Engaging in special education advocacy can be overwhelming to parents and new advocates because of the many acronyms and specialized terms that are used as well as the extensive regulatory framework that governs this area of practice.1 Nevertheless, good preparation and the use of fundamental negotiating skills is all that is needed for effective advocacy.
Later sections of this chapter address the substantive law of special education. The following sections focus on preliminary matters to which an attorney must attend in order to effectively advocate for students and parents.
- 1A list of common acronyms used in special education is available in Section 10.