Anyone ever hired an advocate?

skylark94

I'm getting really tired of being blown off my by daughter's school and I am seriously considering hiring an advocate to attend our next IEP meeting. I need a shark in my corner because I tend to freeze up when it's me against a room full of people who only seem to care about their budget.

Has anyone had any experience with advocates?

houseofcarpenter

i haven't had any experience with them but i had a meeting this week with my sons school - before i would always go alone and seemed to get bulldozed and come out thinking nothing has changed... this time i went totally prepared i called my husband out of work and took my mum who see's alot of the problems my son has and took a notepad and pen and we sat there like an army of lawyers not prepared to take any bullying and we got alot further than we ever have before. It's heartbreaking that everything comes down to money isn't it? x

sewist

Yes! Best $1500 I ever spent. We had worked with our district for some time and they were responsive but over time it became obvious our son was not progressing. I was able to ask someone (I respected) who no longer worked for our district for advice based on team meetings she had attended as a professional. I hired the advocate she found most knowledgeable/formidable. Although outplacement was not our objective in hiring an advocate, our son was offered outplacement (and the opportunity to select his new school) the third meeting she attended.

lmelangley

I've had two experiences, one with a patient care rep from the hospital and the other from a developmental doctor who happens to live up the street from me. In both cases, we knew these people, and they knew our daughter. We discussed what we wanted with them, then brought them to the IEP meetings. What was interesting was that at both meetings, we said what we wanted and it was rubber stamped. The patient care rep and the doctor didn't have to say a word.

I used to freeze up, too. But, what you need to remember is that your child is entitled to receive what they need from the school and not some watered down agenda. If they pull out the budget argument, tell them you'd like an accounting with items that are unnecessary highlighted. You are not asking for anything your child isn't entitled to.

rchambers2072

I have a targeted case manager for my kids. Not sure if that is only for mental health issues though. Our TCM coordinates all the services the kids get; talk/play therapy, behavior modification, attends school meetings, doctors appts, court issues, and walked us through the process of getting each of my kids into the residential programs they went to. She always goes to our IEP meetings. Those things always intimidate me. I am grateful to have someone on our side for them.

mygrl4meee

I reconnected with an old teacher of mine on fb and she offered to be my sons adovocate free of charge. She ended up sick and didn't make it to the iep meeting but was on the phone and asked all the right questions and told them what she wanted to see. She continues to do her thing for us in email. Its been really good.

LainMac

I have hired both a lawyer (expensive but worth it) and several advocates (mostly worth it).

If you can find someone you like and understands your child's issues, then I would say go for it.