Guiding Kids Through Global Uncertainty

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The news can be particularly unsettling in these turbulent times, marked by myriad global conflicts that resonate within our communities. Even for adults, the daily news and breaking headlines have the power to shake our emotions and sense of security. But what about our children? How do we help them understand and process the complex events dominating the news cycle? It may seem like a challenging task, but as parents, there are strategies we can employ to guide our families through these tumultuous times.

For children aged six and under, negative news stories typically offer little value for their young, impressionable minds. Unless the news is an inspiring story of someone triumphing over adversity, it’s generally best to shield these youngsters from the news.

However, if your child stumbles upon the news while you’re not around, perhaps at school or a friend’s house, it’s essential to be open to their questions. Avoid dismissing their concerns or brushing off their worries.

If your child has already heard distressing news, redirect the conversation towards a more positive path by reassuring them that your family is safe. But if the news hits close to home, discuss safety measures and how to stay secure in various emergency situations such as severe weather, fire, or getting separated in a public place.

For younger children, wrap up the conversation by transitioning to a joyful, light-hearted topic. You could read a funny book together or enjoy your favorite family show. The key is to move the discussion away from potential negative thoughts and replace them with more pleasant ones.

As children age, they become exposed to various information, including current events and political topics. While you can’t shield them from everything, you should be mindful of their maturity and sensitivity when allowing them to engage with certain news topics. Pay special attention to filtering information about their age group, as issues like school violence or teen suicide can be particularly distressing for older elementary schoolers.

Consider implementing filters and restrictions on specific channels or websites and explain why certain content may be inappropriate to your children. Stress that it’s not about distrust or punishment but a way to protect them emotionally. Respect their questions and curiosity, and always highlight the positive news happening in the world around them.

Your own opinions play a significant role in shaping your child’s beliefs. Children trust and adopt their parents’ perspectives, so it’s crucial to be mindful of the messages you convey both at home and outside.

Avoid making sweeping generalizations that lump groups of people together, create divisions, or cast others in a negative light. Phrases like “they always…” or “we would never…” can slowly shape your child’s beliefs about entire groups.

By meeting your children where they are, emotionally and developmentally, and maintaining open lines of communication, you can help them navigate the news they encounter and make sense of the world around them. Empower your kids with the knowledge and emotional intelligence to thrive in today’s complex information landscape.

Shine Brighter in School

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Introduction: Dispelling the Dysgraphia Myth

Let’s debunk a common misconception about dysgraphia—it’s more than just messy handwriting. Dysgraphia is a profound learning disability rooted in processing challenges. Let’s delve into this world and understand how it impacts both the physical and mental aspects of writing.

Understanding Dysgraphia: The Quarterback Analogy

Imagine dysgraphia as a quarterback on a football field. Sometimes, it’s a struggle to handle the ball physically, and at other times, it’s the mental decision-making that’s challenging. In both cases, sensory input and output issues can hinder your child’s academic success.

Tackling the Physical Challenges: Strategies for Success

For young writers dealing with dysgraphia, writing can be a daunting task. However, there are strategies to help them thrive.

  1. Raised and Perforated Lines:

Consider using paper with raised or perforated lines to guide your child’s letter size and spacing. These tactile boundaries can be invaluable in keeping their writing neat. Encourage them to trace raised outlines to reinforce proper letter formation.

  1. Consistency is Key:

Teach your child to form letters consistently every time. Whether it’s the letter ‘C’ or ‘A,’ consistency builds muscle memory and improves writing over time. Reinforce the correct technique until it becomes second nature.

  1. The Right Tools:

Experiment with different pencil or pen shapes and styles. Rubber pencil grips can alleviate discomfort. Some kids find stability in hexagonal or three-sided pencils, while others prefer round ones. Find what works best for your child.

  1. Short and Sweet:

Writing can be frustrating, so keep practice sessions brief and focused. Avoid discomfort and frustration by taking breaks before hands and fingers become tired. Break down the goals—one step at a time. Today, focus on spacing, and tomorrow, tackle letter sizing.

