When you have been pushed to the point of seeking out a professional educational advocate there is always a level of uncertainty whether to go through with it or not. Many parents have called wanting to retain our services but are unsure. Prior to contracting our services with a new family, we ask if they have taken steps on their own. If they have not, we recommend they do. Why? Because sometimes it truly is about communication with the right people in a school district. Other times parents need a little more support and that's what we are here for. Call us at 203-417-6004 to find out how we can help you.
Different Parent Experiences
One mother was unsure if her daughter was receiving her SETSS/resource room services for reading. She did not see an improvement in her daughter's comprehension. When she asked her daughter if she had worked with her 'reading' teacher the daughter would often respond, "I don't know." I recommended to this mother that she start a daily communication log between home and the special education teacher. The mother was not sure how to do that so we created a communication log for her. The communication log created was teacher friendly: quick and easy. This mother was then guided on how to notify the special education teacher she would be sending in a communication log and how the mother could use it as a tool to hep her daughter at home. This parent did not need to retain a professional educational advocate. She just needed some inexpensive guidance.
A family inquired about retaining our services. Over the last 18 months they had been asking their school district to re-evaluate their son as it was his triennial and they had not sat for an annual review in two years. The family was concerned by retaining an advocate they would upset the school district and in turn the district would take it out on their child. We suggested the parents send the Director of Special Education a poignant email we wrote on their behalf but they sign their names to it. Two weeks passed without hearing from the district. The family retained our services. We send the same email in the form of a letter. Three days later the parents received the form to evaluate their son from the school district. A meeting was held forty days later. A proper program was created by the IEP Team at the meeting and the student was once again on track for achieving at his optimal level of learning with the appropriate supports.
A parent contacted me because her young child had not received his PT services in over six weeks. This parent was very pro-active contacting the Department of Special Education every other day to ask when a PT provider would be assigned to her son's case. This parent had kept copious notes on every email she sent, phone call she had made and with whom she spoke to for those six weeks. Upon retaining my services a letter was quickly drafted and hand delivered to the district office. An hour after that was done the mother received a phone call from the district's Department of Special Education. Within seven work days her son had a PT provider assigned to her his case.