KMSW

Educational Advocacy

If your child has a disability (or one that you suspect), you might feel lost in the special education system. Parents don't usually come into this with a degree in their child's disability and in education, and most aren't attorneys, yet often come to feel they need all three to be respected and effective on their child's team. I understand from experience how frustrated and alone this can make you feel. It doesn't have to be this way. You can be an effective advocate for your child, you don't need any qualifications to do it, and you don't have to do it alone. I am an experienced parent in special education of many years, a licensed social worker with extensive experience in child and disability services, a former SEPAC chair, and a trained advocate via the Parent Center Training Institute of the Federation for Children With Special Needs. If you think now is the time to get organized about your child's education, I am ready to assist you.

My goal is to help you communicate more effectively and take action now, with a long-term plan so that you can carry out a vision with or without me. I understand how time-consuming and hard this is, so my approach is designed to do this in a way that saves you time and energy:

First things first.

collect and organize a chronological record for your child
review testing, progress reports and other data for key information and missing information; highlight and organize this info for easier access in team meetings/communication.
request info from school at relevant intervals (work samples, verification of dates of service, verification of test accommodations, etc.)
review IEPs for errors, omissions, inconsistencies, word choice, etc.
provide you learning resources and help you plan dedicated time for your personal development as a parent advocate.

On your side of the table

prepare for & debrief with you after meetings/communications with school
advocate for and with you at team meetings, take notes and draft meeting summaries

draft or proofread rejections/partial rejections of IEPs as needed
draft requests for independent educational evaluations, prior written notices and compensatory services

make non-clinical school observations and provide detailed notes (i.e. to observe whether accommodations are being followed, what services actually look like, student's responses, seating arrangements, peer interactions, environmental factors, etc.)
draft and file PRS complaints as needed
help you develop a respectful but assertive approach so that you can hold school accountable and better your chances of prevailing in a dispute if you need to.

Support for now & later

If the thought has ever crossed your mind that you could use an assistant with all this, reach out. Parents deserve support and even a modest amount of services might make a big difference.

When we're through, I will set you up with a plan you can carry on independently, as well as a packet of supportive resources, and of course my door is always open if you need more direct support again in the future.

Reach me via my contact page to set up a free 30-minute consultation.

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