From the first day a child is born, parents are there to nurture their child, to support him or her as he or she grows and develops. There is a lot to learn about how to raise a child under normal circumstances, but when a child has special needs parents must learn this whole new language of medical and special education terms (Overton, 2005). Parents enter this new world where navigating the best interests of their children is full of challenges and obstacles that they must somehow overcome. This is especially true when parents are dealing with the special education program at their child's school. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires parental involvement in the education of children with disabilities (Smith, Hilton, Murdick, & Gartin, 2005). The IDEA also provides civil rights to children with disabilities and encourages parents to act as advocates for their children. This seems to encourage school professionals and parents to work closely together to obtain the best services needed for the child. Unfortunately this often leads to difficulties in finding a balance between legislation, interpretation and understanding of the law and to a breakdown in communication (Yell, Shriner, & Katsiyanis, 2006). Parents often feel they have no say in the education system, which limits productive interaction between parents and school staff and potentially negatively impacts the student. Collaboration between school and home is necessary to successfully create a positive and enriched learning environment. for the student. There are a few ways parents can achieve this: positive support for school participation including homework, regular communication with the school, volunteering at school, a... middle of paper... Sella River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Sands, D., Kozleski, E., & French, N. (2000). Inclusive education for the 21st century: A new introduction to special education. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.Smith, T.E.C., Hilton, A., Murdick, N.L., & Gartin, B.C. (2005). Families and children with special needs: professional and family collaborations. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Trainor, A. A. (2010). Different approaches to parental advocacy during special education home-school interactions: Identification and use of cultural and social capital. Correctional and Special Education, 31(1), 34-47.Yell, M.L., Shriner, J.G., & Katsiyannis, A., (2006). Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 and IDEA regulations of 2006: Implications for educators, administrators, and teacher educators. Focus on exceptional children, 39, 1-24.