Navigate and Advocate!: A Parent's Guide to the Special Education Process Through a Parent/Professional Lens

When You Understand the Process You Can Make Progress Does your child have an Individualized Education Program (IEP)? Do you find the special education process with all the meetings and excessive terminology to be quite overwhelming? Do you think your child might have a disability and needs a school evaluation but you don’t know where to start? Or, are you familiar with the process but want to learn more and sharpen your ability to play an active role on your child’s team as an effective advocate? This guide can help! Knowing how the process works, your rights as a parent, basic federal and state laws, understanding the value of teamwork, and maintaining high but realistic expectations are the power tools needed to help build and execute a successful plan for your child. The author’s unique perspective has been shaped by both personal and professional experiences, and in collaborating with school personnel through both of these roles. Her passion for helping other parents through the complexities of special education and supporting students of all abilities shines through in Navigate and Advocate.