From Survival to Strategy – The Story Behind Strategic Self-Advocacy™

Before it was a framework, Strategic Self-Advocacy™ was a coping mechanism. It came from a simple but deeply human place: the need to be heard without being harmed. For those of us navigating systems built without us in mind, “speaking up” was never just about raising our voices. It was about survival.

Strategic Self-Advocacy™ grew out of those moments—the journal margins, the late-night forums, the whispered conversations with others who had been through it too. Over time, it became a model. A set of tools. A way to push back without being pushed over. A way to honour lived experience while navigating systems that punished emotional honesty.

Today, SSA™ is used by students, parents, educators, and professionals who understand that advocacy isn’t about being loud—it’s about being strategic. This is more than a story of personal transformation. It’s a reclamation of voice, power, and permission. And it belongs to all of us.