Conclusion: Empowering Your Child

Dysgraphia may pose challenges, but armed with these strategies, you can empower your child to overcome them. Remember, every small writing victory is a significant step towards academic success.

Join us in celebrating your child’s unique journey in conquering dysgraphia—one letter at a time!

🚀 Supercharge Back-to-School Success: Epic Study Hacks for Parents & Kids! 🎒🌟

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🎒 Get Ready to Rock Back-to-School: Boost Your Child’s Study Skills! 📚

Hey there, super parents! 🌟 It’s that time of year again – back-to-school vibes are in the air! 🎉 But hold on, we know it’s not all rainbows and unicorns. Some of our little champs might be feeling the study stress right from the get-go. 😓 Don’t you worry! Let’s team up to tackle those worries and set up some epic study strategies that’ll have your kiddos shining like stars 🌟 in no time. Buckle up, it’s time to dive into the world of study success! 💪

📝 Note-Taking Ninja Moves

Let’s talk notes, folks! 📝 Imagine your teacher dropping gems left and right – catch those golden nuggets! If she’s going on about “tone in writing” or throwing around “GDP” (that’s Gross Domestic Product, by the way 🏦), jot it down and dive into those topics like a champ. 🕵️‍♂️ Pro tip: be curious! Exploring these ideas on your own turns short-term memory into long-term awesomeness. You’ll remember stuff and connect the dots with other cool concepts. 🧠

🖍 Color Your Way to Genius

Highlighters, unite! 🌈 Sprinkle some color magic on your notes and study guides. History test coming up? Highlight dates in yellow, key peeps in green, and fancy words in pink. Keep the color code game strong across all your subjects – it’s like making your notes do the cha-cha! 💃 Color vibes help your brain remember things during tests and build a web of knowledge. Plus, it just looks plain cool. 🤓

📜 Write, Rewrite, Remember

Who knew rewriting stuff could be a power move? 🖋️ Copying notes by hand might seem old-school, but studies show it’s like giving your brain a high-five. ✋ The trick? Take it slow, chunk by chunk, and rewrite to your heart’s content. Less boredom, more brain power. 🚀

🧠 Mnemonic Magic

Ever heard of HOMES? 🏠 No, not where you live – it’s a trick to remember the Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior. And remember that “Raven”? It helps you ace affect (verb) vs. effect (noun). 📚 And spelling? Bam! “I before E except after C, or when it sounds like ‘hay’ as in neighbor or weigh.” 🎩 Mind blown, right? 💥

🎓 Teach Like a Pro

Picture this: a big math test looming. 📏 Wanna rock it? Teach those math marvels to a parent or sibling. 🤓 Explaining stuff to others checks your own knowledge – double win! Plus, teaching makes you an expert on the subject. It’s like getting paid in knowledge. 💰

🏰 Memory Palace Magic

Foreign language fears? Not anymore! 🌍 Enter the memory palace. Imagine your home sweet home or fave grocery store. 🏡 When you learn new words, pop ’em into your memory palace. You’ll be chatting in another language like a champ. 💬 “La cama” to “la cocina,” anyone? 🛏️🍳

🚀 Ready to Rock!

Alright, rockstar parents, you’re armed with study hacks to make even the toughest subjects feel like a walk in the park. 🎸 Time to cheer on your little legends and make this school year the best one yet. 💥 Stay awesome, keep the good vibes rolling, and let’s show those textbooks who’s boss! 🙌🎓

Parents as Advocates: Tackling Dyslexia

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Parents as Advocates: Tackling Dyslexia

Parents whose children suffer from dyslexia are plenty aware of the struggles their children face on a day-to-day basis. That is why another “A” word can be even more powerful for families—advocacy.

No one knows your child better than you do. Keep this in mind when advocating for your child’s needs. In parents’ efforts not to come across as a “helicopter parent,” they sometimes assume it is in their child’s best interest to follow the expert’s lead, avoid making waves and be passively agreeable. They do not want to be the bulldog. These fears are common, but that doesn’t make them true.

You are your child’s greatest advocate, and here’s how to accomplish that.

