This paper focuses on the rights of special needs children in the schooling process. There are a number of laws including the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act ^{a a}In 1990 the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law. This law is very similar to the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, however it extends protections to people with disabilities to the private sector. Given the fact that the ADA is a very new law and the case law is still emerging concerning how this law will be implemented, the focus of this paper is on the disability laws that have been in place for several decades. The reader should note that the ADA will no doubt, however, greatly expand the rights of children with disabilities in school systems over the next several years. which protect the educational rights of exceptional children. Unfortunately school systems often fail to provide all the services needed by exceptional children. This means advocacy efforts are often called upon by parents to insure school systems offer the appropriate special services to their special needs children. The strategies and skills needed by parents to conduct advocacy on the behalf of their children are presented.