Advocacy and Law: Best Practices and the Legal Framework Supporting Advocacy

Advocacy and Law: Best Practices and the Legal Framework Supporting Advocacy

SLP Summit July 2025 – Session Recap

Advocacy isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a responsibility. In Advocacy and Law, presenters Krystal and Amy walk SLPs through the legal foundations and day-to-day realities of advocating for students, families, and ourselves within the special education system.

This empowering session balances real-world strategy with legal clarity, giving you the tools to speak up with confidence, document with purpose, and collaborate more effectively with IEP teams.

🎥 Watch a clip from the session below
Registration is available until Aug. 8, 2025—register now to access the full course and earn ASHA CEUs.

⚖️ Why Advocacy Can’t Wait

When SLPs understand their legal grounding, they’re better equipped to support equitable outcomes for students and protect their own professional integrity.

Krystal and Amy demystify:

  • Your legal responsibilities as an SLP

  • What IDEA and FAPE really mean in practice

  • How to document advocacy without conflict

  • When (and how) to escalate concerns appropriately

  • Ways to foster allyship and avoid burnout in difficult systems

They also share common pitfalls educators face in IEP meetings—and what to say instead when advocacy feels risky.

💬 “Advocacy doesn’t mean conflict. It means clarity, alignment, and courage.”

You’ll leave this session with:

  • Sample phrases and scripts to use in tough conversations

  • Legal do’s and don’ts for advocating ethically

  • Frameworks for building collaborative relationships while honoring your role

  • Encouragement to keep showing up even when the system feels hard to navigate

✅ Perfect For:

  • SLPs navigating challenging school systems

  • New professionals unsure how to “speak up” respectfully

  • Veteran clinicians seeking to mentor or train others in advocacy

  • Anyone who has felt stuck between “what’s best” and “what’s allowed

🎧  Check out the full course!

You can register for the SLP Summit through August 8, 2025! Registration is free with an optional ASHA add-on for $29.99 for all six courses. Courses must be viewed by Aug. 15, 2025 and you must opt in for ASHA credit after each course by August 31, 2025. 

🔖 This course was originally presented live at the July 2025 SLP Summit. Captions available on replays.

Register for July 2025 SLP Summit


🕒 Reading This After August 8? Don’t Worry.


If you missed registration, there’s still an opportunity to deepen your advocacy skills—especially for diverse learners.

👉 Advocacy in My Journey: Assessing AAC in a Multilingual & Multicultural World

This on-demand course explores what it truly means to advocate for equitable AAC access across cultures and languages. Learn from the lived experience of a bilingual SLP as they guide you through:

  • Advocacy considerations in AAC evaluation and treatment

  • Evidence-backed strategies for multilingual learners

  • Aligning goals with cultural and linguistic realities

  • Solutions to common assessment challenges in diverse settings

It’s an essential follow-up for any SLP committed to equitable, culturally responsive care.