Advocacy Strategies: Learn from Others, Join a Parent Group

Advocacy Strategies: Learn From Others, Join a Parent Group

Join a parent support group or advocacy group. When you join a parent support group, you will meet other parents who have traveled down this road. Learn from them. They will provide you with emotional support and teach you the rules of the game.

How do you find a parent group?

Contact other parents in your community. Look for an active parent group that wants to meet the needs of their members.

You may find groups that were established to meet the needs of children with have different disabilities than your child. Do not rule these groups out. Parents of children with disabilities share many common interests and concerns and want to get quality education services for their children.

When you look for a parent or advocacy group, think about your interests and needs.

Do you want emotional support?
Do you want to meet other families who have a child with a disability?
Do you want advocacy training?
Do you want to learn more about your child’s disability?
Do you want to learn about special education issues?
Do you want to get involved in school reform issues?

Your answers to these questions will help you decide what type of group to join.

Look for an active parent group that wants to meet the needs of their members. You may find groups that were established to meet the needs of children who have different disabilities than your child. Do not rule these groups out. Parents of children with disabilities share many common interests and concerns and want to get quality special education services for their children.

Check the Directory of Parent Training Information Centers. People who work in these centers are good resources for you.

If your school district has a special education advisory board, contact a board member and ask about parent groups.

Contact a national or state organization for information and ask if there are local support groups in your community.

Visit the Yellow Pages for Kids with Disabilities. Each state has a directory of resources, including parent groups.

Here is how a parent described the support she receives from other parents:

As parents, we have experienced similar events and emotions. Our children have experienced acts of discrimination. Our hearts have been broken, our senses inflamed.

Each step along this path, we have been supported by other parents, people with disabilities, and advocates. Love for our children brought us together and keeps us together. We have our stories, our experiences, our fears, and our hopes.

We need each other.