Self-Advocacy Group Advisor Activities and Their Impact/Relation to Self-Advocacy Group Development

The purpose of this study was to identify self-advocacy group advisor activities, to examine advisor activities as they are linked to self-advocacy group development, and to examine how advisor activities change over time. A telephone survey was administered to 118 advisors randomly selected from a directory of self-advocacy groups (Longhurst, 1994). A total of 90 telephone surveys were completed representing a response rate of 76%. Major findings reveal a wide array of advisor activities, but perhaps most importantly, information on how advisors see their activities changing as the group changes. The results of this investigation provide important baseline information for individuals affiliated with the self-advocacy movement, university affiliated programs, developmental disability councils, and professionals in the field of intellectual impairment/developmental disabilities. The results can be used to help better meet the needs of advisors, self-advocacy group members, and to help readers to better understand how to support a self-advocacy group as it is evolving.