How To Advocate Successfully For Your Child

"A new, straightforward presentation-- in understanding language-- of the essentials you need to know to get you child what he or she needs"--Cover.

Six Steps to Successful Child Advocacy: Changing the World for Children (by Amy Conley Wright and Kenneth J. Jaffe) offers an interdisciplinary approach to child advocacy, nurturing key skills through a proven six-step process that has been used to train child advocates and create social change around the world. The approach is applicable for micro-advocacy for one child, mezzo-advocacy for a community or group of children, and macro-advocacy at a regional, national, or international level. This practical text offers skill-building activities and includes timely topics such as how to use social media for advocacy. Case studies of advocacy campaigns highlight applied approaches to advocacy across a range of issues, including child welfare, disability, early childhood, and education. Words of wisdom from noted child advocates from the U.S. and around the world, including a foreword from Dr. Jane Goodall, illustrate key concepts. Readers are guided through the process of developing a plan and tools for a real-life child advocacy campaign.

Special Needs Advocacy Resource Book: What You Can Do Now to Advocate for Your Exceptional Child's Education is a unique handbook that teaches parents how to work with schools to achieve optimal learning situations and accommodations for their child's needs. From IEPs and 504 Plans, to IDEA and NCLB, navigating today's school system can be difficult for even the most up-to-date, education-savvy parent. Special needs advocates Rich Weinfeld and Michelle Davis provide parents and professional advocates with concise, easy-to-understand definitions and descriptions of legal terms and school regulations, along with checklists, tips, questionnaires, and other tools. Topics covered in this handy guide include gathering accurate information about a child's education, navigating school meetings, understanding education law, and best practices in the classroom, working effectively with parents and school systems, discovering educational options beyond the standard, and much more. Parents and advocates not only will feel informed by Weinfeld and Davis' vast knowledge of the inner workings of the school system—they'll be empowered to help their kids succeed in school. Educational Resource

Aimed at parents of and advocates for special needs children, explains how to develop a relationship with a school, monitor a child's progress, understand relevant legislation, and document correspondence and conversations.

This updated edition of this bestselling, straightforward guide provides the essential information for parents and advocates to understand US law and get the right educational entitlements for a dyslexic child. Using case studies and examples, this book demonstrates clearly how to apply the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to the unique requirements of a dyslexic child. It offers simple, intelligible help for parents on how to coordinate successfully with their child's school and achieve the right services and support for their dyslexic child; up to and beyond getting an effective Individual Education Plan (IEP). Dyslexia Advocate! is an invaluable tool for parents trying to negotiate a complex legal system to get the best outcome for their child. With brand new chapters on the structure of special education services in the US and current state laws, this guide is fundamental to understanding and advocating for your dyslexic child.

Revised edition of How much is enough?, published in 2004 by Marlowe & Company.

Roosevelt Mitchell III, M.Ed. provides a clear blueprint and resources for parents to effectively advocate for their child in any school setting. You will learn about the FIVE commandments of parent advocacy, know what questions to ask at parent/teacher conferences/surprise visits, effective ways of communicating with school staff to get what you want, how to document properly and much more! The book includes dozens of forms, a parent contract, and letters.

"In I Speak for This Child, best-selling novelist Gay Courter recounts her experiences as a Guardian ad Litem, a volunteer court-appointed advocate for children involved in the legal system. Every day, children are involved - often as the objects of custody battles or as victims of abuse -- in legal proceedings that they can't comprehend, but that will greatly affect their chances for future security and happiness. Lawyers work in the best interests of their clients, who are usually the parents, judges must remain impartial, and social workers are hampered by excessive caseloads and bureaucratic rules. Only one person speaks -- fiercely, independently, and with broad legal powers -- purely on behalf of the child: the Guardian ad Litem. Child advocacy programs exist in hundreds of jurisdictions in all fifty states, but most are in great need of volunteers. This is the true story of Gay Courter's experiences as a Guardian ad Litem, of her first tentative approach to her local program, of learning about the duties and responsibilities of her position, and of her efforts to ensure that, at least in the cases assigned to her, America's most vulnerable citizens were treated with care and respect. Her story is both heartbreaking and heartwarming, and is an inspiration for anyone who has ever looked up from a newspaper and wondered, "What can I do to help?" -- from cover.