Benefits of having an advocate
No one knows your child better than you do. You’re the authority. But when it comes to making sure your child gets the educational resources they need to succeed in school, that may be a job you might need a little help with.
The formal process of advocating with a school district on behalf of a child with or without special needs is complicated. By design, the participants are pursuing separate agendas that, despite everyone’s best efforts, don’t always align. You’re an expert on the child; they’re experts on the system.
You don’t have to go it alone. A designated advocate can help ensure that your views will get heard, that your child’s needs will get addressed, and that your child will have access to the resources they’re entitled to. Here are some ways an advocate can help you negotiate with local school administrators:
Keeping focused: Teaming up with an advocate lets you stay focused on the subject you know best—your child. The advocate is trained to stay focused on the resources available to help your child succeed. Where you have an emotional investment in the child’s success, the advocate can negotiate dispassionately. Together you can support your child’s education more effectively than you could on your own.
Speaking the language: Every industry, including education administration, has jargon. To a parent, it might be intimidating. To an advocate, it’s just shop talk. Advocates speak the same language as administrators and can brief you fully on what’s being said, and what your child’s test results actually mean. So you can make more informed data-based decisions.
Pushing back against "No": When a request is denied, it’s often couched in terms of what the school district can or can’t do. It’s tempting to accept that explanation without question. An advocate has a better understanding of the competing pressures facing administrators. Maybe “No” really means “We’d prefer not to.” Or "We’ve never done it that way." An advocate can argue more compellingly why administrators should re-evaluate their priorities and get to a "Yes."
Filling gaps by raising awareness: Students’ needs don’t always get addressed properly. Usually the behaviors that signal those gaps simply escape the school’s notice. Like a dip in test scores or a slight but revealing shift in behavior. An advocate can get administrators to notice patterns they might otherwise be missing, so appropriate resources can be allocated to get your child back on track.
IEP review: An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is like a sales contract. It spells out exactly what you can expect the district to do under specific conditions. If it’s not included in the IEP, the school is under no obligation to provide it. An advocate can review your school’s proposed IEP for possible omissions and negotiate any needed revisions. IEPs can be reviewed as often as needed.
Meaningful goals: Your child’s IEP is all about goals, because that’s how your child’s progress is measured. Those goals should be reviewed and adjusted at least annually, based on objective performance measures. Parents play a crucial role in goal-setting. An advocate can help you sort through your child’s existing goals and progress metrics, and strengthen your position when it’s time to set new ones.
Our advocates know the ins and outs of educational policy and the legal structure that determines how resources are allocated. For a free 30-minute consultation, help getting the school-based resources your child is entitled to, or to schedule a tour, contact our Center for Educational Advocacy or call 1-904-346-5100.