Self-Advocacy: Enhancing the Education of Down Syndrome Learners

Abstract

The aim of the article is to provide Down syndrome (DS) learners with better educational opportunities by implementing the principals of self-advocacy, at school level. A literature review was done to obtain background information on the concepts of DS and the self-advocacy program. Qualitative research methods like art-based research combined with a narrative approach was implemented to get information from the participants because they could not always verbalise their feelings. From the findings it can be deduced that some of the principals underlying the self-advocacy movement can be used to enhance the educational opportunities of DS learners. The contribution this article makes is to apply the ideas of the self-advocacy movement to the education of learners with DS, as a possible way to give these learners a voice. The assumption is that if they can give input regarding their education, it will improve their opportunities to become valued human beings.