Special Education Advocates: Their Roles

Special Education Advocates: Their Roles

The road to meeting a student's special needs requires parents to navigate complicated policies, complicated lingo, and a multitude of documents. Special education advocates can assist parents with the process, providing information and advice on how best to handle their children's needs. Families rely on Special education lawyers to help them understand their rights and get the services they need.

Special Education Advocates' Roles and Responsibilities

An advocate for special education plays what role? Children with special needs can benefit from the help of special education advocates. In addition, they assist in understanding available services, interpreting test results, and planning individualized education programs (IEPs).

The learning concerns of students with disabilities can take many forms. As well as addressing previously identified learning challenges, a special education advocate helps parents pinpoint factors that might be affecting the development of the child. Some of these are:

• Learning disabilities

• Intellectual disabilities

• Blindness and deafness

• Language and speech disorders

• ADHD

• Asperger's syndrome

• Disorders of the mind and behavior

• Physical disabilities

• Chronic illness

• Brain injury due to trauma

The responsibilities of a special education advocate are numerous. Advocates for special education provide the following services to empower families and give students a voice:

• ADVICE TO PARENTS ON A VARIETY OF SERVICES, PROGRAMS, AND ARRANGEMENTS TO MEET THEIR INDIVIDUAL NEEDS

• Assisting parents with the interpretation of reports and evaluations, as well as explaining their implications

• Responding to school requests, complaints, and responses

• Assistance with writing requests for admission

• Parent education (such as suggesting support materials or prioritizing goals and objectives in preparation for IEP and 504 meetings) might include providing tips and suggestions for finding support materials or meeting with parents to discuss services and accommodations students will receive.

• Before and after meeting with the IEP and 504 teams, verifying that the special education documents are accurate and complete

• Attending IEP and 504 meetings with parents to offer advice and assistance

• Assuring parents that their cases are strong before review and referring them to special education attorneys as necessary

A Special Education Advocate Helps Families

Laws, policies, and regulations from the federal, state, and local levels govern special education. In these laws, policies, and regulations, you'll find:

• Services available to students with disabilities

• Right and protections of parents regarding the education of their children

• Accommodations and services are available

Special education involves many aspects, each of which involves rules and regulations. Families with disabilities need advocates who help them understand not just the laws, but the processes by which schools implement them. As a result, parents have the opportunity to shape their children's education with their expertise.

There is often a lack of awareness of these systems, rules, and best practices among parents. Schools use a variety of terms and acronyms in discussion of special needs children, such as CSE (committee on special education) and IFSP (individualized family service plan), which can be overwhelming for parents. Parental knowledge gaps are filled by special education advocates.

Careers as Special Education Advocates

An advocate for special education should become knowledgeable about the training and skills required.

Special Education Advocates: Training and Skills

State and federal special education laws are extremely important to special education advocates. Special education curriculum, support services, and accommodations should also be part of their training and education. The knowledge you gain from obtaining a master's degree in education can be extremely helpful.

In addition to these organizations, advocates for special education can seek training from the following organizations throughout the nation:

• Advocates and Attorneys for Parents Council

• Advocacy Institute for Special Education

• Disabled Peoples' Network

There are also continuing education classes offered by the Federation for Children with Special Needs and the state councils for children with disabilities.

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