How to help students

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As a special education teacher I know a lot of high school students and young adults have been taught and understand what self-advocacy is but many feel pressured not to state their wants or needs because they want to "fit in". I was talking to my niece, who is on the autism spectrum, and she told me this is exactly why she doesn't always tell peers what she needs. She has learned how to express her wants/needs but she is anxious about other people's responses (as her wants/needs are usually much different from the average young adult). How can I help my students (and my niece) self-advocate without feeling embarrassed or ashamed about speaking up about their wants/needs? Is their anything your teachers or parents did that gave you confidence to speak up about your wants/needs?

The first thing is to stop telling children that their needs and wants are wrong to begin with.

For teachers, specifically, another thing is to open your eyes and ears to other ways of learning things different from those that you are used to or have been taught to you in teacher school.

Roughly 1% of the population are on the spectrum and about 1% of the population are wheelchair users about 0.5% are visually impaired and 0.1% deaf.

Society may seem evil, harsh and uncaring a lot of the times but take a look at how different societies have changed to accommodate the needs of groups of people.

Sign language on TV programs.
The annoying beeping on zebra crossings.
The the different textures and bumps on pavement surfaces.
Government documentation in Braille.
Laws changed to require disabled access to business premises.
Building regulations changed so that wheelchair users can fit through doors and reach light switches.
Hearing aid loops in buildings.

The existence of nasty people that like to mock the disabled hasn't stopped other disabled groups from being granted a wide range reasonable adaptions that allow them to take part in society.

None of these things would have happened if it wasn't for the self advocacy of disabled people explaining their problems. The autistic voice is not too small to heard.