From Sociotechnical Gaps to Solutions: Designing AI Tools with Parents to Address Special Education Advocacy Barriers in IEP Processes

Parents of children with disabilities face significant challenges navigating special education, particularly during Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings with school administration, where they must advocate for their child to receive accommodations. Existing advocacy support methods often exclude families with limited resources. This work aims to design collaborative systems that mitigate or remove advocacy barriers and empower parents. Building on research demonstrating AI's potential in advocacy and special education, we investigate parents' interactions with schools, advocacy workflows, perceptions of technology, and visions for AI-based support. Interviews and design probes with 14 parents reveal systemic barriers, including information overload, resource constraints, and inequitable power dynamics with schools. Parents' feedback suggested infrastructures that foster equitable advocacy through simplifying information, preparing parents via dialogue, and meeting reflection. This study engages with a traditionally underrepresented population and explores how AI can reshape special education advocacy, presenting actionable principles for creating systems focused on parent empowerment.