"I Know How to Get Around Your 'No'": A Follow-Up of the FACES Psychoeducational Intervention.

The team checked back with Black families who finished the FACES parent course 16 months earlier. FACES teaches parents how to speak up, ask questions, and push for better autism services.

They ran hour-long phone interviews with 14 parents. The researchers asked what still worked, what felt hard, and where they still felt stuck.

Every parent said they still used the advocacy tools. They knew how to request meetings, write emails, and say 'no' to unfair offers.

Yet most still hit brick walls. Schools said budgets were tight. Clinics had year-long wait lists. One mom laughed, 'I know how to get around your no, but your system still says no.'

The long-lasting parent gains match the hope and growth fathers reported in Byra et al. (2020). Both studies show parents keep positive mind-sets years later.

The picture differs from Whaling et al. (2025). That study shows young adults with IDD feel family tension when they speak up for themselves. FACES parents feel strong, but their kids may face the same push-back once they self-advocate.

Najdowski et al. (2003) heard parents recall cold, rushed doctors during rare-disease diagnosis. FACES parents still meet rushed providers, proving little has changed in 20 years.

You can borrow FACES slides and role-plays to boost parent confidence in your own town. Teach the scripts, then warn families the fight is not over. Pair advocacy training with staff in-service days so the system learns to welcome the very voices you are empowering.