When I tell parents I’m an Education and Communication Consultant who works with families of children with special needs, they often assume I’m simply using a different title for child advocate. While the roles may appear similar on the surface, they are fundamentally different in purpose and approach.
According to Wikipedia an advocate is a someone who “intercedes on behalf of another person.” In many legal systems, the term advocate is another term for professional lawyers. A consultant, by contrast, is a specialist who provides expert guidance, information, and coaching. That distinction matters, especially in special education.
Empowering vs. Representation
When parents understand the special education process, from Response to Intervention (RTI) through evaluation, eligibility, and on-going services, they feel confident and capable. Knowledge empowers them to describe their child’s needs clearly, calmly, and using relevant data when speaking with teachers, administrators, and related service providers.
An advocate may focus on resolving an immediate issue or securing a specific outcome for parents. A consultant’s role is different: to help families understand their child’s needs, the decision-making process, and how to engage in productive dialogue with the school team.
What a Consultant Does
As a consultant, I help families:
- Understand special education law and their procedural safeguards
- Read and interpret their child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP)
- Analyze and use data effectively
- Prepare for meetings by clarifying goals and questions
Through coaching, parents learn how to articulate concerns, use data-informed statements, ask thoughtful open-ended questions, and be collaborative problem-solvers. This approach supports productive conversations and often leads to more creative and sustainable solutions for students.
Building Partnerships, Not Tension
In my experience as a former Special Education Administrator, I observed that advocates focused primarily on reviewing records, often without spending time getting to know the child. As a consultant, I prioritize understanding the whole child, academically, socially, and emotionally; having my guidance grounded in the child’s real needs.
A key role of a consultant is helping parents and educators develop a shared vision for how to address a child’s needs. Rather than focusing on positions or past frustrations, consultants support conversations that align families and school teams around common goals: student access, progress, and long-term success. When everyone is working from the same understanding, collaboration becomes more effective and trust and transparency have space to grow.
My goal is not to replace parents’ voices or create dependency, but to equip parents with tools and strategies they need to confidently participate in meetings and collaborate with the school team. Consultants serve as bridges, helping families approach conversations with teachers and administrators informed, calm, and solution focused. This leads to building stronger home-school relationships because families feel prepared and respected, and teachers and administrators are then in a better position to communicate as partners instead of being engaged in adversarial conversations.
Centering the Child
The child is always at the center of the conversation. Supporting access to the general education curriculum requires thoughtful planning, clear communication, and shared understanding. By teaching parents how to use data to inform decisions, consultants help align conversations around student needs rather than positions.
Choosing the Right Support
If a parent’s goal is to understand the special education process, participate confidently in IEP meetings, and feel like an equal partner in their child’s educational planning, a consultive approach may be the right fit. Consultants help parents build skills they can use long after an IEP meeting ends or a specific concern has been resolved; skills that support collaboration, clarity, and shared decision-making.
When families are informed and prepared, educators are better positioned to engage in productive, student-centered conversations that strengthen home-school partnerships.
If you would like to discuss your family’s needs or learn more about my consultative services, please contact me via email: Peggy@PeggyBud.com or call 203.952.8534
It’s more than what you say; it’s how you say it.