Know Your Legal Rights

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Act, our nation’s special education law, children and their parents or guardians are guaranteed certain protections and rights. Once identified as having a qualifying disability, schools are legally required to provide special education services to your child.

Also, under IDEA, the law provides parents with something called procedural safeguards, which are put in place so that parents are aware of and have a voice in every aspect of their child’s special education evaluation and IEP process. As part of the process, the school must provide you with documentation and an explanation of your rights—STUDY UP ON THESE DOCUMENTS.

It is commonplace for IEP meetings to move quickly, with a “sign here if you don’t have any questions” style of rapid wrap-up. It is your job to closely review these documents and to seek clarification before signing anything.

Be Organized

Another best practice for advocacy that goes hand in hand with knowing your child’s legal rights is to stay organized. Keep a binder of all necessary documentation regarding your child’s diagnosis and any other evaluative documents that you accumulate as you work through the process.

Items such as test results, doctor’s notes and recommendations, educator’s observations, report cards, writing samples, and any data concerning your child’s academic skills should be kept for future reference.

The binder is also a great resource for you to use for note taking during IEP or 504 meetings. Not only will you have your own notes to refer back to after the meeting, but the process of taking notes shows that you are actively listening and invested in your child’s special education services. When parents demonstrate this level of involvement and support, it’s the child who benefits.

The binder keeps essential documents organized and acts as a paper trail of progress and correspondence among your child’s team.

Be Prepared

It is also essential for parents to be fully prepared for special education meetings. Because of this, the binder’s benefits are two-fold: paper trail and parent playbook [or however you want to define the two benefits].

Of all members of your child’s academic team, you are the person that knows him best, so your seat at the table matters most. Advocating for your child means preparing questions ahead of time and speaking up if they aren’t answered clearly. Meetings tend to move quickly, so request an additional meeting if you haven’t gotten clear answers.

Do not assume that the team will automatically clarify for you, so be prepared to ask follow-up questions if needed.

Follow up

Another helpful advocacy move is to email a summary of the main discussion points that you took away from the meeting afterwards. This keeps everyone on the same page regarding the decisions that were discussed and allows you to share your own perception of how the meeting went.

If anything is unclear, your email will start that conversation and provide clarification. In that email, ask about a follow-up meeting so that dates can be arranged and any other necessary steps can be taken.

Keep Open Communication with Teachers

Speak to teachers about your expectations, your child’s expectations, and the school’s expectations. This will prevent any miscommunication and unfortunate surprises.

When setting expectations for your child’s success, it is important to be honest, positive, and realistic about the growth that you’d like to see. It will be difficult, but as much as possible, remain unemotional and unbiased about the feedback that you get from your child’s teachers and other professionals—cool heads prevail.

High Leverage Practices for Special Education

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High leverage practices, or HLPs, are recognized as critical practices that can be implemented deliberately by educators to support student learning in an effort to meet specific learning goals. In order for an instructional practice to be considered a high leverage practice, it must meet certain criteria:

  • The strategy must focus on an instructional technique.
  • It must be a technique that is used routinely in the classroom.
  • It must be a method that is proven to increase student engagement and academic success.
  • The practice must be able to be utilized cross-curricularly; it should exemplify a functional approach to teaching and learning, regardless of the content or content area.

 

This is all technical teacher-speak for a research-based instructional strategy that can be used frequently by teachers in any classroom to achieve specific learning goals. Now, what does this look like in practice for students with special needs? HLPs are typically categorized into four types: collaboration, assessment, social/emotional/behavioral, and instruction.

 

Collaboration, as it sounds, involves a cooperative effort among a child’s entire educational team, from parents and teachers, to occupational therapists, pediatricians, to cognitive behavioral specialists. Sometimes referred to as “wraparound services,” the goal of collaborative HLPs is to ensure that all members of the child’s support system are on the same page, working towards the same goals. One HLP is to plan, organize, and facilitate routine meetings between support systems. During these meetings, the child’s learning goals are established, evaluated, and revisited as needed. Another aspect of collaborative HLPs involves networking, so to speak. Too often, families can feel lost or overwhelmed by a child’s unique learning needs. Therefore, it is critical that support services, resources, and guidance be provided in a collaborative effort to ensure that each child’s academic needs are met.

