COVID-19   Law    Advocacy    Topics A-Z     Training    Wrights' Blog   Wrightslaw Store    Yellow Pages for Kids 

 Home > Advocacy > Advocacy Strategies: Learning from Others, Support Groups, Information Groups


The Special Ed Advocate newsletter
It's Unique ... and Free!

Enter your email address below:

2024
Training Programs

Apr. 11 - Denver, CO

June 5-8 - San Antonio, TX

Sept. 24 - MD via ZOOM

Full Schedule


Wrightslaw

Home
Topics from A-Z
Free Newsletter
Seminars & Training
Yellow Pages for Kids
Press Room
FAQs
Sitemap

Books & Training

Wrightslaw Storesecure store lock
  Advocate's Store
  Student Bookstore
  Exam Copies
Training Center
Mail & Fax Orders

Advocacy Library

Articles
Cool Tools
Doing Your Homework
Ask the Advocate
FAQs
Newsletter Archives
Short Course Series
Success Stories
Tips

Law Library

Articles
Caselaw
Fed Court Complaints
IDEA 2004
McKinney-Vento Homeless
FERPA
Section 504

Topics

Advocacy
ADD/ADHD
Allergy/Anaphylaxis
American Indian
Assistive Technology
Autism Spectrum
Behavior & Discipline
Bullying
College/Continuing Ed
Damages
Discrimination
Due Process
Early Intervention
  (Part C)

Eligibility
Episodic, such as
   Allergies, Asthma,
   Diabetes, Epilepsy, etc

ESSA
ESY
Evaluations
FAPE
Flyers
Future Planning
Harassment
High-Stakes Tests
Homeless Children
IDEA 2004
Identification & Child Find
IEPs
Juvenile Justice
Law School & Clinics
Letters & Paper Trails
LRE / Inclusion
Mediation
Military / DOD
Parental Protections
PE and Adapted PE
Privacy & Records
Procedural Safeguards
Progress Monitoring
Reading
Related Services
Research Based
  Instruction

Response to Intervention
  (RTI)

Restraints / Seclusion
   and Abuse

Retention
Retaliation
School Report Cards
Section 504
Self-Advocacy
Teachers & Principals
Transition
Twice Exceptional (2e)
VA Special Education

Resources & Directories

Advocate's Bookstore
Advocacy Resources
Directories
  Disability Groups
  International
  State DOEs
  State PTIs
Free Flyers
Free Pubs
Free Newsletters
Legal & Advocacy
Glossaries
   Legal Terms
   Assessment Terms
Best School Websites

 

Advocacy Strategies: Learning from Others

Print this page

"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." (From Emotions to Advocacy,
page 15)

We encourage parents to join a support or study group or an advocacy group.

How do you find a parent group? Do you know about parent groups in your child's school? Do you know about groups in your community?

When you join a parent group, you will meet other parents who have traveled down this road. Learn from them In addition to emotional support, they will teach you the "rules of the game."

Look for an active parent group that is dedicated to meeting 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.


If your school district has a special education advisory board, contact a board member and ask about parent groups. If you contact a national or state organization for information, ask if there are local support groups in your community. (From Emotions to Advocacy, page 15)

When you look for a parent or disability 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 improvement issues?

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

The resources on these pages will help you get started:

State Parent Training Information Groups

National Disabilities Organizations and Information Groups

International Organizations & Groups

Don't forget to check the Yellow Pages for Kids with Disabilities for your state!

Emotions to Advocacy Study Groups


Do you want to learn about effective advocacy? The best way to learn is to teach others. How to Start an "Emotions to Advocacy" Study Group is about the nuts and bolts of starting a group, how to get free publicity, how to manage emotions and stay on task.

 

Email Newsletter icon, E-mail Newsletter icon, Email List icon, E-mail List icon The Special Ed Advocate: It's Free!

Print, Immediate Downloads
and Advocacy Supplies
Order Wrightslaw Product
s Today!



Check Out
The Advocate's Store!

Wrightslaw on FacebookWrightslaw on TwitterWrightslaw YouTube Channel 

Wrightslaw Books
Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 3rd Edition, by Pam and Pete Wright
About the Book

Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy, 2nd Edition
About the Book

Wrightslaw: All About IEPs
About the Book

Wrightslaw: All About Tests and Assessments
About the Book

Wrightslaw: Special Education Legal Developments and Cases 2019
About the Book

Surviving Due Process: Stephen Jeffers v. School Board
About the DVD Video


The Advocate's Store


Understanding Your Child's
Test Scores (1.5 hrs)

Wrightslaw Special: $14.95