The everyday advocate : standing up for your autistic child

"If you have a child with autism, you need to be more than a parent; you need to be an advocate. You don't have to protest or petition, but you do have to take a stand to safeguard your child's rights to treatments, services, and - sometime - basic human kindness. ... The Everyday Advocate offers real-world actions that work and teaches you the advocacy skills that will sustain and empower you for the rest of your life. With lists of carefully chosen Web sites and organizations, it makes the deluge of information manageable." - BOOK JACKET

Be aware this is an American publication, especially in respect of the legal information it contains.

Introduction : advocacy makes a difference|Part I: The Call to Advocacy
1. Facing facts: getting a diagnosis
2. A new perspective: stepping up
3. Advocacy 101: the principles of advocacy| Part II: Personal Advocacy: New Ways of Adapting
4. Family challenges: advocating to your family
5. Family challenges: advocating to your growing child
6. Empowerment circles: avoiding isolation
7. Balancing a career and autism: making your life work|Part III: Public Advocacy: Getting Results
8. Navigating the therapy maze: educating yourself
9. Legal consultation: making decisions about your child's education
10. Legal consultation: our family's choice for inclusion
11. Legal consultation: planning your child's education
12. In the community: integrating your child|Epilogue: It begins with hope|Glossary of key terms|Acronyms|Appendix A: Recommended reading list|Appendix B: Sample advocacy letters|Appendix C: Student self-monitoring IEP sheet