 

HLPs that fall under the assessment category are used to identify and capitalize on a student’s unique strengths. For instance, one practice involves using several various sources of information and data to evaluate a student’s full realm of capabilities and needs—educators cannot simply rely on standardized tests and rote assessments in order to determine a child’s abilities. When it comes to assessments, another HLP involves the use of assessment data as a means for modifying content, reestablishing learning goals, and reteaching. Teachers are not just scoring tests and moving on—we use this data as a checkpoint on the road to student growth.

 

Social/emotional/behavioral HLPs begin with the idea that consistency and mutual respect are essential to providing a positive and enriching learning environment. Providing children and teens with constructive, positive feedback and opportunities to grow in their social abilities are additional high leverage practices frequently utilized by educators. Finally, behavior support plans and interventions also qualify as high leverage practices. These plans are designed and created in an effort to curb negative behaviors by providing students with positive reinforcement, coping strategies, and alternative methods for working through emotions.

 

Instructional HLPs encompass a vast array of strategies and techniques that many teachers simply deem “best practices.” One involves short and long-term goal-setting, an HLP that helps to prioritize a student’s learning needs by aligning ability level to grade level-specific benchmarks. Adapting and/or modifying learning materials within the curriculum is another beneficial practice—this is usually accomplished with the help of the special education team and with a student’s IEP or 504 accommodations in mind. Repeated, explicit instructions in multiple forms, including written and verbal, are also instructional HLPs that help to ensure students know what they are expected to do—and how to do it.

In part two, we will share specific instructional techniques that fall under the category of HLPs. In addition to using these in the classroom, we will provide tips and tricks for how to utilize these educational methods at home for virtual learning.

Ready, set, GO BACK TO SCHOOL!!! Organization Style. Part 1 of 6

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Ready, set, GO BACK TO SCHOOL!!!!

TIME MANAGEMENT

It’s that time again—the back-to-school commercials are in full swing! Backpacks, lunch boxes, clothes, and school supplies are some of the things occupying the minds of parents these days. As the sun sets on summer 2016, it is important to ensure that your child is given every advantage to begin the school year with a bang!

While much focus is put on school supplies and the “necessary” materials, one key element in preparing for a successful year ahead is to put organization in the forefront. And, as they say, practice truly makes perfect—or close to it. Organization applies to a multitude of facets in the educational realm. While all are important, organizing time or “time management” is essential. For example, consider if a student has color-coordinated references, organized notes, and an impeccable outline for a research paper, yet that same “organized” student gives himself Sunday night to complete the final draft of his research paper. All of the prior organization becomes a futile attempt if time was poorly organized.

Organization, specifically time management, is a skill that comes with practice. Even as adults, we sometimes drop the ball by failing to plan ahead accordingly. Here are some tips to ensure that time management makes its way into your household this school year.

Start from the beginning. As we all know, it is much easier to prevent negative habits than to correct them later on. Right from the start, discuss a realistic daily schedule that includes designated homework/reading time, after-school activities, family time, and reasonable sleep/wake times. Of course, be prepared to be flexible when things inevitably come up. But, for the most part, a set schedule will help your child to maintain balance and assuage the stress that comes with cramming.
Model the practice of planning ahead. Especially in the middle and upper grades, projects and assignments become more labor-intensive. With several steps, check-in points, and deadlines, it is easy for students to quickly lose track or get overwhelmed. As with many difficult tasks, showing is more beneficial than telling. Show your child how to organize by breaking down large assignments and setting at home check-in points in advance of the actual due dates. Also, show them how to prioritize more difficult tasks. For example, a five-paragraph argumentative essay is going to need more attention than a vocabulary practice sheet.
Be proactive with organizing your time. It is important to anticipate certain roadblocks to prevent last-minute school stressors. Check the printer for ink before the paper is due; plan for picture day so that the outfit of choice is clean and pressed; pack gym clothes with extra socks so that the morning rush through the dryer can be avoided; email teachers about foreseen absences ahead of time to get any missed work or important information; have a plan for sick days, in which your child has a buddy in the neighborhood to bring work back.

