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Examining the Feasibility of a Special Education Advocacy Training Program

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Abstract

In accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), parents of children with disabilities are expected to be equal partners in the special education process. However, many parents struggle to advocate for their children with disabilities. To this end, parents may learn their special education rights or hire an advocate to ensure their children receive services. Indeed, special education advocacy training programs have become increasingly common. One such advocacy training program is the Volunteer Advocacy Project (VAP). The VAP is a 36-h special education advocacy training program designed to educate and empower individuals, primarily parents of children with disabilities, to become special education advocates. This study examined the feasibility of the VAP. With respect to cost, attendance, attrition, participant satisfaction, and sustainability, the VAP was feasible among program graduates. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Special Education, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1310 S. 6th Street, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA

    Meghan M. Burke

  2. Department of Special Education, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA

    Maria P. Mello & Samantha E. Goldman

Authors
  1. Meghan M. Burke
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  2. Maria P. Mello
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  3. Samantha E. Goldman
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Meghan M. Burke.

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Funding

No funding was received for this research.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Conflict of Interest

All of the authors (i.e., Meghan Burke, Maria Mello, and Samantha Goldman) declare no conflict of interest.

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Burke, M.M., Mello, M.P. & Goldman, S.E. Examining the Feasibility of a Special Education Advocacy Training Program. J Dev Phys Disabil 28, 539–556 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-016-9491-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-016-9491-3

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