Advocating for Your Child . Supporting Your Child . Struggling to Learn . PBS Parents

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Advocating for Your Child

One of the best first steps toward supporting a child who is struggling in school is to understand the educational rights of students with disabilities. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was created to ensure educational opportunities for students with disabilities. In many cases, the system works very well, providing all of the specialized instruction, modifications, and accommodations a child with learning disabilities may need. In some cases, however, parents must take the initiative in getting schools to recognize their child's disability and provide what the child needs to succeed. These are a few of the steps parents can follow to help ensure that their child gets what he or she needs to be successful.

Observe and Record.
Observe your child's behavior and keep a written record of observations that suggest the child is struggling with a learning disability.
Talk with teachers.
Learn more about your child's learning style, strengths and weakness, and overall development in school by talking regularly with his or her teacher.
Pursue an evaluation.
Talk to your child's pediatrician, teacher, or counselor about arranging to have the child evaluated for a learning disability.
Share information with your child's teacher and school.
Bring any information that may be relevant to your child's evaluation to all meetings with teachers and school administrators.
Familiarize yourself with laws and services.
Learn all that you can about the laws and services for children with learning disabilities.
Identify resources —including legal advice, financial aid, tutoring, etc.— that exist in your area.
The Finding Resources area of this site contains a list of local resources.
Partner with your child's teacher and school administrators.
Be involved with teachers and school administrators in the development of your child's overall education. If your child qualifies for services under IDEA, work with teachers and school administrators to develop your child's Individualized Education Program (IEP).
Get involved politically.
Educate yourself about local, state, and national issues relating to education for students with learning disabilities.