It's important to understand your rights as a parent. Additionally, when establishing a 504 plan or an IEP the district can provide you an advocate at no cost in order to accompany you. You can also contact a non-profit educational attorney within your region. In most cases they charge you little to no cost depending on your income. It is also important to establish additional time on State Testing even if your child's current School says that it is not necessary. The reason why you want to get this establish early on is, because once your child is in high school it's harder to get these accommodations approved. As so many other parents are trying to get these accommodations approved, so that way their child has additional time on the SAT's. Moreover, you want to also make sure that you have the right documentation in place, so that this way you can properly protect your child. For example a neuropsychologist or a pediatrician that specializes in behavior management and disabilities. Now this doesn't necessarily mean that you have to get rid of your child's current pediatrician as they both specialize in different fields. I would also look for a therapist that also has a background in education. All of these entities should be able to correspond with your child's school in order to make sure that your child has an individual plan that fits their needs. I really good professional will also offer to attend these meetings. A Therapist that have a background in education can also assist your child once they become an adult; with additional accommodations when they enter College. With all these resources in place it makes it very hard for the school to push your child out of school district. It also provides you with the necessary documentation in order for you to plead your case just in case you have to go to court, Child Protective Services want to communicate with you or your child gets in trouble with the law. If your child gets in trouble with the law you can always contact your local non-profit attorney who specializes in juvenile crimes.
School Discrimination Against ADHD - CHADD's ADHD Pare...
School Discrimination Against ADHD
this is so true
Is the advocate from the district even worth to ask for ? Isn’t he more on the school side , then on the parent side ?
They are supposed to be biased however if they do not advocate for you then you can always contact an educational attorney and file a complaint with the school district for a resolution. This in some cases is called a governent tort. Once file they usually want to settle outside of court and come up with a resolution or compensation promptly.
Thank you. I’m assuming, I should ask for one in writing? Do you know of any sample letters? I need to research....
Sometimes I feel so alone on those meetings, that a little help would make me feel more secure.
The school should have a brochure with contact information in order to obtain an advocate and yes always get everything in writing and you could get your sample letters offline. Within those meetings many of the times you feel ostracized. I know that personally in the past I felt I was like a child getting in trouble at school all over again and being reprimanded. Over the years I have learned. I don't do charter schools or private schools due to the fact that their policies are different as they are privatized. Additionally, I do my due diligence of becoming well-established within the school and connected with other parents. When in need I utilize these individuals as resources. As theses parents that attend these school meetings are usually well educated and informed. Moreover, I am really nice and pleasant and don't express my dissatisfaction face-to-face; as I only correspond within letters to their superiors by putting in a formal complaint to the district. I outline what I want on my child's 504 plan and or IEP, so that way we could cut down the length of the time within the meeting. As I have already indicated my wants and needs for my child therefore when it trickles down to the meeting I can get the response of either a yes or a no and not necessarily a debate. Now if I'm denied a service that I am seeking that's when my Advocate should advocate for me.
You can become a member of CHADD and they have sample letters and so many more resources for you.
It does cost money to join though
FREE letters on UNDERSTOOD.ORG.ORG and At ADDitudemag.com. I copied them to word or Google docs and then put my own spin on it to fit my needs after that.
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