IEP/504 Advocates

I attended a webinar today where we talked about how you dress for an IEP meeting, specifically if you're an advocate. I'm old school and have always worn a suit to client's school meetings. However based on conversations we had, I'm beginning to rethink my perceived opinion of professionalism. More teachers are wearing tees and jeans at schools now. So maybe wearing a suit is putting the teams I'm trying to collaborate with on the defense. I'm wondering what everyone else thinks. What would you think if your advocate dressed more casually (I'm thinking business casual. I don't think I would ever wear jeans)?

Hi there, I have a 15 year old son, who’s school refusal due to his MDD. We are in the process of IEP assessment and the IEP meeting is this Nov. 30th. I requested for a copy of the eval prior to the meeting . I am at a loss that I do not even know what goal/s to set . I spent too much on my son’s treatment needs. If you know an advocate in my area, pls let me know . Thank you!

Hi, sorry if not doing this right. I am in desperate need of an advocate in VA. About the 2nd week of school my son was dismissed from his theraputic private school. I was actually happy about this as he was not happy there. He was there 3 years and his anxiety only got worse. After a long search we found the perfect school. It's small, has maximum 16 students which currently not that many enrolled, maybe 10 students currently, has a liscenced therapist on staff where students get group and individual therapy weekly and family therapy monthly. My son started last week. He had a rough start but started to settle in. My son 14yo, has multiple disabilities including Autism, …

I'm trying to help a parent in SC find an advocate. If you are one or know of someone, please let me know.

I’ve been working with outside providers to get independent evaluations for my 9year old son since the school’s PPT team has ignored my concerns and other outside evaluators suggestions for specific supports since K due to the fact that he is “on grade level”. Last year the school paid for a Neuropsych eval that endorsed an evaluation to rule out dysgraphia and dyslexia. I immediately put him on waiting lists and that report is coming in next week. Unfortunately, our insurance didn’t cover it. We even asked the provider to change the codes submitted to one the insurance claimed was needed for reimbursement. Would it be within my rights to ask…

I am a parent coach and advocate with both the parent as well as the school district experience through 8 years as a Board of Education member. My focus is gifted, 2e, anxiety-based disorders, including misophonia. I am also currently doing a ton of research on dyslexia. So many children's gifts are often misunderstood - I'm passionate about supporting their needs at school through a strengths-based and collaborative approach. To find out more about me and book a consult call, find me here www.brightblueseeds.com

I am a mother of 2 who is on her third career. My first career was speech pathology. I worked for eight years in the public schools as a speech therapist where I specialized in serving children with moderate to severe disabilities. In this role I had the opportunity to explain test results, write goals, lead IEP meetings, and collaborate with school personnel. My second career was/is being a mom. I loved working in schools, and I always intended to go back to work in the school setting, but when my youngest was diagnosed with autism, my life took a detour. A wonderful, eye-opening detour. I had lots of professional experience working with children like mine, so I knew. I …

Dallas DOWN SYNDROME ADVOCATE, LLC located in Dallas, Texas is dedicated to educating families by equipping them with the training and information they need to successfully navigate the special education system. We are advocates for inclusion and persistent in getting the services and resources your student needs to succeed in the classroom. *IEP Review and Reform: We will ensure your IEP (Individual Education Program) is well written, has accurate present levels of functioning, academic performance, and measurable goals; verifying that the appropriate services and supports are in place to meet those goals. *ARD Representation: We will not only draft formal letters…

Hello, I was wondering what the main differences are between the 2 programs: "Don't IEP Alone" and "Become a Professional Advocate" ?

My son has high functioning autism and ADHD. He receives services at his school via an IEP. In his IEP, it states that he struggles with appropriate social communication. He has a goal to work on this, along with an FBA in the works to address behavior in the classroom. His behavior can be disruptive, such as talking back or out of turn. The behavior interventions haven't been followed through with fidelity by all teachers, so some teachers do better with him than others. There are end of the year 5th grade activities planned. The students and parents signed a behavior contract stating that their conduct grade cannot drop below a C and they cannot be referred to th…

I am a COPAA trained, non-attorney special education advocate based out of Austin, Texas that also works remotely in Virginia, Montana, and Arizona. I speak Spanish and am experienced with Specific Learning Disabilities (dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia), Speech Language Impairments, ADHD, Autism, Autoimmune Diseases, behavior, restraint and seclusion, twice exceptional, universal design for learning, bullying, etc. To schedule a free consult, please visit my website at http://Www.children need heroes.com

We just finished our 2nd expedited due process, and the hearing officer found that it WAS a manifestation only this time she did not specifically say he needed to be returned to school, matter of fact she didn’t give any resolution at all … does this mean he can go back to school on Monday?

