In any meeting, the family must remember that they are an integral part of a team, and their input must be taken into consideration before any final decision is to be made by that team. The other team members must also take into account that the family's input is of equal importance to that of any other team member. Advocacy is most effective when it can be placed directly in the hands of the individual in need of services, or his or her family. Until the day when this becomes the standard practice, educational advocates and consultants will be needed to represent and educate families to better enable them to advocate for themselves. Andrea Lorant, M.S. Ed.
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