A Tale of Two Adaptations of a Special Education Advocacy Program.
Planned adaptations of the Volunteer Advocacy Project keep parent gains intact when new agencies take over.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Two new agencies ran their own versions of the Volunteer Advocacy Project. Parents of children with intellectual or developmental disabilities took the classes.
The study checked if the adapted courses still raised parent knowledge, empowerment, advocacy actions, and feeling like an insider in the system.
What they found
Both agency copies worked. Parents left with more know-how and a stronger voice. They also reported acting as advocates more often and feeling part of the school team.
How this fits with other research
Pickard et al. (2019) saw the same lift when Project ImPACT was reshaped with parent input. Lower barriers, higher uptake.
Ledbetter-Cho et al. (2023) add a warning: even good programs drift. Their providers kept tweaking Project ImPACT, so fidelity varied. Vassos et al. (2023) show the flip side—when tweaks are planned and shared, results hold.
Giofrè et al. (2024) and Wilson et al. (2023) prove the method travels. From UK inclusion classes to pediatric care navigation, stakeholder-driven changes keep the core while fitting new homes.
Why it matters
You do not need to guard a manual like a museum piece. Map the must-keep parts, then let each site adjust the rest. Offer a short train-the-trainer call so new staff keep the core steps. Parents still win: they leave knowing the law, speaking up, and feeling they belong.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Special education advocacy programs support families to secure services for their children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Although research demonstrates the efficacy of one such program (the Volunteer Advocacy Project), its effectiveness when replicated by others is unknown. Replication research is critical to ensure that programs can remain effective. The purpose of this study was to explore the adaptation process for two agencies that replicated an advocacy program. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected to examine feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness. Although it took resources to replicate the advocacy program, agencies reported ongoing implementation would be easier once adaptations were completed. The adapted programs were effective in increasing participants' knowledge, empowerment, advocacy, and insiderness. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Intellectual and developmental disabilities, 2023 · doi:10.1352/1934-9556-61.2.95