Saturday, 25 January 2014

Qualities To Consider When Searching For Special Education Parent Advocates

By Eliza Mendoza


If you are a parent of a child with Autism or one that has learning disability and you are having problems with the school staff, then you need the help of parent advocates. These professionals can help you in getting the appropriate education for your child. An advocate of this nature is a person who has undergone special training which helps parents to steer the special education system. In some cases the parents play the role of the advocate to their children but it is always better to hire the professional because of his wide knowledge. Below are some of the qualities you should check before you hire the professional.

The first thing that should be looked at is the level of experience. Experience will help in improving skills to handle different cases. You should look at different cases handled by the advocate in order to know whether he has dealt with a case of your nature.

A good quality about a competent advocate is that they should be familiar with federal and state laws governing the special education system. He should use the laws whenever necessary. There are various federal and state laws that govern special education. They include No Child Left Behind act, special education state rules and Disabilities Education Act.

It is important that an advocate should have basic knowledge on what is comprised in the different rules and regulations. This will help the lawyer to apply laws that will benefit your child during IEP meeting. A lawyer without the knowledge of the laws will be unprofessional and will not help in meeting your needs.

A good advocate should not make false promises to the parents. You should be suspicious of an advocate who promises to get all the services that you want for your child. Special education does not offer any guarantee and the advocate should not promise things that he may not be able to get. An experienced advocate who understands law and the school region should know what needs to be done to help your child.

Passion is one thing that you should look for in a competent professional. He should be zealous about your child needs. A professional who is not passionate will not help in acquiring your child needs within a particular period. This will have a negative impact on your child education.

Good justification skills are something else that should be considered. This is something that will help your advocate to effectively defend your child even when dealing with the special education personnel. This is an important quality that should guide you to the best professional.

Detail orientation is another important quality that you should look for when hiring a professional. A good advocate will write down all the services that the staff in special education schools promises to offer. Before the meeting ends, competent parent advocates should go through the IEP. This will help in identifying any changes to be made if necessary. It is important knowing that minor details can account to huge success. Paying attention to these qualities will help in finding the right advocate to provide the required services.




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