How do you fight bullying tactics in special education when they come from your school district? Hiring an advocate brings someone to the IEP meetings that can come to your defense. Sometimes, school districts are just plain bullies. Their main objective seems to be set on obstruction. Their guiding mantra appears to be: save money at all costs. Their budget is their concern, not the students they are supposed to serve and support.
In actuality, most districts are not like this. Most districts have many caring staff who will actively work with parents to help develop a good IEP document and do not utilize bullying tactics in special education processes. But every so often, there is that anomaly. How can a parent tell? Sometimes, the bullying tactics can be very subtle—a slight shove here and a slight nudge there. It can take years for someone new to the IEP process to recognize the different tactics a school district may employ. It may not matter how hard you have tried, even if you have tried your hardest: if the school district stands in your way, it is very difficult to affect a difference in your child’s special education services.
Sometimes, bullying tactics in special education can be attributed to staff change, turnover, or evolving student needs. But sometimes, it is just the district being purposely difficult. They have learned that unless a parent takes more significant action (by hiring either an advocate or an attorney) 
that the school district may be able to get away with doing nothing. This is exceptionally frustrating for the parents and it is very damaging to the student. This is often why “behaviors” start and escalate. The student is subjected to low expectations and a lack of appropriate services which can lead to boredom, frustration, and anxiety.
Bullying in special education can result in services getting delayed, which are services denied
The student is being denied appropriate support by the district’s inaction. This is blocking a parent’s “meaningful participation” in the IEP process, which is protected by federal law. All of this is done to bully parents in the special education process. It is designed to keep them frustrated and unsure of themselves, all the while the student is not receiving the supports and services that would help ameliorate their situation. As a show of intimidation, these districts may start bringing an attorney to every IEP meeting. It often works, as it makes parents doubt themselves further. In these situations, a parent needs professional help.
Fortunately, these situations are not the norm. But, they do exist. When you hire us to help your child get a free, appropriate, public education, we use the information you provide us to identify if you are in one of such districts. This affects the way in which a particular case is approached and handled, though obstructionist districts often change their tune when an effective advocate is present.
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As parents, we understand, As advocates, we can help.