ADVOCACY

Students with special needs, including ADHD, learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorders, often need people to advocate for them in order to get appropriate supports from schools and practitioners. Most of that job goes to parents and grandparents during early and middle childhood. When these students hit the teen years, however, they need to begin learning how to advocate for themselves. With high school graduation just a few short years away, it's time to start thinking about how they'll fare in less protected environments.

By Kellen Dorsch

Advocacy education and disability awareness have become major drivers towards the creation of inclusive workplaces for individuals with richly varied mental and physical abilities. Both the political and social landscapes in America have progressed towards providing equal employment opportunities for persons with disabilities since the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.