What is an Autism Advocate?An advocate is a person who argues for a cause; a supporter or defender who pleads in another's behalf. You are your child's advocate and finding the appropriate services and supports for your child is part of your responsibilities. Becoming an advocate is not something that happens overnight. It is something that you learn about as you continue to deal with the day-to-day experiences and challenges of raising a child with special needs.Some people think that being an advocate means that you must have an aggressive, persistent personality; therefore, they feel that they cannot be an effective advocate. It is important to know that although some people choose to advocate in that fashion, others choose to take a softer approach. As one parent puts it, she has found that "a little honey goes a long way" in her experiences of advocating for her son's many needs. As long as your approach works positively for you, your child, and the provider of the services, you are an effective advocate.Just as different people use different approaches, different situations require different approaches. Sometimes you may feel that you have exhausted all efforts and need help with advocating for your child's needs. You can find help through other parents, lay advocates (people with specialized knowledge and expertise), advocacy groups organizations, advocacy agency.The following is a list of common advocacy skills. The complete list can be found on the Wrightslaw Web site. Although the list on the Wrightslaw Web site is geared toward special education advocacy, the skills can be applied to all types of advocacy.An advocate:
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* gathers facts and information
* learns about available services and the procedures to obtain these services
* knows about their legal rights
* realizes that planning prevents problems
* keeps written records
* is not afraid to ask questions and listens carefully to answers
* defines and describes problems from all angles
* offers solutions to the problem or issue that offer a "win-win" situation for all involvedOnce parents have gained experience as an advocate, many choose to become advocates for other families by becoming parent mentors or by working as lay advocates for organizations or state agencies. Some parents are paid for their efforts while others volunteer to help.
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