Exploring the Motivation, Process, and Barriers for Replication of a Special Education Advocacy Program

Abstract

AbstractSpecial education advocacy programs educate and empower individuals to become advocates for families of school-aged children with disabilities. Although special education advocacy programs are becoming more common across the globe, replication and wide scale implementation are needed to determine their credibility. The purpose of this study was to explore the replication of a special education advocacy program, the Volunteer Advoacy Project (VAP), to understand the motivation, process, and barriers to replication for community-based agencies. Participants included the staff of ten community-based agencies that submitted a proposal to replicate the VAP but did not receive funding to support the replication process. Applications, transcripts, emails, and field-notes were used to conduct qualitative data analysis and determine themes. Findings showed common motivations and a cyclical replication process. Common barriers related to limited: capacity and funding. Implications for research, policy, and practice are discussed.