User:Lonestarmom

Special Education Advocate

Children with disabilities and their parents often face obstacles in the pursuit of public education. For years children with disabilities would progress only through Social promotion. Often times children would be placed in institutions, or the parents of those who sought the child's participation in public schools, would be required to pay for additional services in order for the child to access public schools. Through various United States federal laws like Section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, access to public schools opened up to children with disabilities. The Education for All Handicapped Children Act was revised and renamed as Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. In 1997 Congress required that public schools provide a Free Appropriate Public Education to all children with disabilities providing a provision of individualized services in the least restrictive environment. Special education law is complex, structured upon a cooperative federalism so parents are left to navigate both state and Federal law to understand how special education works. Application of these statutes and regulations occurs at the local level by local school districts under supervision of their State government. Disputes over the application of the law begins at the local school district and travels through an administrative procedure subject to judicial review.

Sometimes obstacles to education are identified. For example, when planning for one's individual needs and determination of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) public educators who might be unfamiliar with those interventions and methodologies that differ from commonly used educational practices. Educators might not understand the need for a specific appreciate the benefit of certain accesses that aide in the child's ability to benefit from education. As a result of many factors, sometimes including unfamiliarity, the parents experience of the special education processes can seem like it's an entirely legal one. At increasing times, parents have found the need to hire a special education attorney to represent the family because of the complex nature of the legal process of special education. Because of industry scarcity, special education lawyers can be in short supply in some states, like Texas. Another deterrent for parents who need a specialized lawyer can be a financial one. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act provides for parents to be assisted by a non-attorney child advocate during most of special education legal process exercises.

Special education advocates tend to have a wide spectrum of experience and/or knowledge regarding the special education process. Some advocates receive training through organizations like Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates/COPAA. Some special education advocates are trained by special education attorneys, and others learn by reading manuals, seeking advice, and/or by their own personal experiences as the parent of a disabled child. Multiple books and publications have been written to assist parents of children with disabilities navigate the process, and can be found at Wright's Law Website.

Lonestarmom was designed by Texas Special Education Advocate- Melanie Watson, and the site remains an informational website designed for parents of disabled children. Watson received specialized legal training through a variety of sources, including direct professional involvement and employment with a variety of special education attorneys. The Lonestarmom informational website is organized in a way that parents can locate information and resources about special education law processes or find resources regarding a specific disability and parent support networks. Helpful topics include: response to intervention, inclusion, as well as information about learning disabilities, speech impairment,  attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,  autism,  traumatic brain injury,  emotional and behavioral disorders , developmental disabilities and physical disabilities. Other topics include: IEP / ARD meeting suggestions, related services information such as occupational therapy, and manifestation determination hearing discipline procedures.

Through out the Lonestarmom website,  a parent will become aware of Watson’s personal struggles as a fellow parent in the process, and through further exploration, find effective resources utilized during Watson’s journey through helping hundred’s of families navigate the IEP  processes. Lonestarmom includes links for families to contact independent evaluators, parent support groups, and/or contact Watson herself when parents need direct assistance in the special education "'IEP'" process.

--Melanie Watson/Lonestarmom.com 21:51, 9 September 2009 (UTC)-