FAQ

What Is An Advocate?
Can We Advocate For Ourselves?
What Can An Advocate Do For Us?
What Are The Benefits Of Working With An Advocate Who Understands Our Child’s Disability?
Who Can We Help?
In Which Geographic Areas Do You Offer Your Services?

What Is An Advocate?

The role of an advocate is to assist parents/caregivers in obtaining the services and programs their child/consumer requires to make effective progress in school and beyond, into adulthood. Most advocates also consider their role to include fostering a positive and collaborative relationship with schools, school districts and regional centers, while still holding them accountable to the Federal and State laws that are in place to protect your child/consumer. Advocates work hard to maintain a professional, respectful, and collaborative meeting atmosphere that encourages the entire team to stay focused on your child’s needs. A skilled advocate will be able to answer your questions and assist you in navigate the special education IEP and regional center IPP processes toward a better, more appropriate services for your child.

Can We Advocate For Ourselves?

Yes, absolutely! Self-advocacy is the most important form of advocacy. You should only seek the services of other advocates when you feel your efforts are not effectively helping you in your goals. Realize that advocating most often begins at home.

What Can An Advocate Do For Us?

An Advocate can help you navigate your way through the bureaucracy of the educational and regional center systems. An advocate has a good working knowledge of how these systems operate and understands and stays abreast of the ever-changing laws pertaining to your special education and regional center services. The advocate becomes part of your team as you pursue appropriate services for your child. Parents/caregivers often find that they are able to communicate more clearly and negotiate more effectively with an advocate by their side.

What Are The Benefits Of  Working With An Advocate Who Understands Our Child’s Disability?

While individuals with autism share common characteristics, each child is unique with their own strengths and challenges. It is with this understanding that we help families plan for special education programming and regional center services that reflect their child’s unique needs. School districts and regional centers must consider the full range of services necessary to meet your child’s unique needs resulting from ASD or any of the other developmental disabilities and it is imperative that a professional advocating for these unique individuals have a strong understanding of the various therapies, instructions, treatments, and programs available, as well as a strong network of proven professionals including physicians, evaluators, behavioral analysts, and therapy providers. Our understanding and experience with autism both personally, as well as professionally, will provide you with the most specialized help available. While much of our experience is working with autistic consumers, their families and their circle of support, it is important to note that public education and regional centers operate in accordance with state laws that focus on consumers with developmental disabilities without preference to any one particular disability.

Who Can We Help?

California Autism Advocates can advocate for anyone diagnosed with a developmental disability seeking services within the state of California. These disabilities include, but are not limited to:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Aspergers
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Fragile X Syndrome
• Down Syndrome
• Williams Syndrome
• Prader-Willi Syndrome
• Rett Syndrome
• Psychiatric Illnesses
• Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD)
• Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)
• Mental Retardation (MR)
• and others

The Lanterman Act applies to all of those diagnosed with developmental disabilities.

In Which Geographic Areas Do You Offer Your Services?

We are located in the greater Sacramento, Ca. area. We will do our best to help anyone who contacts us for information on programs, services, and supports available to the developmentally disabled within the entire state of California. In some cases, this means we will do our best to assist in finding an advocate closer to you. We currently service these counties: