How to Know what your child needs

• Are you concerned about how your child is progressing in school?
• Do you want to know how you can help your struggling child?
• Do you think their current education program is working?
• Has the school been contacting you about behavioral issues?
• Do you have questions regarding your child's IEP or 504?

As parents, we all want our children to succeed and thrive in school.  The questions above are just a few examples of what can make navigating the Special Education process such a daunting task.  Whether you drop your child off at school, watch them get onto the bus, or they drive off to school on their own, we are trusting the schools to take care of your child for a large part of their lives.  Many parents can see that their child is struggling and isn't quite learning at the level they should be.  Often, in those situations, parents speak with the school to see what can be done about it.  This is when the information overload kicks in and they are talking about IEP meetings, Section 504, disabilities, evaluations, and much more.  Well, DePaoli IEP Advocacy is here to help you navigate those waters.  We will start with a thorough consultation, at no cost, to see what we can do to help.  We will be by your side as long as you need us. 

Role and Responsibilities

Special Education Advocates help parents make sure a child's educational needs are being met.  They work to help the parents understand the services that are available, decipher test results, and work with the schools to plan Individualized Educations Programs (IEPs).

For a student with special needs, learning concerns take on many forms.  A Special Education Advocate helps families address learning challenges that have been identified and works to pinpoint overlooked factors that may be affecting a child's ability to learn.  Some of those may include: 

• Learning disabilities
• Intellectual disabilities
• Vision and hearing impairments
• Speech and language disorders
• ADHD
• Autism spectrum disorder
• Behavioral and emotional disorders
• Physical disabilities
• Chronic illness
• Traumatic brain injury

There are many responsibilities that a Special Education Advocate takes on.  In order to empower families to advocate for themselves, or give a voice to the students they take on the responsibilities of: 

• Advising parents about services, programs, and accommodations that meet their children’s individual needs
• Helping parents interpret reports and evaluations, as well as explaining their implications
• Drafting requests, responses, and complaints to schools
• Assisting parents with submitting written requests
• Preparing parents for IEP and 504 meetings (meetings that outline the services and accommodations students will receive and how schools will remove barriers to learning, such as providing a talking calculator to students with dyscalculia), which may include suggesting support materials or prioritizing goals and objectives
• Checking special education documents for accuracy and completion both before and after IEP and 504 meetings
• Accompanying parents to IEP and 504 meetings to offer advice and assistance
• Advising parents about the strength of their cases before review and offering referrals to special education attorneys when appropriate

How Special Education Advocates Help Families

Special Education programs are governed by a complex system of federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and policies.  These laws, regulations, and policies dictate: 

• Student's eligibility for special services
• Parents’ rights and protections regarding participation in their children’s education
• Services and accommodations available

This is where Special Education Advocates come into play for the families.  Special education advocates help families navigate not only the laws but also the processes by which schools implement legislation.  Their experience and expertise afford the parents a chance to participate in shaping their children’s education.   To make it worse, school teachers and administrators use a barrage of terminology and abbreviations that make it difficult for parents to understand everything that is going on due to their limited knowledge of the process.   That can leave parents struggling to keep up in discussions about their children’s special needs. Special education advocates fill in parental knowledge gaps.  It is easy for parents to become emotionally overwhelmed when dealing with special needs issues regarding their children.  Special Education Advocates are there to assist parents during those emotional times.

The Advocates also help parents gauge their children’s progress. In situations when parents believe their children may be stalling or even regressing, Special Education Advocates guide parents through the steps to address the situation.