Educational Advocacy

What is Educational Advocacy ?

My belief is that all children need someone to look out for them. This person (or team of people) will help take them toward academic success. An advocate is a person who empowers parents, educators and the child to understand how to work together as a team. They give encouragement, advice, or a listening ear. Many people care to be an advocate for a child, whether a parent, an adult relative, a teacher, a counselor, administrator, a coach, really any staff member at a school, this person will let a kid know that they have someone who believes in them and who is there for them. They can work with the child, build rapport and help guide them. Kids need to know that adults in their school believe in them. They need encouragement, and want their opinions and needs validated. When there is a disconnect between the school and the home, I have the experience and knowledge on how to bridge the gap and facilitate positive communication on behalf of the family. We can influence change and validate the needsof kids simply by the way we deliver our messages and collaborate during meetings at your child’s school.

With seventeen years of experience as an educator/school counselor, with an undergraduate degree in special education and a masters in school and clinical counselor from Hopkins, it has been my passion to act as an advocate for families who need special expertise to ensure that they have an opportunity to meaningfully participate in the education of their child. Given the complexity of the network of federal, state and local laws, and intricate regulations and policies governing special education, it is understandable that many parents require the assistance of an educational advocate. Parents often face a situation in which emotions run high, and large teams of school officials outnumber parents at IEP meetings. In addition, a complex legal framework must be navigated by parents who have unequal access to information, which makes securing the services of a professional essential for many families.

Authority for advocates to attend IEP meetings and participate in the IEP process is found in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), in both the federal statutes and regulations. Under 20 U.S.C. §1414(d)(1)(B)(vi), the IEP team may include “individuals who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child” at the discretion of “the parent or the agency.” (emphasis added). Under 34 C.F.R § 300.613(b)(3) of the IDEA regulations, parents have the “right to have a representative of the parent inspect and review the records”. (emphasis added).

Special Needs Advocate And Parent Advisor

I am a special needs advocate and parent advisor. As an educational advocate, I understand the laws that affect children with disabilities and special needs and keep up with changes in regulations. In addition to knowing the laws, I know about services schools can provide. I have created and assisted in multiple numbers of 504 plans and IEP’s during my 17 years as a School Counselor. I offer to attend school conferences, review educational records and meet with your family and school personnel to make suggestions on possible accommodations and modifications to help the child succeed.
My goal is always to represent a child’s best interests, help parents prepare for, and accompany parents to a variety of public-school meetings, including: IEP, Section 504, and Manifestation Determination IEP. I will utilize a multi-modal approach to learn about the student and make educational recommendations:
  1. We will start by meeting at my office to understand your concerns and goals

  2. I will review school records, special education records, 504 plans, assessments and evaluations, progress reports, report cards, emails between school and home, any other educational. During this time, I will answer questions and provide clarification about former assessments and dialogue.

  3. I will request written authorization from parents to allow for me to consult with the school specialists who are knowledgeable about the child, to gain a complete understanding of their perspective.

  4. The school will coordinate a time with me to observe your child (without them knowing I am observing them) in school at time when I can also follow up with school staff to gain an understanding of their perspective.

  5. We will meet at my office to share feedback regarding observations and communication from the school and I will make suggestions for changes that may be needed to the current program along with a clarification of your educational rights. I will make recommendations about any additional assessments or services that might be needed to help your child access their abilities and meet their potential.

  6. There will be communication with school personnel through phone calls, written communication and/or meetings to advocate for the necessary changes in the current program and/or placement.

Although I do not accept insurance, families may qualify for a reduced rate for my advocacy services based on a review of financial need.

I will empower and educate you as the parents, help you to formulate appropriate IEP goals, accommodations, modifications, behavior plans, and identify appropriate related services such as Speech and Language, Occupational Therapy, Assistive Technology, Adaptive PE, and paraeducator support as appropriate. While we meet, I will provide expert opinions in exploring school placement options ranging from inclusion, learning centers, special day classes for home school learning, non-public school, and residential treatment programs as appropriate. When appropriate, I will refer to an attorney who specializes in Special Education law draft dispute resolution proposals, state Department of Education complaints, letters, and written requests to district personnel and administration. If there is a need, they will help to assess and assist parents in seeking reimbursement for outside services and school placement for past, present, and future educational expenses.

