One question Susie and I often receive from parents is, “Is it adversarial to hire an advocate?” Absolutely not—when parents hire the right advocate. Some school districts behave in such a way that makes parents afraid of “rocking the boat”. Parents don’t want to seem adversarial, especially to the people responsible for educating their children and implementing the IEP. Parents naturally want to maintain a friendly working relationship with their school district. As advocates, so do we. It is incredibly important to have a professional and collaborative relationship with a given school district; without one, we can not affect meaningful change for our clients.
It is never adversarial to hire an advocate.
Then why does it seem adversarial to hire an advocate? School districts are usually staffed with friendly, well-meaning people who want to do right by their students. Districts are also often under tremendous pressure to keep costs down, and may not offer what is often appropriate for certain students. This is when parents can get confused as to why they cannot bring about change or get services that would work well for their student. It can be intimidating to push against the school district to get more support for your child, especially when you are unfamiliar with all the rules and regulations governing special education. This is when hiring an advocate can be invaluable.
We have knowledge of federal law and an in-depth understanding of the IEP process. Our experience can be very helpful to attain services/supports and get a well written IEP document to fully support your student.
While it may initially seem adversarial to hire an advocate, it often ends up being the exact opposite. Often we work with both parents and districts to develop a positive working relationship where each side feels heard and respected. In almost all cases, they end up working together to provide the student with the education they deserve.
Advocates are here to help. Our job is to support the family to get the most appropriate and well-written IEP possible. It is not an easy or simple process and professional help can make all the difference.
As parents, we understand. As advocates, we can help.
http://www.aspireadvocacy.com