Self-advocacy training beat legal aid every time for my son's IEP meetings

I dragged my kid to a lawyer for 2 years and got nowhere. Then I spent $150 on a 6-hour self-advocacy workshop through the local disability center, and my son walked into his next meeting and asked for his own accommodations. Has anyone else found that teaching the person to speak up works better than hiring someone to do it for them?

2 comments

2 Comments

rowanw3113d ago

Took my daughter to three different advocates over two years and nothing changed. Signed her up for a peer mentoring program at the local autism society where she learned to say what she needed in her own words. The next IEP meeting she told the team she learns better with a quiet space and extra time on tests. They actually listened because it came from her, not from some adult fighting on her behalf. She's been running her own meetings ever since and the school respects her way more now that she speaks for herself.

william40713d ago

That's a great story. It reminds me of the time I tried to teach my son to advocate for himself and he told the school board I was "being a little much" about his math accommodations. He wasn't wrong. It's funny how a kid can say the exact same thing you've been saying for months and suddenly it clicks for everyone. Sounds like your daughter learned that skill way earlier than most adults do. I think there's real power in letting them find their own voice, even if it means we have to sit back and keep our mouths shut for a change.