Education Advocacy
- Take a break when you can—put the IEP away over the summer!
- Write a parent input statement for the meeting
- Ask for a copy of evaluation and draft service plans before the meeting
- Consider including requisite parent teacher therapist communication in your IEP
- Bring food to meetings–food makes people happy
- Contact your school board as needed for positive and negative issues
- Use data to back up your concerns
- Contact your PTI (Parent Training and Information Center) and CPRC (Community Parent Resource Center), if available
- Contact your Protection and Advocacy (P&A) agency as needed
- CC documents and correspondence to your child’s file
- Check your child’s file once a year for accuracy;
Generic Advocacy
- Have a friendly review of letters you
- send to professional to check your emotions
- Do something for yourself after a tough day of advocacy–advocacy increases stress so you deserve it
- Call for a break or postpone a meeting if you need it
- Trust your instincts
- Meet other families with similar needs to discuss ways to address concerns
- Catch more bees with honey
- CC important emails and documents to other individuals
- Climb the hierarchy when a problem is escalating or requires the involvement of higher officials
- See if your problem reflects a systemic issue
- Take screenshots of email communication
- Create an electric file of correspondence and information
- Scan documents into your electronic file
- Write thank you letters
- Ground your advocacy in what your child needs (not what you want)
- Consider the viewpoints of others during advocacy
- Offer several ways to resolve an issue — not my way of the highway
- Give credit away for a solution
- Involve your child in your advocacy — model advocacy
- Send a follow up letter documenting verbal conversations
- Write thankyou notes with specific praise for positive things
- Talk to other families when making decisions
Legislative Advocacy
- Talk to your legislator about disability issues
- Write letters to legislators about important disability issues
- Meet with legislators—bring your child with a disability
- Have an elevator speech when articulating your concern
- Call your legislators to declare your interest in certain bills
- Ask your legislator to sponsor certain bills
- Explain to your legislator about disability issues
- Attend hearings to testify about your concerns
- Use social media (e.g., Twitter, Facebook) to communicate your concerns to legislators
- After meeting with your legislator, write a follow-up, thank you letter to your legislator.
Medical Advocacy
- Ask someone to go with you to all appointments if for nothing else to support you
- Always use a children’s hospital for a procedure
- Ask for a written summary of each appointment
- Never attend an appointment by yourself
- Read the materials from your insurance company to understand your coverage
- Trust your gut
- Ask other families for recommendations about specialists