Parents play a vital role in supporting children with learning disabilities, but little is known about their understanding of this diagnosis. The experiences of parents with the diagnostic process and the services their children receive post-diagnosis vary widely. Parents who participated in this study reported that they understand learning…

Autism is characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and the presence of restricted and/or repetitive behaviors that can negatively impact adaptive, academic, and social functioning. Those diagnosed with ASD may be at an increased risk for poorer life outcomes such as poorer academic achievement and social relationships if they…

Physical education (PE) has long been neglected throughout the individualized education programme (IEP) process. Parents often feel unprepared to advocate for PE services within the IEP process. Aim: Thus, the purpose of this study was to outline the development of an advocacy checklist to help parents address PE within the IEP process and to…

This study reports on a randomized controlled pilot intervention study examining the effectiveness and feasibility of a low-intensity (i.e. three sessions), low-cost, parent advocacy intervention. The intervention study employed community-partnered research methods and targeted a low-income community of mostly Latinx, immigrant-origin parents of…

Although many parents report needing advocates to receive special education services for their children with disabilities, the advocacy process is largely unexplored especially in relation to school and child outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore the special education advocacy process by conducting interviews with nine parent-advocate…

Under federal guidelines, parents of school-aged children with hearing loss are required to attend an individualized education program (IEP) meeting on behalf of their child. However, it remains unclear how prepared hearing parents are to oversee development of IEPs that guarantee their children the best educational outcomes, as well as how much…

This discussion of funding for assistive technology devices for children with disabilities addresses how to locate community funding sources, set priorities, increase peoples' awareness of technological applications, and encourage parental involvement. An annotated bibliography lists seven items on funding, and a chart shows an example of an…

This final report of a five-year project describes the activities of Parents, Let's Unite for Kids (PLUK), a Montana program designed to provide support, training, and information to parents of infants, toddlers, and children with disabilities. A priority of the project is to serve members of groups that have been traditionally underserved,…

This handbook discusses different types of disorders, mental health services, and school services. The first section highlights the importance of parental advocacy and family support networks. This is followed by a discussion of the plight of parents who have a child with an emotional or behavioral disorder and the perspective of a child with…

Twelve pamphlets in a series for parents cover a variety of school-related information. The pamphlets are as follows: (1) Parent Involvement (how schools will benefit, why parents should be involved, and parent rights); (2) Parent/Teacher Conference (why conferences are important, how parents can prepare, what happens, and what to do afterwards);…