According to the University of Notre Dame's online dictionary (n.d.), the word advocacy comes partly from the Latin word "advocare," which means "to summon or call to one's aid." This definition provides an interesting look into what advocacy means when looking at the special needs of a child. Advocacy is a summoning of support, a call for resources to address the child's particular needs. In rural schools, itinerant teachers deal in situations in which the number of deaf and hard of hearing students is high, and the number of trained teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students is low. It is the teachers' responsibility to encourage and support these parents as advocates and to recognize parents as the critical element in their children's education. In this article, Christopher Hayes, sole teacher for all 40 deaf and hard of hearing students in his county, discusses why, in his experience, the parents with whom he works are not exposed to the means or the resources to become advocates for their children. With over 15 years of experience as an itinerant teacher, Hayes suggests deliberate steps teachers can take to support and foster advocacy from parents.