What is an Advocate?

A Special Education Advocate can offer guidance and advice on how to proceed through the special education, IEP, and 504 process.  Advocates study the Parent's Rights Handbook, Special Education State statutes, IDEA laws and stay current on Special Education policies.  Advocates can also write educational goals, recommend appopriate classroom accommodations, and provide additional educational resources.

Meetings with school staff can be intimidating especially if you are unfamiliar with special education law, district policies, and educational acronyms.  Meetings can leave you feeling run over and lost.  An advocate can allow you to just be the parent, knowing that your student's needs will be addressed.

Advocates are part of the Special Education team.  A good advocate should work as a team member, bridging the gap between student, parents, teachers, school specialists and school administration.  

An advocate should always work to achieve the best outcome for each individual student, ensuring that the student's needs are addressed appropriately in the school environment.

A Special Education Advocate is NOT an attorney and does not practice law.  An advocate can advise you through the IEP/504 process, mediation, and filing of complaints until the filing of Due Process.  An attorney is strongly recommended for Due Process.