Introduction to self-advocacy approach and literature review of its effects as an appropriate means for empowering people with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Not so long ago, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities were deprived of their primary rights and many people fought against this discrimination to achieve these rights and sought equal rights as everyone in the society through self-advocacy movement. The main purpose of this movement is empowering and enhancing people with intellectual and developmental disabilities’ conditions in life by participating them in decisions which are made about them. The aim of this paper is to introduce self-advocacy movement through literature review, as one of the efficacious means for empowering people with intellectual and developmental disabilities; which currently, is being conducted in some countries of the world. In our country Iran, despite the attempts made for educating and empowering, the capacities of self-advocacy groups for rehabilitating the people with intellectual and developmental disabilities have been neglected. It is despite the fact that, the results, drawn from conducting self-advocacy approach in different countries, indicates that self- advocacy movement dedicates significantly to an increase in self-confidence, development of social skills, competence, reinforcing positive self-conception and social identity and ultimately reinforcing occupational skills and achieving independence for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and conducting it in Iran could prove so efficacious concerning educating and rehabilitating. Therefore, special attention must be paid to that in a national frame.