took an exploratory look into the perceptions of special education students and participating teachers in the use of self-advocacy skills in the general education classroom. A sample group of 5 mild to moderate high school graduation diploma track students with Learning Disabilities participated in a systematic self-advocacy training. After students practiced the self- advocacy skills in the real class setting, qualitative data was collected in the form of interviews, questionnaires and a focus group. Themes were discovered pertaining to the positive changes these students made, the ongoing challenges these students continue to face and strategies to improve self-advocacy behavior in the future