Tuesday, 3 March 2015

How To Advocate For Your Child

By Olivia Cross


Most importantly the parent needs to be aware about the condition or the situation of their children. This includes knowing their strengths and weaknesses and the views of people working with them in school. For example, if a child is suffering from a disability, the parent should be aware of how their condition affects the child in school. You must also find out the legal procedures and all the relevant details on how to advocate for your child. Such information are essential in ensuring effective advocacy.

Information about the school plays an essential. You need to get information about teachers, counselors as well as other personnel within the school. Having a positive relationship with the school will assist in improving the performance of the kid. Knowing about the motivating factors informing the decisions is important.

You should also know the decision makes as well as what motivates them. Getting information about things happening in their school and district will also play a role in advocating for the kid. You need to make a request in writing, for instance, even if you have spoken directly to school personnel.

Where possible one should note down the time and date such requests were made as well as individuals who received the information. For a parent to gain more information about their children, they should not depend much on the phone call but also regularly visit the institution to gain more information. However, in places where possible one needs to seek confirmation note from the institution on things promised.

Before settling to advocate for the kid you need to think about how the district could solve the problem. If you are able to figure out what should be done then there is much chance for success. You should also think about the kind of meeting to be scheduled that is either a mediation session or IEP meeting, you need to ask the district if you are not sure.

Prioritizing factors affecting the kid is important before the advocacy. Among the present numerous factors, one should identify the most important issues to be solved. This can be done by developing checklist with all the issues affecting him or her. From this list, you can agree with the district on the issues to be tackled and comes up with the topic for discussion during the planned meetings.

Prioritization of your needs is essential in effectively advocating for her. Among numerous factors, you need to decide on one factor you intend to accomplish. This is possible through coming up with a checklist denoting all possible issues you want to talk about. Sharing such list with the district will be instrumental in coming up with the right topic or agenda to discuses in the scheduled meeting.

On visiting, it is important to carry with you relevant material that will positively assist in putting forward your opinion. This can include, evidence of the performance of the kid, report cards, private evaluation, evaluation among others. Coming with other people who can assist you in advocating for the kid is important. This might includes friends, advocates or neighbors and religious members.




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