Do You Need Help Getting an Appropriate Educational Program In Place For Your Child?

• Is your child struggling academically? Would you like to know how to help?

• Do you get repeated calls from your child’s teachers about behavioral problems? 

• Are you worried about your child’s progress?

• Are you satisfied with his or her current educational program? 

• Do you have questions about your child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP)?

• Do you have any concerns about their 504 accommodation plan or your rights as the parent of a child with a disability? 

It can be a painful experience for you, as a parent, to think that your child is not thriving at school. You want nothing more for your child than to be happy and successful, yet, for several hours per day, your child is at school and their well-being is out of your hands. Perhaps you feel like your child isn’t learning the way he or she should, so you are considering requesting an evaluation or an Individualized Education Program (IEP).  Alternatively, maybe your child already has an IEP, but you feel like they aren’t making the progress you expected. Moreover, you may have concerns that services in your child’s IEP are not being implemented correctly.

If you are like many parents who struggle with these challenges, you are probably looking for some clarity and answers. You are likely thinking, “If I just knew that my child was receiving appropriate programming at school to help them thrive, things would be so much better.” However, despite your attempts to advocate for your child, you feel like you are getting nowhere. Fortunately, Your IEP Source in Atlanta, Georgia, can provide you with relief and assurance.

Many Families Feel That Navigating the Special Education Process Is Like a Maze

If you need special education support, you are not alone. Many parents feel like there is a communication breakdown when they attempt to talk to school staff about their concerns. You may have attended many school meetings only to go home feeling like nothing is happening or that your child is making only minimal progress. You may have made requests to school staff for additional evaluations or services that were seemingly ignored. You’ve spent hours sitting around the table and nothing has gotten better. Even worse than that, perhaps you have requested to meet with school staff, and you have been brushed off or ignored.

When you are in a parent/teacher conference or other school meeting, do you feel like you are being fed a serving of alphabet soup?  FAPE? LRE? ESY? What are they talking about? What does that mean? Special education is full of acronyms and other jargon that is foreign to people who don’t work in the field. This can make you feel like you are at a disadvantage and not able to effectively advocate for your child’s needs. The good news is that with the help of an IEP consultant, you can feel educated and empowered. 

How Can a Special Education Advocate Help?

If you need help for your child’s special education needs, an IEP advocate can provide education, support, and guidance to you through the process. At Your IEP Source, we use an individualized approach in working with each family depending on the level of support that is needed. Some families are in need of information and education about their child’s disability or about special education processes and procedures. We work with you to increase your level of knowledge so that you can advocate on your child’s behalf.   

Other families seek a higher level of support. In these situations, we conduct a thorough review of the child’s records from both their school and from private providers. This records review allows us to determine if the current or proposed programming will meet the child’s needs. It also allows us to determine if there have been any violations in IEP procedures. Families who participate in an IEP records review with consultation walk away with detailed instructions on how to proceed with getting appropriate services in place for their child. 

Attending an IEP or similar school meeting is sometimes a taxing event. Mentally, information in the meeting can be difficult to process due to unfamiliar terminology or procedures. Emotionally, it can be draining and overwhelming to talk about your child’s disability, weaknesses, and needs. It may also be frustrating if you feel that the school is not listening to your concerns. Having a special education advocate at your side during your school meeting can help to alleviate some of these difficulties. Families choosing this service have an expert at their side to explain confusing information and to objectively make their concerns known to school staff. 

Additional and continuing special education support is also available. For instance, you can meet with your advocate in order to troubleshoot a specific problem or situation that has arisen. Similarly, meeting with an educational advocate can help you to prepare for an upcoming school meeting. Regardless of your situation, you get to choose the level and type of support that meets you and your child’s needs. 

You don’t have to continue feeling disadvantaged and in the dark when attending school meetings for your child. Dr. Brandi has over 15 years of experience in working with children with learning difficulties and behavioral concerns. Many of those years were spent working in a public school setting as a special education teacher and school psychologist. She has attended hundreds of IEP meetings, 504 meetings, and related school meetings.

You don’t have to navigate this process alone. Dr. Brandi will put her knowledge and experience of appropriate programming and special education procedures to work for you to help you get appropriate services in place for your child. Receiving special education advocacy services from Dr. Brandi will allow you to attend your next meeting feeling informed and empowered. 

You May Still Question If Special Education Advocacy Is Right For You… 

Maybe Things Will Get Better On Their Own. 

If you have a small problem with your child’s IEP services or other school programming, it is unlikely that it will resolve itself without you taking action. Many families seeking special education help report losing a significant amount of time trying to work things out with the school without an appropriate resolution. Before you know it, weeks or months have passed. In that time, your child has lost out on a whole grading period or worse, a whole year of appropriate instruction! Your child’s education cannot wait.

We Can Supplement Our Child’s School Services with Tutoring or Therapy.

Tutoring or private therapies can be an important part of your child’s overall programming or treatment. If your child qualifies for special education services, they should receive the services in the school setting as well. Similarly, if your child is improving with private services, they could progress even faster with services in school.

I’ve Heard That Hiring a Special Education Advocate Is Expensive.

Investing in your child’s education is an investment in their future. The services and accommodations that your child receives now are paving the way to further education, self-sufficiency, and independence in adulthood. It is best to resolve your issues with your child’s programming at the first sign of a problem. If left unaddressed, some issues can turn into a crisis for you and your family, which may be much more expensive. However, if finances are an obstacle to your child’s development or well-being, we offer a range of services at different price points to meet your needs.

Special Education Help Is Available

We have helped dozens of families who were having difficulty securing appropriate services for their children find positive outcomes. Examples of problems we have helped to resolve include children being denied special education evaluations or services, children’s disabilities being incorrectly identified, poor educational programming, inappropriate educational placement, discipline issues, and lack of implementation of services or accommodations.

If you are seeking a special education advocate in Georgia, we are located in Atlanta and service metro-Atlanta counties, including Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Cobb, Cherokee, Forsyth, Clayton, Henry, Rockdale, and Fayette counties. We can also provide support via phone or online meetings to families across Georgia. General information regarding navigating the special education process is available for all families regardless of where you live. Please click on the link below to schedule a new client consultation call to learn more about how Your IEP Source can help you.

A brighter future for your child starts today