What is a Special Education Advocate?

A Special Education Advocate also known as a parent advocate or student advocate that assists parents of students that are suspected of or have been identified as a student with disability with understanding and navigating the process. Students and parents often struggle to advocate on their own for appropriate educational services, so some seek to educate themselves so that they can advocate for services on their own, and some seek help from a special education advocate to obtain the services they feel the student needs. Special Education Advocates are non-attorneys and do not provide legal advice.

What is a Special Education Attorney?

A Special Education Attorney is a legal professional who focuses on special education cases. 

Continuum of Services

Identifies different service delivery models to provide specially designed instruction to a student with a disability. Some of the services on the student’s IEP are directly designed to support the student in his/her general education class.

School Supports and Services

Response to Intervention (RTI)

Is an educational strategy used in schools to provide effective and high-quality instruction, monitor all students’ progress to make sure they are progressing as expected and provide additional support/intervention to students who are struggling.

Student Support Team (SST)

Is the first time that a school team meets to discuss a particular concern outside of a parent/teacher conference. SST meeting occurs when a group of professionals (educators, administrators, and other staff) meet regularly to address concerns about individual students or groups of students.

IDEA

  • The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law that makes available a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) by ensuring special education and related services to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation. IDEA governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education and related services to more than 6.5 million eligible infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities.

  • The IDEA requires schools to provide students with disabilities a FAPE in the least restrictive environment (LRE) through an individualized education program (IEP). FAPE means students with disabilities must receive all of the specialized supports and services that they need to benefit from their education, at no cost to them or their families. LRE means students with disabilities must learn in the same classes and the same schools that they would attend if they did not have a disability, as much as possible.

  • Finally, an IEP is a document created annually by the IEP team that describes what the student already knows, what the student will learn in one year, and what services and supports the school will provide to help the student reach his or her educational goals.

Section 504

  • Section 504 is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. Section 504 also ensures that any child with a disability has equal access to an equitable education. Under Section 504, students may receive accommodations and modifications at school.

  • Unlike the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 does not require a public school to provide an Individualized Educational Program (IEP) that meets a child’s unique needs and provides the child with educational benefit. Under Section 504, fewer procedural safeguards are available to the student with a disability and the student’s parents than under IDEA.