Good Parent Advocates

Do you want to become a good advocate for your child with special needs?  Are you wondering what that looks like?

For parent advocates, there are three 3 thoughts to live by:

· No one loves your child like you do

· No one knows your child better than you do

· No one has better intentions for your child than you do

 

 Here are some descriptions of good parent advocates:

· They are, or are working towards becoming an expert in their child's disability

· They know that, because of their child's disability they and their child have certain rights

· They buy books on their child's disability and read about the disability late into the night

· They troll the internet looking for new strategies, techniques, or educational programs that can be used with their child

· They are positive, collaborative and willing to try anything the school suggests

· They communicate often and effectively with their child's school

· They are not intimidated by school personnel

· They seek out private assistance for their child when needed, whether it be speech, tutoring, occupational therapy, or whatever is needed

· They understand that learning does not end when the school bell rings at the end of the school day

· They are persistent

· They prepare for meetings and keep good, organized records

· They insist their child's progress is tracked and monitored using objective quantitative data, not opinions or feelings

· When their child is not making progress, they ask what else can be done

· They are positive and strong and hold people accountable, including themselves

· They seek out other parents like themselves

· They think about and plan for a hopeful future for their child

· They believe they can change the world