No One Listens Like a Parent: Why You’re the Best Advocate Your Child Could Ask For

When you're raising a child with different needs, you quickly learn how loud silence can be. The silence in waiting rooms. The silence when providers talk around you. The silence when you're trying to explain something important about your child and get met with a polite nod—but no change.

Here’s the truth: you know your child better than anyone else. That makes you the most powerful advocate in the room—even if you’re not the loudest.

Parent advocacy isn’t just about fighting for services. It’s about being the one who says, “My child deserves to be seen as a whole person.” It’s about noticing the small wins, asking the hard questions, and making sure your child isn’t just included, but supported.

We see parents like you every day at The Therapy Garden. You’re doing brave, behind-the-scenes work that changes lives. You’re not “just a parent.” You’re the expert. The witness. The voice your child can lean on—until they find their own.

So if no one’s told you lately: you’re doing a great job. Keep advocating. You’re the changemaker your child needs