Building Self-Advocacy: A Tip for Tomorrow from Stacey

Discover how teaching self-advocacy during writing workshop empowers students to express their needs and take charge of their learning. Drawing on insights from her upcoming book, Make the School System Work for Your Child with Disabilities: Empowering Kids for the Future, Stacey shares practical sentence starters to help students ask for help with revision, clarify instructions, and participate in peer conferences with confidence. Learn how teaching your students these sentences can foster independence and help them speak up for themselves clearly. 

Six Self-Advocacy Sentences for Writing Workshop

1. I’m feeling confused about my writing. Can you help me understand what to do next?
2. I need help with this part of my writing. Could you help me?
3. I’m not sure how to revise this. Could you show me again?
4. Can you please check if I understood the instructions correctly?
5. I’m struggling with giving feedback. Can we talk about how to do it?
6. I’m not comfortable sharing this piece. Is there another way I can participate?

Learn more about Stacey’s book, Make the School System Work for Your Child with Disabilities: Empowering Kids for the Future (Guilford Press, 2026).

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You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district. 

• Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com 
• Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com

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