Teaching students how to organize their time is a skill that will prove beneficial throughout their academic and adult lives.

Looking to empower your child to succeed? Learning Essentials’ Brain Camp teaches students practical step-by-step ways to study, organize, manage time, prepare for tests, and use executive functioning strategies— essential skills for today’s academic environment. Click here to learn more or enroll: https://learningessentialsedu.com/brain-camps/

Trauma Response: Tips for Parents

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Part of an educator’s job is to recognize and help mediate potential trauma that a student might be dealing with. Of course, guidance counselors are much more equipped when it comes to trauma response for children and teens, but it is still something that we unfortunately see in the classroom on a regular basis. With many students now attending classes virtually, it is more important than ever that parents also be able to recognize the signs of potential trauma and respond supportively.

 

One major takeaway for parents is to remember that every child reacts differently to trauma or traumatic experiences. Furthermore, what might be considered a traumatic event for one child may not be as significant or impactful to a sibling or close friend. Therefore, it is important for parents to really tune in to what children are experiencing, even if they seem “fine” with a recent traumatic experience or event.

 

The response to trauma can occur anytime—it might involve a bicycle accident, parent separation or divorce, loss of a beloved pet, or even a current event witnessed in the news. In the same way that kids react differently to trauma, some children experience trauma right away, while others do not show any sign of distress until a bit of time has passed. This is why it is important for parents to stay acutely aware of any emotional or behavioral changes that take place. Just because a child seems fine in the immediate aftermath, it does not mean that he or she will avoid the impact of traumatic events down the line. For some children or teens, it could be days, weeks, or months before they begin to exhibit signs of trauma. 

 

In addition to maintaining vigilance and awareness after a traumatic event, parents should also be cognizant of their own responses and reactions. De-escalation should be a parent’s immediate response. Children are very much aware of stresses in their environment, so when parents respond calmly, they tend to feel at least somewhat more at ease. This is especially true for youngsters—they tend to follow mom and dad’s lead. 

 

If a child has experienced a recent traumatic event, parents should make a point to do the following:

  • Encourage their child to express whatever emotions he might be feeling—this is not the time to hold it in or retreat. Explain that there is no shame in being sad, scared, confused, etc.
  • Answer her questions and explain the situation if she asks, but always lead with the fact that she and the family are safe and secure. Remind her that she is loved and that everything will be okay. This is the reassurance that she needs during times of high stress or instability.
  • Avoid going into unnecessary details, especially with regard to current events or news-related events. Especially for young children, news coverage and firsthand accounts can be unnecessarily scary, stress-inducing, and/or graphic. With little eyes and ears absorbing their surroundings, it’s best to turn off the news.
  • Focus on the immediate here and now. Reassure their child of his/her safety by keeping routines and messages consistent. Spend quality time together as a way to provide comfort and a sense of security.

Remind their child that, like everything else in the world, there are things we can control and things that we cannot. The best way to cope when things get difficult is to focus on what is within their control.

Remedies for Reluctant Readers: Part I

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As students progress through their education, reading assignments and materials naturally become more intense and time consuming. The literature itself becomes more complex and the workload or required reading outside of class lengthens. This is all to be expected, especially as students enter honors–level classes, take AP courses, and look ahead towards higher education. For struggling or reluctant readers, the increase in required reading can be daunting—sometimes students are moved to tears due to the frustration of struggling through a challenging passage or laborious chapter. To remedy these reading woes, we have compiled a list of helpful tips to assist students with managing their growing reading tasks.

 

Craft a schedule

When teachers assign a new text or novel, they typically share with students a reading schedule or rough outline of chapters to conquer each week. If this is not provided, students should ask their teacher to recommend a specific amount of pages or chapters to read each night/week to be on pace with finishing the text by the deadline. Again, this is usually provided, but if not, students should make a point to divvy up the book themselves for manageable nightly reading chunks. Nothing is worse than procrastinating on a novel unit and then trying to blow through the entire book in less than two sittings.

