When you have a school age child with special needs, it can be very frustrating trying to get him the kind of help he needs in order to succeed academically. If you feel like the school administration and teaching staff are less than cooperative, or insensitive to your child's challenges, it might be time to get professional help. You can opt for a special education advocate California educators will listen to, or an attorney. These are not the same thing, and it's important that you understand the differences.
Advocates may or may not have specialized training. They are not required to be certified or have a legal background. You need an attorney when you're thinking about suing the school system. Advocates and attorneys can help you with letters to school administrators and have the ability to negotiate on your behalf. Experienced advocates may be able to give you legal information, but not legal advice. They can't prepare legal documents, but they can act as your representative at hearings.
Many advocates used to be in the teaching profession. They have special expertise when it comes to informing parents about assistive technology, behavior modification, and various teaching methods. These advocates may be aware of specialized programs offered in certain private and public schools. Since they have first hand experience working within school systems, former teachers often make great mediators.
Administrators and teaching staff usually react differently when they are faced with advocates and attorneys. Most of them aren't threatened by advocates representing parents. Some teachers may become defensive when advocates attend IEP meetings, but others are happy to discuss the challenges they face having special needs children in their classrooms.
The scenario can be very different when a parent attends an IEP meeting with an attorney in tow. This usually signals to the administration that the parent is escalating the situation, and not in a positive way. When this happens, administrators often insist that they be represented by their own attorneys, which is their right. Adding lawyers to the mix can make communicating more difficult. It can also send the signal that the parent is serious about the child's academic future.
There is certainly a huge difference between what it cost parents to retain advocates and what it costs to hire an attorney. Lawyers are very expensive, even if their initial consultations are free. Advocates, on the other hand, may charge a nominal fee. Others offer their services free of charge.
Before you hire an advocate, there are certain questions you should ask. You need to know what experience the person has and if the individual is familiar with your child's particular school district. You need to know what fees will be charged, and what the fees cover. You should understand how you will be involved and how you will be kept informed.
If your plan is to hire an attorney, you need to ask questions of that person as well. You want to what kind of experience the lawyer has in this field. You have to ask about the fees involved, and how they will be structured.
Advocates may or may not have specialized training. They are not required to be certified or have a legal background. You need an attorney when you're thinking about suing the school system. Advocates and attorneys can help you with letters to school administrators and have the ability to negotiate on your behalf. Experienced advocates may be able to give you legal information, but not legal advice. They can't prepare legal documents, but they can act as your representative at hearings.
Many advocates used to be in the teaching profession. They have special expertise when it comes to informing parents about assistive technology, behavior modification, and various teaching methods. These advocates may be aware of specialized programs offered in certain private and public schools. Since they have first hand experience working within school systems, former teachers often make great mediators.
Administrators and teaching staff usually react differently when they are faced with advocates and attorneys. Most of them aren't threatened by advocates representing parents. Some teachers may become defensive when advocates attend IEP meetings, but others are happy to discuss the challenges they face having special needs children in their classrooms.
The scenario can be very different when a parent attends an IEP meeting with an attorney in tow. This usually signals to the administration that the parent is escalating the situation, and not in a positive way. When this happens, administrators often insist that they be represented by their own attorneys, which is their right. Adding lawyers to the mix can make communicating more difficult. It can also send the signal that the parent is serious about the child's academic future.
There is certainly a huge difference between what it cost parents to retain advocates and what it costs to hire an attorney. Lawyers are very expensive, even if their initial consultations are free. Advocates, on the other hand, may charge a nominal fee. Others offer their services free of charge.
Before you hire an advocate, there are certain questions you should ask. You need to know what experience the person has and if the individual is familiar with your child's particular school district. You need to know what fees will be charged, and what the fees cover. You should understand how you will be involved and how you will be kept informed.
If your plan is to hire an attorney, you need to ask questions of that person as well. You want to what kind of experience the lawyer has in this field. You have to ask about the fees involved, and how they will be structured.
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