A study examined the impact on parents when a young person with disabilities is involved in self-advocacy. Methodologies used included a literature review, interviews with nine families of young people with disabilities, collection of information about parent support initiatives, and discussion with a self-advocay group. During the course of the interviews, parents were asked how they felt professionals could be helpful and what they considered unhelpful. Positive experiences reported by parents included the following: having their experience and expertise as parents acknowledged, really being listened to, having access to professionals who have the right skills for the job, having their difficulties as parents really understood, and having a professional the parent can trust. Negative experiences reported by parents included the following: being asked to do fund-raising when what is needed is support for the parent, having professionals who look down on parents, professionals who do not keep their promises to help, and professionals who are in contact with a parent's family but not with each other. The report makes a number of specific recommendations to the various agencies and organizations involved with parents of young people in transition but first enumerates 12 principles underlying the recommendations, 10 of which are addressed to further and continuing education providers in England and Wales, and 7 of which are addressed to other organizations. A list of 41 references, a 16-item annotated reading list, 3 examples of parent support groups, a summary of the views of an advocacy group, and a brief case study of families and citizen advocacy are appended. (CML)