Advocacy
What does it mean to be an advocate for your child? An advocate is someone who pleads the cause of another and who defends or maintains a cause or proposal. Being a parent advocate includes efforts to:
- Have all the needs of your child met;
- Keep current about the latest advances, technology, and research innovations regarding your child's disability, treatment and potential;
- Get the best care and services available for your child;
- Monitor all services, professionals, and programs offered;
- Create a team approach with those involved in your child's life and care;
- Have your child served in the least restrictive environment;
- Expose your child to as normal a lifestyle as possible;
- Assist your child in reaching his or her highest potential;
- Stimulate community concern and establish new services to fill in the gaps for your child's care; and
- Ensure lifelong support, nurturing, and habilitation of your child.
What's New
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP): What Is It and Why Should We Care?
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the only nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas. As such, NAEP data provide reliable comparisons of performance among states, urban districts, public and private schools, and student demographic groups. Assessments are conducted periodically in mathematics, reading, science, writing, the arts, civics, economics, geography, and U.S. history. A congressionally mandated project, the NAEP is overseen by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within the U.S. Department of Education. Full article >
25 Bits of Edubabble You Need to Know
The Center for Accord and ESC 20 Parent Training Video Series - This video series includes Advocating for Your Child: Preventing Conflict in Special Education, Strengthening Relationships When Our Children Have Special Needs and Feeling Better When We Feel Bad. These FREE parent training videos are available in English and Spanish. View the videos at http://www.4accord.com/videos.html.
Developing Positive Relationships with Your Child's School from the Start
Federal Education Funding: Why 12 Percent Can Make a Difference For Schools HTML
Frequently Used Educational Terms: Learning and Attention Problems
Parent's Guide to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) PDF
Parent's Guide to Response-to-Intervention (RTI) PDF
Procedural Safeguards Online Course HTML
Understanding Special Education Laws and Rights HTML
