There are a lot of skills that college students need to learn and practice. Perhaps one of the most essential of those skills is self-advocacy, knowing how to ask for and get the things that you need to be successful. The term self-advocacy is very often used in the context of students with learning disabilities or learning differences, but it is an important skill for any college student. In this article, we use the term generically, as a skill that is important for any student. The more that your student is able to recognize and ask for what they need, the better their chances of success.
Students who may have relied on others to advocate for them in the past now have to learn to communicate their own needs to others. They need to learn to speak up for themselves and to be assertive. Taking responsibility and control is not always an easy thing to accomplish. As a college parent, you may need to help your student learn this important skill. Although it may seem easier to do things yourself, and you may feel that you are better able to get the results that you feel are necessary, helping your student to learn how to advocate may be one of the best things that you can do for your college student.
is a brief, 50+ page handbook that should prove helpful for parents of teens and for those about to send a student off to college. The book is divided into two sections. The first section deals with the transition into adulthood and should be helpful to parents as they try to understand their child. The second section of the book deals with the parents’ transition to a new role as they deal with their changing child.
