ADVOCACY

What is a Special Education Advocate? An Advocate helps you understand your child's educational rights and can work with you and your child's Team (school professoinals, teachers, service providers, mental health clinicians, etc.) to make sure that the right services and supports are in place at school and beyond.

It can be intimidating, frustrating and confusing navigating the seemingly endless web of forms, documents, and meetings related to getting special education services put in place. I can work with you to reduce the anxiety, clarify the options, develop a strategy, and get the right services in place for your child. Every child deserves academic growth, social success and a school experience that prepares them for a bright future.

Some reasons you may wish to have me help you on your child's special education journey:

Communication with the Team, special education department, or principal
Eligibility for special education services
Mediations, BSEA Appeals, PRS complaints, next steps after denial of eligibility
Concern that your child's rights under IDEA are not being protected
Worries that your child is falling behind and you're not sure how to get help
Help interpreting testing results
IEPs - step-by-step, including vision statements, goals, progress reports, 3-year reviews
Disciplinary situations at school that are in conflict with your child's disability
Creation/implementation of 504 plans
Representation at Team meetings
Filing requests for independent evaluations
Short-term evaluation placements or out-of-district options
Transition planning/assessments for ages 14+

I am proud to have training in Advocacy through the Parent Consultant Training Institute (PCTI) at the Federation for Children with Special Needs here in MA. This intensive course is taught by Federation staff, attorneys, experts in the field of special education, representatives from DESE (the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education) and the Bureau of Special Education Appeals, among others.

Please call, text, email me or use the contact form to set up a free, initial 15-minute phone consultation. We'll talk about your needs and determine if setting up an intake meeting makes sense. I look forward to helping you find solid footing on this crazy journey.