When we attended the first IEP(Individualized Education Plan) meeting for our son, Scott, we felt like a lamb being led into a lion's den. We were surrounded by every expert imaginable -psychologist, his teacher, speech therapist, occupational therapist, and sometimes the principal. Some of them we
had never met, and their presence often felt very intimidating. After the first few times, when we realized that we were a team and they needed our input, we felt much more in control of the process. It also became very clear over the years that they didn't have all the answers, any more than we did!
The worst thing to do is let yourself be intimidated. The best thing is to be prepared. Have a plan, know your child's capabilities, be realistic, and know what you want! Also, know your rights - what services your child is entitled to under the law. Sometimes you actually need an advocate to come to your meetings - a person who can steer you through the process. That's part of what this book is about.
It's a tall order, but again.....there are resources available to help you be an advocate for your child with autism. One of the better products we have found is a guide called "Special Education - A Parent's Guide to IEP's for Learning Disabilities."
For more information, go to http://www.theconfidentadvocate.com.
What People are Saying about "Ask the Advocates":
"The difference between our son's first and second initial special education eligibility meetings was like night and day. At the first meeting, it was as if we walked into a time warp and had no idea what was going to happen. My gut feeling was that what they were saying about our child didn't totally make sense. We had no idea what the testing meant or what had to be done to help him. They kept telling us what we should do and insisting that we sign even though we had no idea what we were signing, and we didn't understand about his ability and his disability. I did some research on the internet, but I just couldn't learn it fast enough. It was a whole new field of study!
The advocate we found between the meetings, explained everything to us in language we could understand, analyzed the actual testing and the IEP (Individual Education Plan) document, asked questions, and offered solutions. We knew nothing about reading programs, but she convinced the school (we're still not sure quite how she did this) to use one of the major research-based reading programs to teach him. She gave us a plan to follow, got us accountability from the school, and got our son the instruction he needed. She also encouraged us to find a dyslexia specialist to help him outside of school. She is a walking encyclopedia and has given us so many resources!
We still bring her with us to meetings although we now feel like valued members of our son’s team; she can talk that same language the school folks do and gets things we (and sometimes the staff) hadn't even thought of into place. She helps to make sure everyone - teachers, tutors, therapists - and everything is coordinated. If snags occur, she knows who to call and gets a plan into action. Had we not found this wonderful advocate, no doubt our son would still not be able to read or do math. She is truly a godsend.”
-Susan Williams, Boulder, CO
"My wife and I would like to express our thanks and appreciation for the work Ailsa Wonnacott has done on behalf of our 16 year old son. Our son is both bipolar and severely ADHD. Both conditions have created big social and academic challenges for him in high school. But, in consultation with Ailsa at our home and on the phone, and with her participation in our latest meeting at the school, we are very happy with the direction we are going.
Ailsa is knowledgeable in mental health issues, school district matters, and the rights and needs of people with disabilities. She is a great advocate for our son. She is professional and is empathetic to the challenges he faces. I wish we had met her a long time ago, but now that we have, we are happy to have her in our support network.
I couldn't recommend Ailsa more highly."-Keith Wisner, Boulder, CO
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