The guide presents six papers designed to help people become effective advocates for gifted and talented children. In "Effective Advocacy: Understanding the Process and Avoiding the Pitfalls," P. Mitchell considers such obstacles as using an adversarial rather than a persuasive approach and being impatient. She charts a procedure for more systematic advocacy beginning with needs assessment, planning, contact, and finally evaluation and followup. T. Kraver ("Parent Power: Starting and Building a Parent Organization") presents practical guidelines for parents on such topics as creating public awareness and recruiting members. Experiences in North Carolina are reflected on by L. Aubrecht in "Organizing for Advocacy: Making It Work on the State and Local Level." In "Knowing What You Want and Getting It," R. Siewert reviews the state legislative and rulemaking processes with notes from Oregon's experiences. P. O'Connell ("Advocating for Long-Lasting Change") reviews rules of behavior change and puts forth seven principles for success in advocacy, including injunctions to listen, study other successful advocacy efforts, and define the solution. In the final paper, W. Apker considers "The Challenges Ahead for Gifted and Talented Education" on federal, state, and local levels. (CL)