Whether you are a professional special education advocate/consultant or a parent advocating for your child, these 5 tips from California Special Education Advocacy Group are sure to help you do so appropriately.

1.Understand the child’s disability & their needs

Each child and each disability has its own needs. If you are unfamiliar with the particular disability at hand, do some research. Get to know a bit about the difficulties associated with the particular disability & some of the research-based programs effective in helping children. Get to know the child and their needs. Each child will definitely be different, what works for one may not work for the other. If you are a professional-ask the parents about their child’s struggles. Getting the child the appropriate help is what matters.

2.Listen & Ask Questions

The majority of advocating is a lot of listening & asking questions. Listen to the parents, listen to the child, listen to the details. You want to sit back and soak it all in, process it, and make informed comments. Only by listening & asking questions will you be able to gain the knowledge on the child that you need.

3.Behave Ethically

The goal at hand is to get the appropriate services for the child. Remember you are the example of behavior at these meetings. You are always able to disagree, however, do so in a valuable way. Do not add gas to the fire. We understand IEPs can be upsetting, however,  remember what is really at hand- the child. If you make a mistake do not be afraid to admit and apologize for it. Always stay kind.

4.Learn the laws & Know how to interpret the law

As an advocate learning basic IDEA is very important. You want to know the laws that directly impact your work as well as any major court decisions made in special education. There are two levels of laws; federal and state. Knowing your state’s statutes and regulations are a great way to start. Let’s take it one step beyond that- let’s know how to interpret the law. An effective way to bring the attention to a statute or regulation is not by quoting it, but by understanding it and how it works. Often times simply stating the laws is ineffective.

5.Negotiate, negotiate, negotiate

Negotiation is a huge process of advocating. There is always a pull & tug associated with developing an IEP. Because you negotiate it does not mean you failed. Learn the language to persuade rather than to attack. With successful negotiation you will be able to develop an IEP with services appropriate for the child in an amicable environment.