How can I be an advocate for my child with autism in school?
What is Advocacy?
Advocacy means supporting and enabling another person to meet their needs, especially when they may be particularly vulnerable. Children with special needs fall under this category. With autism affecting 1 in every 50 children in Canada, the need for advocacy is even more pressing.
As a parent of a child with autism or other special needs, you likely already advocate for your child in various situations. Advocacy, especially through empowerment, plays a key role in assisting children with autism to live a more fulfilling life.
How can I effectively advocate for my child who has autism?
Autism spectrum disorder comes in a variety of forms, and every individual is unique and special in their own way. The good news is that autism awareness is on the rise and early intervention can greatly help. Below are eight strategies for how to be a strong advocate for your child in the school system:
- Know your and your child’s rights
- Know your child’s rights and your rights and responsibilities as a parent in the school system. Read through the special education policy manual for British Columbia.
- Create a partnership with the school
- The school-based team will be your contact for sharing successes, discussing priorities, and addressing any issues that arise for your child at school. Your school team may change from year to year, but it is important to build a positive relationship with your child’s school-based team members to collaborate and plan for your child’s success at school.
- Stay organized
- Keep records of all communications with the school and other professionals involved.
- Emails are a good way to stay in contact with the school team and allow you to keep all meaningful communication in one place.
- Actively participate in meetings
- Be ready to participate in meetings with the school-based team by coming prepared with key information and questions.
- If you are unfamiliar with an Individualized Education Plan, take time to learn what it is and how it contributes to your child’s success at school. This video series from Autism Community Training is a great place to start! Information about IEPs delivered in Punjabi is available here.
- Have a clear idea about what your priorities are and be prepared to explain them.
- Talk about your child’s strengths and challenges. This will help develop a customized treatment for autism.
- Ask for deadlines and benchmarks.
- Invite other support people who work with your child, such as your behaviour consulting team, and notify the school-based team that these team members will be attending.
- Identify the next steps in the action plan for your child’s individualized education plan, including a timeline and who is responsible for what.
- Take detailed notes during the meeting.
- Identify key problems and possible solutions
- During your child’s educational journey, problems may arise. It is important to identify any issues and to use good communication to notify the school-based team of these issues. This can help to reduce barriers to collaboration and solve the problem as quickly and successfully as possible. The importance of early intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder cannot be overstated.
- Pinpoint who key decision makers are
- Depending on the issue at hand, you may need to advocate at different levels. For example, if there is an issue with funding in the school system, you may need to approach the school board or the Ministry of Education.
- It is important to know the roles of the various people involved in your specific school and the larger school system and take the steps necessary to advocate to the right person.
- Know when to seek support
- Advocating for your child is not an easy job. Seek out support from family members, local support groups, or your home-based team.
- Do not be afraid to fight for your child’s needs
- As a parent, you know your child better than anyone else and if your child has an unmet educational need, you have every right to seek out a solution to meet the needs of your child.
- By knowing your child’s and your rights, collaborating positively with the school, actively participating in your child’s education plan, and seeking out support from others, you will be a strong advocate and give your child a much louder voice.
For more information on inclusion and advocacy for children with autism, or other special needs, in the school system, check out Inclusion BC’s parent manual on inclusive education or a free ACT presentation on the essentials of advocacy.