If your child receives speech or occupational therapy through school, you already know how overwhelming the process can feel. Most parents I work with want the same thing: to understand what’s happening and to feel confident that their child is truly getting the support they need.

It usually starts with relief. Someone finally says, “Yes, your child qualifies.” There’s a plan, goals are written, and services are listed. It feels like a step forward.

And then… reality sets in.

Therapy sessions don’t always happen as expected. Goals are confusing. Progress feels unclear. Meetings feel rushed. And along the way, many parents begin to wonder if they’re missing something — or if they’re even allowed to ask questions.

Across the country, families are facing similar challenges as districts struggle to keep up with demand, timelines, and compliance with special education responsibilities, and advocacy support has increasingly become a lifeline. (Walker, 2025)

When a Plan Looks Good — but Doesn’t Feel Right

One of the hardest things for parents to come to terms with is that having a plan doesn’t automatically mean things are working.

I meet families all the time whose child has speech or OT listed clearly on their plan. On paper, everything looks fine. But at home, parents are still seeing the same struggles — or sometimes new ones. 

Therapy sessions may be inconsistent. Services may shift without a clear explanation. Goals can be vague and hard to understand. Even legally required timelines aren’t always met — a problem documented in major U.S. school districts that struggle to deliver services quickly and accurately. (Walker, 2025)

Parents often describe experiences like:

“They say speech is happening, but I don’t really know what that means.”  “The goal sounds good, but I don’t understand how they’re measuring it.”  “I’m told my child is doing fine, but at home I see how hard things still are.”

That disconnect is exhausting. And it often leaves parents questioning themselves rather than the system.

Why Speech and OT Are Especially Hard to Navigate

Speech and occupational therapy are essential supports — but they’re also some of the hardest for parents to see and interpret.

Unlike classroom instruction, these therapies often happen behind closed doors or in small moments throughout the day. Parents typically don’t observe them directly, and children may not be able to articulate what was worked on during a session. When parents don’t understand how goals connect to their child’s daily life, it’s easy to feel stuck.

Many parents don’t realize they can ask how progress is being measured, or whether goals still make sense given their child’s needs — but that’s where advocacy steps in. Educational advocates help translate meetings, goals, data, and conversations into language families can use. (Murphy, 2025)

What Educational Advocates Actually Do

Educational advocates help parents make sense of complicated systems so they can participate confidently in their child’s education — without being confrontational or feeling intimidated.

A big part of advocacy is translation: Not legal jargon. Not a technical policy. Just real, clear explanations about what goals mean, how services should look in practice, and how parents can navigate meetings with confidence.

When it comes to speech and OT, advocacy might look like: 

● Talking through goals and what they realistically mean day-to-day

● Helping parents understand what services should reasonably look like

● Preparing parents for meetings so they don’t feel caught off guard

● Helping families organize their thoughts and questions

● Supporting parents during conversations that feel intimidating or confusing

The goal isn’t to take over — it’s to make the journey more understandable and manageable.

Confidence Changes Everything

One of the biggest fears parents share is being seen as “that parent.”

They worry that asking questions will make things uncomfortable or somehow harm their child’s relationship with the school. So they stay quiet. They nod along. They leave meetings with a pit in their stomach.

Advocacy helps change that.

When parents feel prepared and supported, conversations shift. Meetings feel more focused. And parents stop second-guessing themselves.

Instead of feeling like they have to say, “I don’t think this is working, but I don’t know what to say,” parents become able to say something constructive, like, “Can we talk about how progress is being tracked and whether this service level is still the right fit?”

That’s not confrontational. That’s collaborative.

You Don’t Have to Be in Crisis to Ask for Help

Many families think advocacy is only for extreme situations — that you wait until things are “broken.”

That isn’t the case.

Families often reach out because:

● They don’t fully understand their child’s therapy goals

● Services seem inconsistent

● Progress doesn’t match what they see at home

● Meetings feel rushed or confusing

● They leave meetings with more questions than answers

Asking for help early isn’t about escalating conflict — it’s about clarity, understanding, and partnership between home and school. (Murphy, 2025)

Advocates Aren’t There to Fight Schools

This part matters.

Educational advocates don’t exist to attack schools or replace therapists. The goal is always collaboration. Advocates help create space for clearer communication and shared problem-solving so families and schools can work together in the best interest of the child.

When parents feel informed and supported, conversations tend to go better. Everyone is more focused on what matters most — the child.

Every Child Deserves Support That Truly Helps

The reality is this: navigating special education is hard, and no one should have to do it alone.

Speech and occupational therapy play a huge role in helping children communicate, participate, and build skills and independence. These services matter — and the way they’re delivered matters just as much as whether they’re written into a plan.

Parents deserve clarity. Children deserve meaningful support — not just paperwork. Families deserve to feel empowered, not overwhelmed.

If you’ve ever walked away from a meeting feeling unsure, discouraged, or confused, please know this: you are not failing your child. And you don’t have to figure this out on your own.

That’s where advocacy comes in.

At Bright Beginnings Advocacy & Consulting, this belief guides our work. Families don’t come to us seeking someone to take over — they come because they want to understand, to feel confident, and to know they’re doing right by their child. Advocacy, at its core, is about walking alongside families as they find their footing in a system that can feel overwhelming. No child’s support should be left to chance, and no parent should have to figure it out alone.

References

Walker, M. (2025, May 13). Advocates fight to ensure students in Michigan get the special education services they need. Chalkbeat Detroit. https://www.chalkbeat.org/detroit/2025/05/13/dpscd-special-education-advocates-worried-about-iep-delays-compliance/

 Murphy, J. (2025, March 30). Education advocates: What they do and why they are important. Northeast Ohio Parent Magazine. https://www.northeastohioparent.com/magazine/2025-editions/education-advocates-what-they-do-and-why-they-are-important/