TRAINING AND EDUCATION
A special education advocate should do things with you and not for you because the objective is for you to become an effective,knowledgeable advocate for your child, to give you the tools you need to support your child. Parents are the best advocates for their children and need to be equipped to do that. Parents need to feel comfortable sharing information and emotions with the advocate in order to be a successful team.
● A special education advocate should know the federal and state laws pertaining to special education services. IEP advocates usually have a good working knowledge of resources available to families and should be able to share this with families.
● A good special education advocate can explain the laws and policies. The special education advocate should demystify some of the areas of special education
● A special education advocate can refer you to private service professionals who conduct Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs).This is very important as school districts may not want to encourage families to seek out these services as districts are responsible for the costs.
● Advocates can and should do a thorough record review, including evaluations and testing, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), and progress reports.
● A special education advocate should know about services and supports which may be helpful for your child and what is available.
● An IEP advocate can help you prepare for meetings related to your child’s special education program – especially meetings to discuss reevaluations and IEPs or Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs).
● A special education advocate can help parents write appropriate draft IEP/IFSP goals and objectives and suggest appropriate supports and accommodations.
● An IEP advocate can accompany parents to meetings and assist in the negotiation process between parents and the school. A special education advocate should encourage and nurture teamwork between parents and districts as the child must remain the top priority. The team must work for the good of the child.
● A special education advocate can review important documents, such as the IEP/IFSP or PWN before you sign them.
● An advocate can help parents draft letters and written requests to your school.