I used to believe that if I called an IEP meeting and explained what my concerns were, that would be enough to get things moving again. Sometimes this worked, and sometimes it didn’t. I lived in a district that was well known for being an obstructionist district—the kind of district that never did anything without a fight. This is where, how, and why I started developing my advocacy skills. I did a lot of reading, and then moved on to volunteering and advocacy. I have often said that my district created my need to become a strong advocate.
Special education has changed greatly in the last sixteen years. Money has gotten much tighter, so the issue has become even more politically charged; However, parents still go to IEP meetings to talk about their students’ needs, and schools still make decisions based on their budgets. It’s like having two parallel conversations at the same time about the same person, but using different criteria to come to a conclusion. This is why parents get frustrated when they are trying to make progress within the IEP process.
New students, and their parents, come into the special education system all the time, but many district administrators have been around for a while. They know exactly what they are doing. They know how to slow down the process, how to placate parents, and how to instruct the young new hires to look collaborative, but not really effect change. Are there good people out there in Special Ed Land? Yes, but they are often the minority.
To be an effective advocate for your child, you have to know your rights. Start by reading From Emotions to Advocacy by Pam Wright and Pete Wright. Then hire an advocate.
This is about getting your child what he/she needs right now to be successful.
As parents, we understand. As advocates, we can help.
Talk to an advocate. Learn your rights.