Are you the parent of a child with autism or other disability? Would you like to know what an advocate does in the special education process? Do you wonder if a special education advocate could help you in fighting for needed services, for your child? This article will explain what the role of a special education advocate is, and whether they could help you advocate for a free appropriate public education (FAPE) for your child.
There is currently no certification for special education advocates! This is the reason why it is sometimes difficult to find one that is knowledgeable, and has expertise in special education.
The role of a special education advocate is to:
1. Have a working knowledge of state and federal laws that cover special education, and know how to use them to advocate for children. Federal law is Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Each state is required to have a law that must comply with IDEA.
2. Understand different types of disabilities and have experience advocating for children of different disabilities
3. Take time to know the child, and work with the parent to determine what services and placement a child needs, and advocate for them! This may require the parent getting an independent educational evaluation with a qualified evaluator.
4. Educate parents as to research based practices, as well as best practices. IDEA requires, that curriculum and programs be scientifically research based, which parents need to understand.
5. Have knowledge of different school districts and also how to advocate with different personalities of special education personnel. People are all different and the advocate must understand the best way to deal with the different personalities.
6. Act in a professional manner, whenever possible, to help parents get needed special education services and placements for their child. A good advocate is firm and refuses to back down when intimidated by special education personnel.
7. Teach parents advocacy skills so that they may learn how to advocate for their child!
A special education advocate can be extremely helpful in advocating for your child. If you think an advocate could help you check out your local disability organizations, and see if they have an advocate on staff. Check organizations such as a Center of Independent Living, Parent Training and Advocacy Centers (available in all states). If you hire a private advocate make sure you check their credentials, and make sure that they have experience with children with your child’s type of disability. This will ensure that the advocate understands what your child needs, and will be able to advocate for them.
By: JoAnn Collins
Posts Tagged ‘Disabilities Act’
Special Education Advocates Role in Advocating For Children With Disabilities
November 8th, 2009Special Education – What Are Positive Behavioral Supports, and Can They Help My Child?
November 1st, 2009
Does your child with autism or ADHD have behavioral issues while at school? Does your school district continue to punish your child, rather than find a way to decrease their negative behavior? This article will discuss the use of positive behavioral supports to increase positive behavior thus decreasing negative behavior.
Punishment only works in the short term to decrease negative behavior. Positive behavioral supports are research based and best practice, to change a child’s behavior for the long term.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 2004 (IDEA 2004) requires : The IEP team in a case of a child whose behavior impedes his or her learning, or that of others to consider. . .strategies including positive behavioral intervention and systems to achieve positive change.
So while many special education personnel continue to punish a child with a disability for negative behavior, the use of positive supports are required by IDEA 2004, and they are also effective long term.
A summary of Positive Behavioral Supports:
1. Positive behavioral support is the application of positive behavioral interventions and systems to achieve positive change.
2. Positive behavioral support is an approach to discipline and intervention that is proving both effective and practical in schools.
3. The emphasis is on behavior change that is durable, comprehensive, and linked to academic and social gains.
4. The development of positive behavioral intervention and plans, are guided by functional behavioral assessment and is a foundation on which positive behavioral support is delivered.
5. Functional Behavioral Assessment is a systematic way of identifying problem behaviors and the events that predict occurrence, and maintenance of those behaviors.
6. A proactive perspective is maintained along a continuum, using prevention and interventions.
A few things to keep in mind:
In my experience, a lot of children that have a disability develop negative behavior, because of frustration with their academics. There is a huge connection between academic difficulty and behavioral difficulty. If your child has negative behavior at school, you must investigate and make sure that the academics that they are being taught are at their academic level. Make sure any change in academic curriculum, is included in your child’s individual education plan (IEP).
Also, children with negative behaviors must be taught new acceptable behaviors, to replace the negative ones. Identify other appropriate behaviors that can be taught, that will serve the same function for the child. Make sure that any new behaviors that need to be taught to your child, are listed in their IEP.
By focusing on positive behavioral supports rather than punishment you can help your child increase their positive behavior. This will in turn will benefit their education, and their life!
By: JoAnn Collins
6 Ways to Improve Special Education For All Children With Special Needs!
October 25th, 2009
Are you the parent of a child with autism or another disability that is frustrated by the special education system? More than 6 million students with disabilities receive special education services in federally funded special education programs. This is about 9% of the country’s school age population. This is a lot of children who depend on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), to help them get the services that they need to live a fulfilled life. As any parent of a child with a disability knows much improvement needs to be made to the special education system. This article will discuss 6 ways to improve the special education system.
Needed to improve the special education system:
1. More available parent training and more resources to pay for the training! Parent trainings are available but in most cases do cost, which prevents some parents from attending. Parents must understand their rights under IDEA in order to be effective advocates for their child.
2. More effective enforcement of IDEA, to include the withholding of funds from states and school districts, who are continually non compliant! The enforcement of IDEA basically does not exist. It is the federal governments responsibility to enforce IDEA to the states, and it is the states responsibility to enforce IDEA of local school districts. Neither one does very much in this area. Enforcement without withholding of funds will not work. In my experience it will not take many states losing their IDEA funding, before major positive changes will occur.
3. Improved diagnosis of disabilities and an easier eligibility process! Many children with disabilities throughout the US are told that they do not have a disability, therefore are not eligible for special education services. This reality hurts children with disabilities and may forever ruin their lives! Parents often do not even know that they can disagree with the schools opinion! The eligibility process needs to be made more child friendly!
4. Special education personnel must set realistic high expectations for all children with disabilities! Congress has said from the beginning that school districts expectations of children with disabilities are too low. School personnel and parents must believe that children can be successful in their education and lives, if given an appropriate education, and keep expectations high.
5. Focus on outcomes of special education so that all children will be ready for post school learning and independent living! For the year 2005-2006 55% of children with disabilities graduated from high school, in comparison to a little over 70% of children without disabilities graduated from high school. This will limit the children’s ability to go to college or get a job, which will affect the rest of their lives!
6. Improve the federal funding of IDEA! The current estimates are that the federal government only pays about 17% of per pupil costs for special education. The federal government needs to put their money where there mouth is, and fund IDEA fully!
All parents can be involved in advocating for systemic special education improvements. Notify your state and federal representatives and see how they are willing to get involved, in this process. Children with disabilities deserve to receive an appropriate education and live their lives to the fullest!
By: JoAnn Collins
