EDUCATION

The law may entitle your child to a service, but what if the school is understaffed and unable to deliver it? Barb Allan, an Aurora, Ont., mother of three, knows all about the gap between legality and reality. Her daughter, Meredith, 14, has Down syndrome, and Allan spends a lot of time staying informed. Last winter, when it seemed there was no money to pay for an aide to accompany Meredith on a ski trip, Allan’s insider’s knowledge paid off. Because Allan is on the parent council, she knew the gym teacher had a special fund to pay for supply staff when a teacher had to accompany a team to an away game. “I suggested they use this money to hire a supply teacher to cover for Meredith’s regular aide.”

Many parents are giving up. So says Janis Jaffe-White, coordinator of the Toronto Family Network — a parent-to-parent support group for families of children with special needs. “[Parents] become overwhelmed by all of the information they need to know in order to ensure their child receives an appropriate educational program. They get confused by the jargon, intimidated by the experts and worn down by the system — especially parents whose first language is not English.” But it doesn't have to be that way. Here's how you can ensure your child with special needs is getting the best education possible:

• Educate yourself. Read the Education Act to see how it applies to your child’s situation. You can find it on your provincial ministry of education website.

• Learn the lingo. Brush up on terms used to describe different learning requirements and programs. For example, does your “exceptional child” qualify for ISA (Intensive Support Amount)? You’ll gain the respect of administrators and they’ll also be more willing to consider your suggestions when planning your child’s program.

• Avoid referring to yourself as an “advocate.” This term has become controversial; board officials often view it as confrontational. Instead, present yourself as an “informed parent.”

• Suss out the system. Meet everyone responsible for approving or implementing different parts of your child’s program.

• Find out when different tasks should be completed. Are you applying for technical or classroom support? Nail down a date when you can expect each step to be completed and follow up with the staff member responsible.

• Document everything. You’ll be dealing with many different people and levels of bureaucracy; it’s easy to forget who said what when. Review all documents before you sign them. It’s important to reflect on what was said in a meeting and whether signing a form is in your child’s best interest.

• Accept all invitations to meetings about your child. Find out the purpose of the meeting and who will be in attendance. Arrive with all your documentation in hand.

• Keep goodwill with your child’s teacher and administrators. Treating staff with respect will keep them onside.

• Don’t fly solo. Hook up with other parents facing similar challenges to yours to share advice, information and support. A few good places to start are family-alliance.com, parentsadvocacy.com, or the Canadian Association for Community Living, cacl.ca.

Originally published in Today's Parent, September 2005