[Abstract]
Parental perspectives regarding the utilization of professional advocates and attorneys is non-existent in the current academic literature base. The limited extant literature contains school personnel perspectives on the IEP process when advocates are involved. Thus, to investigate this phenomenon from a parental perspective and to capture parent voice, a phenomenological collective case study was conducted. Nine participants contributed to this research via semi-structured interviews, recounting their experiences through the special education process with the assistance of a professional advocate or attorney. Their stories, including their thoughts on the process, why they obtained advocates, suggestions for school personnel on how to improve the process, and advice to other parents are included in this research. Overall, parents were unhappy with the IEP process and believed the process was emotionally exhausting. They wanted their child to receive an individualized education with support from school personnel and their input taken into consideration. While certain IEP team members attempted to work with them, parents experienced barriers that prevented their needs and the needs of their child from being met. When parents became frustrated at not being heard or not knowing how to navigate the system and were in need of relief, they obtained advocates to engage in the process with them. Through these parents' recollections of their experiences, school personnel and other parents are provided with suggestions for how to make the process better for all parties involved. Resources and recommendations for individuals who cannot afford to hire professional advocates are also provided.