Helpful Advocacy Tips

Here are a few simple things parents can do to protect themselves and their children from the gross misrepresentation of information presented by school districts:


1. Remember:You are your child’s best advocate.
Do not allow school personnel to intimidate you into agreeing to services and placements that will cause your child harm.

2.You are an “equal” member of the IEP team:
When school personnel ignore your feedback or questions, remind them of this. When school personnel participate in aggressive and discourteous behaviors, take a deep breath and simply say, “Your behavior is interfering with my ability to be on equal footing in my child’s special education services.”

3. Create a paper trail:
Trust me, if you are effectively advocating for your child, the school is creating a paper trail on you. Write down everything, including the name of the person you speak with, the day and the time of the call.

4.Tape Record your IEP meetings:
Many times school personnel will say one thing during a meeting, but write something completely different. When you tape record meetings, you can review the meeting minutes to make sure the information is accurate.

5.Do Not Sign the IEP if you disagree with the school's agenda and position:
You have the right to request another meeting if you and the school are unable to come to an agreement about information and services in your child’s IEP. If you are at an IEP meeting and the school is not making a good faith effort to work with you, ask that the meeting be rescheduled so you can have time to talk with a professional about the IEP.

6.Contact your State Department of Education with your concerns:
The State Department of Education (DOE) is responsible for ensuring that federal and state regulations are being followed on the district level. Call your State DOE and report the problems you are experiencing on the local level.

7.Take someone with you to the IEP meetings:
Even if you choose not to use an Advocate, do not go to the meetings alone. Ask a friend, family, or co-worker to attend and provide you with support.

8.Do not be scared to “fight” for your child’s educational needs:
As parents of children with special needs, you have a duty to stand up to the injustuces that we our child face. We cannot afford to allow school personnel to get away with threatening, harassing and bully tactic against us !

9.Go to your School Board Meetings:
Let your face and voice be known to school board members and administrators.

10. Happy Advocating!