the role of special education advocate
Advocacy is a core strategy for improving the lives of all individuals with disabilities. As an advocate for school children my mission is to ensure that your child with disabilities is treated with respect, dignity, equal access to a quality education and given the same choices, opportunities, and responsibilities as their peers.
Advocates assist parents to participate in the decision making process and aid them in understanding the service delivery options available to their children and enable them to obtain those services necessary.
The role of any professional Special Education Advocate is to:
➢ increase communication between school district (SD), teachers(s), student and the parent(s)
➢ develop a relationship with the School District where the parent’s concerns are heard and
acted upon by educational team
➢ Aid in coordinating the IEP process so that the parent participates as an equal with the
educational team
➢ diffuse frustration when parents over:
• inability to fix their child’s issues.
• the loss of potential and personal growth
• guilt feelings their chid is rejected by peers
• their child’s loss of self esteem
• not knowing what is the right decision.
➢ facilitate the acquisition of FAPE
➢ facilitate identification of educationally based needs through the school district IEP team
➢ facilitate identification of educationally based needs through the appropriate clinical referrals
➢ develop a team approach where parents and teachers are supported with information
training and research based programming available to address the child’s disability and
how it effects their ability to be educated
➢ review in detail of the individualized educational plan, with an awareness of the continuum of
services and placements available
➢ development of positive behavioral interventions that appropriately deal with
associated disruptive behaviors and behaviors that interfere with a child accessing their
education
➢ resolving differences through effective communication
➢ protect parent and students rights throughout the IEP process
➢ recommend appropriate attorney referrals.