 

Set reading goals

Similarly to the reading schedule, students should set small reading goals when beginning a new text or lengthier required reading. Start small, as to not bite off more than one can chew. Perhaps a reluctant reader’s first goal is to actually read the entire novel for once. Or maybe a goal should be to pick up the book at least once per day. The point of the goal is to encourage forward movement and to make sure that progress is made. These do not need to be overwhelmingly ambitious goals, just a few motivating mile markers throughout the text.

 

Reward oneself

After setting and (hopefully) reaching small reading goals, students can increase intrinsic motivation and boost productivity by looking for some form of light at the end of the tunnel. This means establishing small, incremental rewards to correspond to the goals that students reach in their reading tasks. Perhaps after 25 minutes of uninterrupted reading, a student rewards herself by watching an episode of her favorite show. Maybe parents revive the “book-it” challenge from back in the day and splurge on a pizza or junk food night when kids finish 3 chapter books. The rewards aren’t really about the “treat” at all—they are more about celebrating the accomplishment, grit, and patience that students demonstrate by getting through a challenging task, such as reading. 

 

Stage a comfy reading spot

There is something inherently comforting about a cozy, well-lit nook or hideaway when one is looking for quiet time. Avid readers take pride in their cozy reading spots and routines, but reluctant readers can capitalize on this idea as well. Parents can help spur motivation to read by helping to set up a relaxing cubby removed from the hustle and commotion of the rest of the house where children can snuggle and enjoy a book. Consider adding pillows, blankets, soft white lighting that is not harsh on eyes, perhaps near a window for natural light. Creative touches, like soft, instrumental background music for students to listen to while reading is another great addition. Make reading an experience—pop some popcorn, brew some tea or hot chocolate, and read together to show your kids that this relaxing activity can be enjoyable.

Gaming in the Classroom to Boost Engagement, Part II

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As discussed in Part I, organizing and implementing engaging lessons and activities in the physical or virtual classroom can be a tall order. Compounding this challenge is the fact that today’s Gen Z students have grown up with the latest and greatest technology available, which often leads teachers scratching their heads about how to appeal to these screen-saturated tech wizards. Students’ reliance on and familiarity with technology has practically been engrained since birth. So, sadly, it makes total sense that mere books will struggle to make a lasting impression on many young learners—they crave the technology that they have become used to having at their fingertips. Yet the good news is this: teachers can also use this same gaming technology to their advantage for engaging learners!

 

Ideas for the math and sciences classrooms

  • For many students, learning new math concepts can be especially difficult over Zoom in today’s virtual learning setup. In the classroom, children have manipulatives, hands-on exemplars, one-to-one, and in–person responses from their teachers. However, in the online environment with just the screen and 30 other students, it is often daunting to engage and grasp mathematical concepts. Teachers can use technology to their advantage, however, by prompting children to practice new skills using interactive games offered on various different platforms. Matific is one exceptional option for students in grades K-6. The website offers tutorials, called episodes, where students can interactively learn about and work through new math concepts and skills. There are also worksheets (which look more like video games than actual worksheets) where students can practice skills using visuals, animations, and feedback/support in realtime. In addition to the various lessons, students can try their hands at multi-step word problems and workshops that are self-paced. 
  • For older, more advanced math courses, teachers can utilize principles of investing, money management, and the stock market to get kids engaged. Online resources and platforms such as The Stock Market Game, Student Stock Trader, and How The Market Works allow for safe exploration of the world of global finance using apps, animations, and simulations. 
  • Another resource called ST Math, short for the spacial-temporal approach, is based entirely on the idea that visual learning, whether on a screen or in person, is the critical foundation for developing mathematical skills. This program can be used as a supplement to on-level learning, or it can act as an intervention program to provide students with the extra support that they need. Students view and review materials at their own pace through interactive resources, such as videos, demonstrations, animations, and real-world applicable practices.

