If trust is born in strong relationships, then first encounters are critical. Parents of students with disabilities undergo a great deal of stress and come to educational professionals for help with vital specialized tasks, including assessment, placement, progress monitoring, and maintenance of their child's ongoing needs. Special education is a framework where the very foundation is built on adversarial relations--where parents hire attorneys and advocates to fight against districts. Collaboration between schools and parents is the foremost approach to accurate educational planning and rests primarily on two principles of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): (1) parent participation; and (2) procedural due process. IDEA requires parents to be included in the educational process. Trust between parents and educational leaders is necessary for effective long-term partnerships and ultimately to support and improve the teaching and learning process for eligible children.