This article offers 10 tips from parents to help other parents learn how to make a difference in their child's education.

In a world in which individuals are judged on the basis of performance, parents can be lured into believing that their worth is measured by their child's achievements. Parenting is not a competition. This outdated mechanistic model fails to appreciate the unrepeatable, precious uniqueness of every child and every parent. Nothing is more important…

Advocating for deaf or hard of hearing child can be a daunting task … and intimidating. So many professionals around a table and the parent. What can parents do to advocate for deaf or hard of hearing children? Why is advocating for these child at school meetings important? As Apple says (2009), "There's an app for that!" The Laurent…

Experience and research repeatedly illustrate the need for and value of parent advocates--as parents know their child best. Parents need to be prepared to take a positive, proactive, and focused role with teachers and administrators in their child's school to find the best programming for their child. Academic acceleration should be considered as…

This essay identifies several themes presented by my parents, Abel and Juanita Jimenez. They are parents of five children who successfully navigated through the K-12 system and earned university degrees. They were interviewed over several evenings and asked what advice they would provide to the next generation of Latino parents. My parents…

This handbook offers guidelines to help parents prepare adolescent children with chronic illnesses or disabilities for independent management of their health care needs. In each chapter, guidelines for handling transition issues are presented in the context of the experiences and reactions of actual parents. Each chapter concludes with a summary…

The history and structural evolution of VOICE for Hearing-Impaired Children is described. Located in Toronto, Ontario, VOICE is the largest parent-support group of its kind in North America. Through its chapters and associated parents groups, it has implemented social and educational policy advocacy and various service delivery models. (Author/VW)

This information brief discusses the parental role in supporting a postsecondary student with a disability. It stresses that parents continue to be important role models and guides for their young adult sons and daughters and that parents may be a key part of the support network students with disabilities need to succeed in the postsecondary…

Noting that parents play an essential role in preventing or breaking the cycle of violence, this pamphlet shows parents how to prevent violence in their home and community. The pamphlet, designed for use with children of all ages, is part of the "Bright Futures for Families" series, which offers information on health and child development for use…

Finding a child care provider who can meet an individual child's needs and provide a nurturing, supportive daily environment can be stressful for parents. This book is designed to ease parents' concerns by explaining the criteria defining quality care, describing what to look for in a child care provider, identifying what to ask a potential…

This workbook is intended to help parents plan for the adult life of their developmentally disabled son or daughter. Much of the book's content is presented in the form of exercises and activities. Part 1 focuses on overall planning and considers living options, working options, and leisure options available in most communities. It offers…

Over the last generation, parents have felt more and more intimidated by child care "experts" and have increasingly surrendered their role as the primary educators of their children. On the premise that theories of development, often colored by ideological positions on the family and its function in society, should take a back seat to…

This text is designed to enable parents to become powerful advocates for their gifted children at school and at home. Chapters 1 through 5 focus on becoming an advocate at home. Chapter 1 discusses three broad characteristics of giftedness, the difference between bright and gifted children, and other dimensions of giftedness. Chapter 2 provides a…

Presents 10 major issues parents need to address effectively in order to advocate for their children's education (safety, discipline, practices and policies, grading, labels, bias, curriculum and schedules, standardized tests, homework, and subject anxiety). The article suggests appropriate questions to ask the schools. (SM)

This newsletter issue focuses on the specific concerns of many parents as their special child "ages out" of protected special education environments and moves into the adult world. It highlights the practical aspects of the transition years as well as the emotional components involved in "letting go." The newsletter's articles…