Aimed at parents of and advocates for special needs children, explains how to develop a relationship with a school, monitor a child's progress, understand relevant legislation, and document correspondence and conversations.

Over six million American families are involved in special education, and the numbers are growing. The complex web of laws, regulations, personalities and stresses, combined with anxiety over raising a child with a disability, have made special education advocacy an impenetrable maze to many parents. This book presents the complexities of the process in a simple-to-understand way and offers practical tips, checklists and strategies on how to make the system work to insure the educational success of all children.

Disability law can be complex and intimidating, so how can concerned parents use it to ensure their child with a disability receives the appropriate education they are legally entitled to? A Guide to Special Education Advocacy gives strategies for advocating for better provision of special education in schools. Despite the many services and accommodations that have been made for students with disabilities, such as the use of Braille or providing specialized education in a regular or special classroom, many children with disabilities do not get the services they need and are not placed in appropriate programs or settings. Because of this, the perception of disability often remains unchanged. Matthew Cohen's insightful manual gives a practical vision of how a parent or a professional can become an advocate to achieve a more inclusive and rewarding education for the child with a disability. This book will provide parents, people with disabilities, professionals and clinicians thinking about special education advocacy with an overview of current disability law and how it works, identifying practical ways for building positive and effective relationships with schools.

Bringing Cookies to IEP Meetings Will Only Get You So Far! You've gone to IEP workshop after IEP workshop, searched for answers at conferences, done late night research on the internet, and yet you still have those guilty feelings that you're not doing a good enough job advocating for your child. It takes more than gathering records, giving factual information or reciting research and the law to be a successful advocate for your child. With clarity, honesty, and insights Charmaine Thaner shares how to be a more effective advocate for your own child. After reading The Art of Advocacy: A Parent's Guide to a Collaborative IEP Process, parents will know: * that certain finesse that is necessary when dealing with disagreements * how asking the right question will get you the right answer * the secrets to creative problem solving when the team has hit a roadblock Readers will also receive priceless bonuses: * a template for writing effective emails * lists of clarifying and probing questions to ask * step-by-step ways to creatively solve problems, and much more Charmaine gives examples of actual conversations and real scenarios to help you learn what to do and what not to do at special education meetings. Chapters include: 1) Conflict and Collaborative Advocacy; 2) How to Listen And Ask Questions With Genuine Curiosity; 3) How to Listen With Your Eyes; 4) Know What to Say When; 5) Building Authentic Relationships; 6) How to Use Collaborative Problem Solving; 7) The End is Really The Beginning. Each chapter is written so busy parents can get to the point quickly. When parents combine the art of advocacy with a collaborative way of solving problems there will be: * a positive difference in the tone of meetings * parent voices that are heard and understood, and * happier, safer, and more successful students in schools Read this book, practice what you'll learn, and gain the confidence to become an even more effective advocate for your child! Parents that have worked with Charmaine know her insights and strategies are invaluable when advocating for children with any type of disability.

Formerly titled Empowering Gifted Minds: Educational Advocacy That Works, this book is the definitive manual on gifted advocacy for gifted students. The author tells parents and teachers how to document a child's abilities to provide reasonable educational options year by year.

As a parent and advocate, you are the only constant team member. Other IEP team members- teachers, therapists, and administrators-revolve and eventually fade. You need to make your unique viewpoint as meaningful as possible. However, the laws governing special education are complex; full of confusing terms, rigid timelines, and complicated decisions. This guide translates the legalese and organizes the material, making it user friendly. As you learn more about these laws, you will gain a sense of equality and confidence that will make you a more effective and proactive advocate for your child.Wherever you are on the special education journey, this guide will help you learn: -The school district's responsibilities, -Your child's rights, -Your rights as the parent of a special education student, -Techniques to help you come to each IEP meeting informed and prepared, and-How to be a proactive (rather than reactive) advocate.Using charts, graphs, examples, and other resources, this guide lays out the referral, eligibility, IEP, student discipline, ITP, and dispute resolution processes with an emphasis on maximizing the parents' role as an advocate for the best outcomes for their child. Citations to relevant law are included throughout the manual.