An advocate will listen to and support parents/guardians while navigating the special education process. Helping parents/guardians become effective members of their child’s education team is critical. Parents are equal members of the PPT but too often do not have the knowledge of the process and potential services needed to effectively participate.
Are you feeling alone, frustrated, or unheard when you ask about your child’s education needs?
Are you concerned with your child’s learning and the school’s services but don’t know where to start in helping your child get the services they need?
Is your child anxious about going to school? Are they giving up on academic success?
Do you feel like something isn’t right with your child’s Individualized education plan? Is your child failing to make meaningful progress each school year? Are you finding it difficult to get folks at the school to listen to and accept you as a valued member of your child’s education team?
IF YES to any of the above questions, then an advocate may be able to help improve your effectiveness and ultimately your child’s school experience.
Federal law prohibits schools from retaliating against you, your child, or school staff for acting in the best interests of your child. https://www2.ed.gov/policy/rights/guid/ocr/retaliationoverview.html
Many parents worry about causing “more tension” in their child’s school. It is not uncommon for advocates to be involved in helping families navigate how best to serve students with special education needs. Districts often become more responsive to parents when an advocate becomes involved as they know they won’t be getting away with “turning a blind eye” anymore. The presence of an advocate can be calming for both the parent and the district and an advocate can often focus the discussion on appropriate goals and services specific to the child’s needs.
Follow Child Focused Solutions CT on Facebook to:
- Learn more about your child’s Special Education rights.
- Stay up to date on new legislation and events about several topics within Special Education.
- Get reliable answers to your Special Education questions.
https://www.copaa.org/ (COPAA) Is a National non-profit organization. Its website provides a directory of advocates and attorneys by state. COPAA also provides parent training materials as well as a forum to ask questions and get advice from advocates and attorneys.
Are you feeling alone, frustrated, or unheard when you ask about your child’s education needs?
Are you concerned with your child’s learning and the school’s services but don’t know where to start in helping your child get the services they need?
Is your child anxious about going to school? Are they giving up on academic success?
https://portal.ct.gov/SDE/Special-Education/Bureau-of-Special-Education (CT Bureau of Special Education) The CT Bureau of Special Education will keep you up to date on the current state guidance. You can also gain access to the state’s special education resources here.
https://cpacinc.org/ (CT Parent Advocacy Center) This is CT’s Parent Training Information Center. They will give free advice over the phone for individuals with disabilities and chronic illnesses from birth to 26 years old. They will also assist in directing you to the appropriate resources and services you are seeking for your child.