Hi Lisa! What is the best way to not be charged with UPL? I feel like it is such a thin line.

I am a special ed advocate in a small town in northern NY. I have the school principal and the school special ed chair telling parents that they shouldn't bring me in as an advocate to meetings, that "the school has a solid plan, you don't need an advocate to "stir things up"." Has anyone ever dealt with this? Any suggestions for how to address this with the school administration? Thank you in advance, Jennifer

I am just trying to figure out how to live stream in the forums...which I have been told I can do. So don't mind me, if you see me popping in and out, and this thread will be deleted once I figure it out.

The Kitsap County Parent Coalition (KCPC) is a free service providing education, advocacy and referrals to help people with developmental disabilities get the support and services they need to improve their lives. The purpose of the Parent Coalition is to provide information and resources for parents, caregivers and families with children and adults with developmental disabilities living in Kitsap County. The goal is to get you connected with the appropriate services available in our community, and offer opportunities for networking with other families, training, and education. Resources: We connect families to resources available on a community, st…

Hello, Looking for an advocate for a child in public school in Montgomery county. Somebody to review IEP, goals and progress. Thank you

Can someone please refer me to a good advocate to help me with my 15 year old son’s IEP assessment result . My IEP meeting is this Friday, 12/19. I just need help understanding the evaluation results and coach me so I will be better in advocating for my son. Preferably someone with experience on ED designation ( I am hoping to have it changed to OHI), school refusal and ERMHS . I am in Glendale, Ca . This is our initial IEP. Thank you so much !

I've been advocating for people with disabilities for almost 20 years. Before my kids were born I worked in student services at a law school and part of my responsibilities was as a disability services coordinator. I found that I genuinely had a passion for it and attended all the conferences and read as many books as I could to try to help my students. Then my oldest son was born with a genetic syndrome that came with many challenges (Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy, and more) so I started learning about IDEA , IEPs and everything else that goes along with having a child with disabilities. Over the years I would share my knowledge through online platforms, through …

Hello, I'm a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Board Certified Advocate in Special Education through National Association of Special Education Teachers (naset.org). I provide training and advocacy for getting services and troubleshooting difficulties. I began this journey because so many of my clients were having difficulties getting the the schools around here to provide support for their children. Call my office at 47-313-5093 or reach out through my company's website at: abaunlimitedllc.com . Darcy

I am a special education advocate accepting clients throughout Missouri and Kansas. I specialize in Learning Disabilities, but handle IEP's and 504 Plans for all types of disabilities.

Our 7th grader who has RAD, BIPOLAR, ADHD, MOOD DISORDER needs an IEP for next year. I am a much older parent & am unsure how to go about this. She refuses to do any work & has pretty much flunked 7th grade. I hope to have something in place by the start of next school year. Can anyone help?

Experience as a Special Education teacher and an administrator of Special Education for an entire district, I know what is happening on 'the other side of the table'. I'm on the side of the table with the parents now. Click the link to schedule a free consultation: https://www.different-not-less.com/

We are Rachel Ford, Amber Decker, and Jenn Choi. Just like you, we are parents to children with disabilities. We understand the frustrations and challenges you face because we face them, too. Our goal is to empower parents with strategies to help their children access special education services, disability-specific community resources, benefits and entitlements, social events, wellness and recovery activities, self-help sessions, and mental health services. Ultimately, we want parents to emerge from this process confident to advocate on their own. While we encourage parents to take the lead, please know we are always here to negotiate with school and other age…

My name is Allison Meyerson and I am a recently retired teacher who taught for over 30 years with Clarkstown Central School District located in Rockland County, NY. I dedicated the last 15 years of my career as a Literacy Specialist providing intensive interventions to students with reading difficulties, primarily those diagnosed with dyslexia. I am acutely aware that parents need professional support when navigating the inner workings of school districts, which inspired me to become an educational advocate. I completed the esteemed Counsel of Parent, Attorneys, and Advocates Special Education and Advocacy Training, known as SEAT 1.0. Currently, I am enrolled in th…