Assertiveness Training and Self-Advocacy Skills Among Persons with Intellectual Disabilities at a Special Education Centre in Kebbi State, North West Nigeria

Persons with intellectual disabilities in Nigeria face significant barriers to self-advocacy and assertive communication, limiting their participation in decisions affecting their education, care, and community inclusion. At the Special Education Centre in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, structured assertiveness training for this population has not been implemented or evaluated. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a culturally adapted 12-session assertiveness training programme for persons with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities at the Special Education Centre, Kebbi State. A pre-test and post-test design with a waitlist control group is applied to 40 participants aged 15 to 35 years, allocated through matched pairing. The Rathus Assertiveness Schedule adapted for intellectual disabilities contexts and a structured self-advocacy skills observation checklist are administered at baseline, end of training, and eight-week follow-up. Mann-Whitney U tests and effect size calculations are performed. Qualitative observations and carer feedback document real-world assertiveness changes. Available disability psychology literature from North West Nigeria identifies social skills deficits, learned helplessness, and caregiver overprotection as the dominant barriers to assertiveness development in this population. Social Learning Theory and the Self-Determination Theory framework provide the theoretical reference. Findings will guide the Kebbi State Education Authority in incorporating assertiveness training into special education curricula. Keywords: assertiveness training, intellectual disability, self-advocacy, Kebbi State, North West Nigeria.