Developing Self-Advocacy and Decision-Making Skills

A significant emphasis of applied behavior analysis therapy as children approach adolescence and young adulthood is fostering key self-advocacy and independent decision-making abilities. These empowering skills create pathways for greater choice and self-determination over one's life.

Autism presents unique challenges when it comes to skills like:

• Understanding situations and dilemmas from multiple viewpoints

• Assertively expressing personal needs, wants, and rights

• Setting future-oriented goals and plans

• Regulating emotions during decision-making processes

• Thinking critically and problem-solving

• Negotiating with others and resolving disagreements

However, even individuals with significant communication or cognitive impairments often possess remarkable potential through structured ABA coaching over time.

Pivotal Strategies for Self-Advocacy

ABA therapists guide learners in honing advocacy skills through targeted practice like:

• Identifying and disclosing accommodation needs

• Role-playing problem scenarios with if/then thinking

• Self-monitoring emotions using scales or charts

• Scripting requests and expressing choices

• Participating in person-centered planning

As with any ABA skill, the process starts by breaking objectives down into manageable components, using prompting, reinforcement, visual aids, and real-world opportunities to generalize learning over time.

By late teens and early adulthood, the goal is to fade adult support to enable more autonomy and self-directed decision-making whenever possible. This leads to greater confidence, independence, and personal fulfillment.

Equipping young adults with autism with these self-advocacy skills empowers them to direct their trajectories as self-sufficient adults, maximize their potential across all life domains, and communicate their needs effectively.