ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS & EDUCATION ADVOCACY SKILLS

EDUCATION ADVOCACY SKILLS

"ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTION IS OFTEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN HAVING AN ANSWER. A RIGHT QUESTION CAN LEAD TO THE RIGHT ANSWER."

Marie Lewis PhD, BCEA

The world of Special Education leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to transparency and direction.  Some of that is simply a matter of variation as the manifestation of most diagnoses are on a continuum somewhere between mild to severe. In addition there is frequently at least one or two secondary diagnoses that can complicate the picture and make creating the IEP and attendant programming a challenge. Have all the needs been identified? Have all the needs been addressed in the IEP? Is the programming proposed by the school district appropriate for my child? 

Many parents are not sure how to answer those questions and they frequently feel as though they are not being heard and the information they offer about their child is dismissed at the IEP meetings. 

Professional advocates are always trying to put themselves out of business. As you can see from the list below when all of that has been accomplished the advocate becomes the occasional consultant as the parent and child take over advocacy for themselves.

Professional, Board Certified Special Education Advocates are skilled at:

• Asking the right question – which leads to looking in the right places for answers by someone who has the right experience for finding the answers.
• Assisting in attaining special education services, related services and specially designed instruction
• Assisting in parent’s understanding their child’s school records, assessments, and their implications.
• Assisting in the development of an appropriate Individualized Education Program (IEP) which is oriented to functional outcomes
• Assisting parents in presenting their concerns and agenda at meetings
• Documenting and organizing materials

• Documenting Present Levels of Performance and measurable Goals
• Understanding the use of a PWN – Prior Written Notice - and documenting what was asked for and refused at the IEP meeting
• Facilitating dispute resolutions
• Facilitating negotiation between parents and school
• Facilitating requests for the appropriate assessments and evaluations
  • There is a major difference between a reading evaluation and a comprehensive reading evaluation. The first frequently assumes certain basic skills have been mastered while the comprehensive evaluation takes nothing for granted. You would be amazed at how many children have not mastered pre-reading skills yet and are already in the 4th or 5th grade.
• Identifying system errors
• Preparing parents and students for IEP meetings
• Providing current research and information about special education options and requirements
• Providing information on a broad range of available and specific services, programs, options, solutions and resources
• Referring to appropriate clinicians and lawyers in a timely manner.
• Teaching and transferring skills to parents so that they are more effective advocates for their child
• Teaching parents to write letters to document their concerns and requests in ways that get results and responses.
• Understanding and explaining of the special education process and the IEP process
• Working within the National Professional Association (NSEAI) practice act and understanding when they have conflicts of interest and addressing  them.

“REMEMBER DISCRETE AND CHILD SPECIFIC INFORMATION CHANGES OUTCOMES!”    

Marie Lewis RN, PhD, BCEA

NSEAI's online courses efficiently lead parents and professionals to an expert level of education advocacy in just 12 days of on-demand courses that you can do at your convenience.

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AUTHORS

Marie Lewis is an author, consultant, and national speaker on best practices in education advocacy. She is a parent of 3 children and a Disability Case Manager, Board Certified Education Advocate, and Behavior Specialist Consultant. She has assisted in the development of thousands of IEPs nationally and consults on developing appropriately individualized IEPs that are outcome-based vs legally sufficient. She brings a great depth of expertise, practical experience, and compassion to her work as well as expert insight, vision, and systemic thinking. She is passionate and funny and she always inspires and informs.

MJ Gore has an MEd in counseling and a degree in elementary education and natural sciences. She worked as a life-skills and learning support teacher She has been honored with the Presidential Volunteer Service Award. She is the Director and on the faculty at the National Special Education Advocacy Institute. Her passion is social justice, especially in the area of education. She is a Board Certified Education Advocate who teaches professional advocates, educators, and clinicians the best practices in education advocacy.