National Geographic is another great way to introduce students to engaging, educational, online content. While it’s not exactly a gaming platform, Nat Geo Education can provide teachers with a multitude of classroom resources, student learning experiences, photos, videos, interviews, and more. National Geographic’s Explorer Classroom also streams live, student-centered workshops every week for children and teens. The live events involve interviews with animal specialists and scientists, tours of various habitats, overviews of conservation efforts, information about wildlife photography, real–life treasure hunts, and demonstrations of wilderness skills, etc—the list truly goes on and on. The other great thing about Nat Geo’s Explorer Classroom live events is that they can offer streaming in Spanish and American Sign Language as well.  

Parents as Advocates: Tackling Dyslexia

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October is Learning Disabilities Awareness Month—31 days dedicated to building community awareness about learning disabilities in an effort to provide supports for all children. As important as awareness is, however, parents whose children suffer from dyslexia are plenty aware of the struggles their children face on a day-to-day basis. That is why another “A” word can be even more powerful for families—advocacy.

 

No one knows your child better than you do. Keep this in mind when advocating for your child’s needs. In parents’ efforts not to come across as a “helicopter parent,” they sometimes assume it is in their child’s best interest to follow the expert’s lead, avoid making waves, and be passively agreeable. They do not want to be the bulldog. These fears are common, but that doesn’t make them true.

 

You are your child’s greatest advocate, and here’s how to accomplish that:

 

  • Under the Individuals with Disabilities Act, our nation’s special education law, children and their parents or guardians are guaranteed certain protections and rights. Once identified as having a qualifying disability, schools are legally required to provide special education services to your child. Also under IDEA, the law provides parents with something called procedural safeguards, which are put in place so that parents are aware of and have a voice in every aspect of their child’s special education evaluation and IEP process. As part of the process, the school must provide you with documentation and explanation of your rights—STUDY UP ON THESE DOCUMENTS. It is commonplace for IEP meetings to move quickly, with a “sign here if you don’t have any questions” style of rapid wrap-up. It is your job to closely review these documents and to seek clarification before signing anything.
  • Another best practice for advocacy that goes hand in hand with knowing your child’s legal rights is to stay organized. Keep a binder of all necessary documentation regarding your child’s diagnosis and any other evaluative documents that you accumulate as you work through the process. Items such as test results, doctor’s notes and recommendations, educator’s observations, report cards, writing samples, and any data concerning your child’s academic skills should be kept for future reference. The binder keeps essential documents organized and acts as a paper trail of progress and correspondence among your child’s team.
  • It is also essential for parents to be fully prepared for special education meetings. Because of this, the binder’s benefits are two-fold: paper trail and parent playbook [or however you want to define the two benefits]. Of all members of your child’s academic team, you are the person that knows him best, so your seat at the table matters most. Advocating for your child means preparing questions ahead of time and speaking up if they aren’t answered clearly. Meetings tend to move quickly, so request an additional meeting if you haven’t gotten clear answers. Do not assume that the team will automatically clarify for you, so be prepared to ask follow-up questions if needed.
  • The binder is also a great resource for you to use for note taking during IEP or 504 meetings. Not only will you have your own notes to refer back to after the meeting, but the process of taking notes shows that you are actively listening and invested in your child’s special education services. When parents demonstrate this level of involvement and support, it’s the child who benefits.
  • Another helpful advocacy move is to email a summary of the main discussion points that you took away from the meeting afterwards. This keeps everyone on the same page regarding the decisions that were discussed and allows you to share your own perception of how the meeting went. If anything is unclear, your email will start that conversation and provide clarification. In that email, ask about a follow-up meeting so that dates can be arranged and any other necessary steps can be taken.
  • Speak to teachers about your expectations, your child’s expectations, and the school’s expectations. This will prevent any miscommunication and unfortunate surprises. When setting expectations for your child’s success, it is important to be honest, positive, and realistic about the growth that you’d like to see. It will be difficult, but as much as possible, remain unemotional and unbiased about the feedback that you get from your child’s teachers and other professionals—cool heads prevail.