How to Advocate for Your Child’s Needs in School
Parents and guardians play a crucial role in ensuring the success of their child, in life, and specifically, in school. If you have a child with a learning disability, psychiatric difficulty, or history of trauma, they may benefit from extra assistance at school, and you will need to advocate for your child's needs. As knowledge and awareness about children’s mental health increases, schools are improving at meeting the needs of these students, integrating and facilitating the best learning experience for them. However, parents may need to advocate for their child. What falls under the disability umbrella? Learning disabilities vary and can also be impacted by other conditions such as ADHD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. Children on the autism spectrum may have high intelligence in one area but struggle in others. This list outlines some of the more common learning disabilities. Dyslexia A learning disability that makes reading and decoding what was read difficult. Dyscalculia A learning disability that makes understanding numbers and math difficult. Dysgraphia A neurological condition that makes it difficult to write. Dyspraxia A neurological condition that affects fine and gross motor skills. Dysphasia/Aphasia A condition that makes speech and language difficult. Auditory processing disorder A condition that makes it difficult to hear differences in sounds. Visual processing disorder A condition in which the brain has difficulty interpreting visual information. Figuring out your child’s struggles so you can advocate for your child's needs may take time, requiring testing and a diagnosis by a speech or occupational therapist. You may need a referral from your child’s pediatrician to get a diagnosis. Once you have it, though, it will be easier to start the process of getting an IEP or 504 plan. What is an IEP and a 504 plan? A 504 plan is a list of [...]
