5 Reason to Work With Me as an Advocate
Are you looking for someone to help you through the Special Education System? Do you have questions about your child’s Individual Education Plan? Having a child with a learning difference can be overwhelming and challenging. Knowing you have someone in your corner to support you can make the long days seem shorter! Let Access to Education support you through knowledge, understanding and 12+ years of experience with the system. This experience comes from being a person with an Learning Disability, a parent of two children with Learning Differences and an Educator.
Why Hire Access to Education?
Access to Education began over a year ago after it became clear that families didn’t always get the support they needed by just asking the education system. My first blog post is about me about me and the reasons for why I started supporting families as an advocate for students with Learning Disabilities. Over the past year and a half I’ve met many families struggling to understand how to navigate a system that is not user friendly. Today I want to share with you the top five reasons people work with me.
This week on the blog - 5 Reasons Families Work with me.
Families work with me a number of reasons but here are the top 5 reasons why.
Top 5 Reasons Families Work With Me
Help in Understanding Individual Education Plans
I have been supporting families in understanding IEP’s for over 12 years. I council families on how to work with the school, as an important team member, to ensure that the plan provides success for students. IEP’s and other documents can be a confusing and difficult to read with many sections, such as Modifications and Accommodations that can be overwhelming. In working with clients I walk them through the different sections, page by page and step by step on how to support their student.
New to Ontario Education System
If you have a student with learning needs moving to a new province, or school board, it can sometimes means relearning things you thought you understood. Unfortunate the Special Education System is not the same in every province, school board or country to country. When families move they seek out support to learn the new system and how to ensure what was in place in one location to can be transferred. I have worked with families who have come from out of the country, outside of the province, those new to the Toronto District School Board.
New Diagnosis Questions
Once families have seen a psychologist and have a diagnosis they are often left to navigate the system alone. They present their report to the school, attending meetings and attempt to understand the significance of what happens now. It can be overwhelming to get an understanding of your child’s learning profile, understand what it means and then on top of that navigate a system that is not always easy. Access to Education works with families from start to finish ensuring families find support and access to resources to benefit their child and family.
Year Long Advocate
Meetings and reviews happen at various times throughout the school year. Some families request my support throughout the school to support them in advocating for their child’s needs as they need. Just as not every child is the same or has the same needs, not every case is just one document or one need in duration. I have supported families from finding a psychologist, to understanding reports, to helping them explain to the school what they need and beyond.
Supporting Families
As an advocate I am here to support the families with whatever their needs are. My role is to enhance families abilities to feel understood, accepted and knowledgeable about what the next steps are. In supporting families I can help with, as mentioned above understanding IEP’s, but also helping to find resources or agencies. Parents are busy with family life, work life and other pressures, this sometimes doesn’t leave a lot of time for exploring and looking for supports. That’s where Access to Education comes in. Let me help you find resources and agencies who might be helpful in gaining support.
Asking for help is hard, but asking for it is brave.
So Why Come to Access to Education?
Simply having a child with learning needs, no matter how ‘easy’ or ‘difficult’ it seems, no that there is help. When I was going through it, even being in education, having been through the challenges myself, i hard, scary and overwhelming. May times I came felt hopeless and tired, as if I would never find support. I spend all my time trying to find help, talking to professionals and wishing someone there for me. Access to Education grew out of my own understanding of Special Education but also of my want to help others from feeling alone.
Reach out through email or through social media and let’s chat. Even if all you need is an ear to listen to your worries. I am here for you in whatever capacity you need. Lets chat!
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June can be a scary time of year for those who struggle with transitions. Looking at BIG T Transitions and little t transition can help you build a transition to ensures the success of your child.