Qualities of a good advocate are very important. Parents of children with special needs often need to hire a special education advocate to work with them, to work with the school district(s) to secure the services that their child needs.
An good advocate is fully familiar with special education law: IDEA of 2004, ADA, FERPA, Rehabilitation Act, and NCLB/ESEA, something that parents dedicated to the day-to-day needs of their child(ren) rarely have time to study.
For better success, parents hire an advocate and a special education attorney to work together as a team to accomplish their objectives.
Advocates who really listen to the parents become invaluable sounding boards for overwhelmed and dedicated parents.
7 Qualities of a Good Advocate
Advocates who have built professional working relationships with special education attorneys in New England are well-equipped to be a meaningful part of that team, to act as mediator with all parties, and to act, in part, as paralegal, for exhibit preparation and research to prepare for due process hearings when needed.
1. Advocates who have developed strong positive working relationships with Special Education Directors in School Districts have earned a position of credibility that strengthens the parents’ position to achieve objectives for their child.
2. Advocates who know qualified evaluators in the area bring strong understanding of what evaluations are needed in order to secure the needed special education services.
3. Advocates who know how to interpret, analyze and graph evaluation results can present powerful information that can be very persuasive to the reader about the current performance and needs of the student.
4. Advocates who have toured the region’s wide variety of placement options that do exist can complete extensive research for parents, efficiently.
5. Advocates who do not seek conflict, yet do not shy from it when it occurs, are strong constructive problem solvers. They stay focused on objectives in the interest of the child.
6. Advocates who behave in a manner that allows parents to feel pleased to be represented with professionalism, credibility, and competence can preserve the relationships with the school.
7. And perhaps most importantly, advocates who really listen to the parents, to hear their concerns, validate their thoughts and help bring clarity to prioritize objectives become invaluable sounding boards for overwhelmed and dedicated parents who know that with the right hired experts, their child’s educational needs can be realized!
Qualities of a good advocate in New Hampshire can be difficult to find! Carolyn Blasko is all this and more! Contact Carolyn today.
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