Educational Advocacy
What is Educational Advocacy?
PARENT ADVOCACY
As a parent of a child with learning disabilities it is ultimately your responsibility to assure your child is receiving the appropriate services. First it is important to educate yourself on learning disabilities and in particular your child’s learning disability. Second, collaborate with your child’s teachers and school forming a good working partnership*. Third, understand your rights under the law, which will be a key to your success.
When talking to your teacher ask about their preferred method of communication – email, phone, or in person. If sending an email, be concise and direct, and always respectful. If communicating in person or by phone, prepare by listing issues you wish to discuss. It is a good rule to follow up after the meeting with a note recapping the meeting. At times you may become frustrated- do not take it out on the teachers- always be respectful.
It can, for many, be intimidating to go to a school meeting and sit at a table surrounded by school personnel. Ask a friend to go with you and take notes. It will be comforting and you will have an extra set of eyes and ears at the table. If you decide to do this, inform the school staff before the meeting.
SELF ADVOCACY
It is never too early to learn to self advocate. Teaching your child advocacy skills starting in middle school will make it easier for their child as they grow older and become more independent. It is also important for the child to understand their learning disabilities and the methods that can help them at school (books on tape, typing notes, etc.).
Middle and High School
Middle school is an ideal time to start self advocacy techniques. By starting in middle school the student will have an easier time in high school when the workload gets more intense.
One of the first ways to teach advocacy is to have your student write a letter to each teacher informing them of their learning disabilities and their strength and weaknesses. This is also a good time to include your student in teacher conferences. Some schools have student-led conferences that help the students define their strengths and weaknesses in each subject and also provide their own suggestions for improvement. It starts the process of ownership because eventually they will have to own their learning disabilities and advocate for themselves. It allows them the confidence to approach teachers in high school for tutoring opportunities and accommodations.
College
Once a student goes to college, they will need to not only understand their learning disability but also understand their rights under the law, ADA. The disability needs to be documented so they can seek the appropriate accommodations. All learning disabilities will need to be documented by an educational psychologist before a college and college testing (SAT/ACT) will accept them and provide the appropriate accommodations.
Adult
As an adult, you may be concerned about disclosing your disability within the workplace.