[1]  Excluding a parent’s advocate from an IEP meeting or from advocating on behalf of a child could be a deprived of meaningful participation in the child’s education as required by the IDEA.  If advocacy fails to bring about the desired lawful result and the parent decides to file for due process, the parent could argue denial of meaningful participation.  Under the IDEA, a hearing officer may find a denial of FAPE due to a procedural violation if the procedural violation “significantly impeded the parents’ opportunity to participate in the decision making process regarding the provision of a free appropriate public education to the parents’ child.” 20 U.S.C. § 1415(f)(3)(E)(ii)(II) (emphasis added).  If a school district excludes an advocate from attending IEP meetings or otherwise prevents them from representing families in the IEP process, the advocate may consider pursuing a claim for retaliation under § 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). 

When to reach out to an Educational Advocate?

  • You do not want to attend school meetings alone.
  • Your child has been promised special education services and related services, accommodations and/or modifications that are NOT being implemented.
  • You child has been found eligible for special education services, but the services developed in the IEP are not being met and are ineffective.
  • Your child has a 504 plan and accommodations are not being implemented by all teachers.
  • You want a second set of eyes to review your child’s current IEP, 504 plan, Functional Behavioral Assessment, Behavior Intervention Plan and any other educational assessments or data.
  • Due to behavior, your child is regularly removed from their class and cannot access the same curriculum/learning as their peers.
  • Due to behavior, your child has been recommended for a least restrictive environment and you want to make sure that the recommendation is appropriate.
  • Your child has been receiving low performing academic scores and/or has been referred to as a behavioral problem but hasn’t been found eligible for special education services. You are ready to request a meeting to screen your child for eligibility and aren’t sure how to start the process.
  • You are considering mediation or filing a due process complaint with the school district because you believe there have been violations to your child’s rights under IDEA or 504.

Important Acronym’s

Helpful for Any School Meeting
  • ABA = Applied Behavior Analysis
  • ABC = Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence
  • ADHD = Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
  • ASD = Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • ASL = American Sign Language
  • BIP = Behavior Intervention Plan
  • B/VI = Blind/Visually Impaired
  • CFR = Code of Federal Regulations
  • D/HI = Deaf/Hearing Impaired
  • DD = Developmental Delays
  • DIBELS = Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literature
  • ED = Emotional Disturbance
  • EI = Early Intervention
  • ER = Evaluation Report
  • ESY = Extended School Year
  • FAPE = Free Appropriate Public Education
  • FBA = Functional Behavior Assessment
  • ID = Intellectual Disability
  • IDEA = Individuals with Disability Education Act
  • IEP = Individual Education Plan
  • IFSP = Individual Family Service Plan
  • IST = Instructional Support Team
  • ITP = Instructional Transition Plan
  • IU = Intermediate Unit
  • LD = Learning Disability
  • LD = Learning Disability
  • Liaison = Special Education Professional who works with both the school and the school board
  • LEA = Local Education Agency
  • LEP = Limited English Proficiency
  • LRE = Least Restrictive Environment
  • LSS = Life Skills Support
  • MDE = Multidisciplinary Evaluation
  • MDT = Multidisciplinary Team
  • NOREP = Notice of Recommended Education Plan
  • ODD = Oppositional Defiance Disorder
  • OHI = Other Health Impaired
  • OI = Orthopedic Impairment
  • OT = Occupational Therapist
  • PCA = Personal Care Assistant
  • PLEP = Present Levels of Performance
  • PT = Physical Therapist
  • RTII = Response to Intervention & Instruction
  • SDI = Specially Designed Instruction
  • Service Code = Services A Student Eligible Under
  • SEA = State Education Agency
  • SLD = Specific Learning Disabilities
  • SLI = Speech Language Impairment
  • SLP = Speech Language Pathologist
  • SPED/Spec Ed = Special Education
  • TBI = Traumatic Brain Injury
  • TSS = Therapeutic Staff Support