Developing Self‐Advocacy Skills in Japanese Special Needs High Schools: A Survey of Teachers Educating Students With Intellectual Disabilities

ABSTRACT This study investigated the awareness and frequency of self‐advocacy skills development training for students with intellectual disabilities conducted by teachers in Japanese special needs high school sections. The study developed the Difficulty Scale for Self‐Advocacy Skills Development (DS‐SSD) and the Frequency Scale for Self‐Advocacy Skills Development (FS‐SSD). Using these tools, the study surveyed teachers in special needs schools for students with intellectual disabilities. Teachers' responses ( N = 80) to the DS‐SSD underwent exploratory factor analysis, which revealed two primary factors: “difficulty in developing self‐understanding” and “difficulty in developing communication skills for rights.” The results indicated that teachers with more years of experience, especially in special needs education, reported less difficulty developing students' self‐understanding. Teachers with more years of teaching in schools found developing students' communication skills for rights less challenging. However, the study found no relationship between the frequency of self‐advocacy skills development and the teachers' gender, overall teaching experience, or experience in special needs education. These findings offer insights into the challenges and frequency of self‐advocacy skills instruction provided in special needs schools. Factors influencing the efficacy of these educational practices are discussed.