Special Needs Advocacy Resource

Rich Weinfeld is a national leader in the education of gifted children with learning difficulties. Weinfeld was instrumental in coordinating the Montgomery County, MD, gifted and learning-disabled program and is currently an educational advocate in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. Michelle Davis is a special educator with more than a decade of experience advocating for students with learning, attention, and behavior disorders. A skilled advocate who seeks to secure school services that prepare children for success in life, she is the director of ABCs for Life Success, LLC, a Washington, DC, area educational consulting firm specializing in serving students with special needs.

Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1 Why Is It Important That We Advocate for Students? Chapter 2 What Do Effective Advocates Do? Chapter 3 What Does an Advocate Need to Know About Outstanding Classrooms or Educational Programs? Chapter 4 What Does an Advocate Need to Know About the Law? Chapter 5 What Does an Advocate Need to Know About the IEP Process? Chapter 6 What Does an Advocate Need to Know About Evaluating a Child’s Strengths and Needs? Chapter 7 What Does an Advocate Need to Know to Work Effectively With the Parents and Family? Chapter 8 What Does an Advocate Need to Know About the School System, School, and Classroom? Chapter 9 What Does an Advocate Need to Know About Educational Options Beyond the Standard Public School Offerings? Chapter 10 What Does an Advocate Need to Know About the Dynamics of School Meetings? Chapter 11 What Does an Advocate Do to Ensure Effective Implementation and Evaluate Efficacy of Individual Student Plans? Chapter 12 How Can Parents Organize Into Groups and Effectively Advocate for Their Children? Conclusion Glossary References About the Authors