53 0146-1044/02/0300-0053/0  2002 Human Sciences Press, Inc. Sexuality and Disability, Vol. 20, No. 1, Spring 2002 ( 2002) Look at Me, Listen to Me, I Have Something Important to Say Robert Strike 1 and David McConnell, Ph.D. 2,3 In this paper, I present a seven-point plan for workers supporting parents with intellectual disability. I draw on my experience as a father with intellectual disability to illustrate each point. The purpose of this paper is to encourage workers to listen, and to work together with parents with intellectual disability. I believe that workers can teach us and we can teach them. KEY WORDS: parents; intellectual disability; communication; support. Sometimes support workers or so-called professionals don’t really listen to people with intellectual disability. They assume a lot. How can workers know what we want or need if they don’t listen? How can workers see past the label of intellectual disability if they don’t really listen? The purpose of this paper is to encourage workers to listen and to work together with parents with intellec- tual disability. Workers can teach us and we can teach them. When David talked to me about writing this paper I thought it was a good idea. I believe that workers need to hear and learn from me as a person with intellectual disability. I do not speak for other people with intellectual disability. Indeed, teaching people with intellectual disability to speak up for themselves is my life’s work. Not many people with intellectual disability are as up-front as I am. I prefer talking to writing, so David came to my house and he asked me about my childhood, my family and my tips for workers who are supporting 1 Father of three and Co-founder of Self Advocacy, NSW. 2 David McConnell, Post-Doctoral Fellow and Research Manager, Family Support and Services Project. 3 Address correspondence to Dr. David McConnell, School of Occupation and Leisure Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, P.O. Box 170, Lidcombe NSW 1825 Australia; e-mail. D.mcconnellcchs.usyd.edu.au.