I chose this article to read because I have never been exposed to or been in a situation where an advocacy was needed. Since I work at a private specialty school, the parents choose to send their kids to us based on the services we offer. I was disturbed that there were no educational requirements for an individual to serve as an advocate and no federal or state guidelines. I strongly agree as a teacher and as a parent, that the greater the family involvement is in a child’s learning is a critical link to achieving a high-quality education. It saddens me that so many of our parents do not show up to parent teacher conferences at the Rich Center. We do encourage every parent to come and play a bigger role but some parents do not think that is important.
1. What roles do advocates have within the field of special education?
According to the Voluntary Code of Ethics for Special Education Advocators the advocate is a professional committed to help “protect the civil rights of a child with special needs, their rights to due process, and their rights to equal access to equitable public education” They can be a voice for the family but they have to view the situation from all angles and perspectives and come together as a team to find a solution.
2 What training did this person receive or should be given to receive this title of an advocate? There are no educational requirements for an individual to serve as an advocate and no federal or state guidelines. There are three training models available for the advocate to take. The Special Education Advocacy Training, the Volunteer Advocacy Project, and The National Special Education Advocacy Institute. While each one offers different hours to complete the programs they all require an undergraduate to masters or doctoral degree in education, psychology, law or clinical studies must be held by the trainee.
3. How can parents become an advocate for their child in the school setting? They need to become players in the IEP team so they can advocate for services, accommodations, and modification in the special education programs
4. How can professional in the school system advocate for their student with exceptional needs? They should respect and acknowledge parents, encourage parents to engage in IEP meetings and write together educational concerns. They should also help parents understand the effectiveness of educational supports and offer suggestions for additional. They need to form a partnership with the families to provide the best support for the child.
5. How can we, as educators, empower our students to become self-advocates? We as teachers needs to start teaching in early grades the components of self-advocacy, the knowledge of self, knowledge of rights, communication, and leadership. Two different programs to help teach them are Self-Advocacy Strategy and Self-Directed Individualized Education Program. Role playing the IEP meeting with the student before the meeting would help the student be more comfortable.
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