Need an advocate for your kid's IEP?

It seems to be getting harder and harder to find educational advocates to help parents with their kids' IEPs. Maybe that's because it's the parents that have to foot the bills to get their schools to provide the services that the schools are legally required to provide.

Why should it be a battle?

The IEP Team is supposed to be a 'team". That "team" includes the parent and, often, the student. Also on the team are all the school personnel and others on the school payroll. Often, the line-up looks like this:

Principal
Special Ed Director
Special Ed teacher(s)
Regular Ed teacher
Social worker
Occupation therapist
Language therapist
Reading specialist
Parent
Student

The order ought to be Student, Parent, ...

And too often it feels like

Principal, Special Ed Director, Special Ed teacher(s), Regular Ed teacher, Social worker, Occupation therapist, Language therapist, Reading specialist
vs.
Parent, Student

If you need a professional, experienced educational advocate, call Pam Labellarte at (847) 401-5053 or email Pam at plabellarte@gmail.com

Pam's website is at www.fromadvocacy2action.com

I first met Pam in January 2006, when she was a Parent Advocate at the Lake County Center for Independent Living. Do you have questions? Call Pam before more of the school year passes. This is IEP season. Know your your rights under Federal and State law to stand your best chance of getting all the services to which your child is entitled.