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Parental Perspectives of Advocate Involvement in
the Special Education Process: What School Psychologists Need to Know
Courtney Matz, Ph.D
Centinela Valley Union High School District
Stephanie Domzalski, Ph.D NCSP, LEP #3151Huntington Beach City USD
CASP Annual Convention: October 2015
Advocacy
Advocate
Definitive Distinctions?
Parents Advocates School Personnel
Objective Aid parents Act in the best interest of child
Know law and process Know the system Articulate parent and student needs
Guidance and support Knowledge and training Knowledge of the law
Focus on student’s unique needs
Evaluation, diagnosis, goals, accommodations, services
Guide families
Professional Plan specific to the child Facilitate communication among team members
Respected
Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not
the truth
Marcus Aurelius
Rese
arc
h Q
uest
ion
s
How do parents perceive the special education process?
How do parents come to the decision to obtain an educational advocate or attorney to help them through the special education process?
How can school personnel make the special education process better?
What do those considering seeking the assistance of an advocate to aid them through the special education process need to know?
Prim
ary
Sou
rces o
f Con
flict
Design
Delivery
Relationships
Lite
ratu
re R
evie
w:
ID
EA
/ID
EIA
Mediation
Resolution
Session
Due Process
Appeal Procedures
Litera
ture
R
evie
w:
Health
-Seekin
gCommon Trends
Social InfluencePerception of Illness
Access to care and resourcesKnowledge
Other TrendsAbility to cope
Trying other alternatives
Two or more PEOPLE
who INTERACT and PERCIEVE
INCOMPATABLE DIFFERNECES between or THRATS to
their RESOURCES, NEEDS, or VALUES
This causes them to BEHAVE
In RESPONSE to the INTERACTION and their perception of it. The conflict then ESCALATES or
DEESCALATES
The objective is to examine the way that individuals and groups experience the world, construct knowledge, and make meaning of their experience
(Paul, Kleinhammer-Tramill, & Fowler, 2009)
Qualit
ati
ve R
ese
arc
h
Meth
odolo
gy:
Colle
ctive C
ase
Stu
dy
A collective case study is a combination of several case studies designed to investigate a phenomenon, population, or general condition and provide us with depth of information regarding our area of inquiry (Stake, 2000).
Allows us to see the trends that emerge across cases and develop thorough descriptions and explanations of processes and outcomes (Miles & Huberman, 1994).
Methods: Research Design
ParticipantsSelection Criteria and Number of
Participants
Sampling Methods
Obtaining Participants
ParticipantsPseudony
mChild Name
Child Age
EligibilityOccupati
onMarital Status
SiblingsRecruitm
ent Method
Advocate or
Attorney
Time in Sped
LA N 11 Autism Attorney Married 1 CAC Attorney 11
AE
N
17
TBI
School
Psychologist
Married
1
Professional Capacity
Advocate
6
IE
Y 12 OHI Student Divorce 1Advocate Referral
Advocate 1
AR E 15 OHIHomemak
erMarried 5
Advocate Referral
Advocate 8
NL
R
9
OI, ID, OHI
Homemak
er
Married
1
CAC
Advocate
9
HN
N
15
OI, TBI
Attorney
Single
3
Advocate Referral
Advocate
5
EN
M
16
Autism
Homemak
er
Married
1
Professional Capacity
Attorney
12
ES
C
12
Autism
Speech
Pathologist
Married
0
Advocate Referral
Advocate
8
AY
R
14
Autism
Clinical
Lab Scientist
Married
0
Advocate Referral
Advocate
8
Inte
rvie
w Q
uest
ion
s
Part 1: Focused Life History
• Tell me about your child.
• Tell me about their experiences in school, beginning from when they started preschool or kindergarten?
• Tell me about your child’s disability and what is most important for me to understand about him or her.
Inte
rvie
w
Qu
estio
nsPart 2: Details
• How did you discover that your child needed special education services?
• What has the special education process been like for you?
• When did you know that you wanted the assistance of an advocate?
• How did you think the advocate would be helpful?
• Was the advocate helpful in the way that you thought? If not, why?
Inte
rvie
w
Qu
est
ion
sPart 3: Reflection on Meaning
• Describe how your child’s educational experience is going as of now.• In retrospect, is the outcome of obtaining an advocate what you hoped it would be?• Is there anything about your role in your child’s education that you might do differently if given the chance to start over?•What is your relationship with the school staff?•What were the benefits of having an advocate? •What were the disadvantages of having an advocate?• If you were to speak with other parents considering the same obtaining the services of an advocate, what advice/suggestions would you offer?• Is there anything else you think it is important for me to know?
Stress, Exhaustion, and Tears: The Terrible IEP Experience
The morning we spent reliving that whole period of time was more upsetting than I had anticipated. It really freaked me out for the better part of the week. It was traumatic to say the least. And that's my side as a parent. You must imagine what it does to the child. (A)
When Trust is Gone
We were so naïve I think and trusting. I think there is a moral compass to all of it when you have a kid with special needs you expect that they will just do the right thing. (E)
They are looking at it money wise…because that is their main concern. (A)
Fight the Good Fight
It is a constant fight. We are always fighting…and it is a constant battle with them. (H)
There was fighting every day with the school. (E)
I had to fight tooth and nail to get him more services and basically I knew it was going to be this huge uphill battle. (E)
It’s Called an IEP for a Reason
She still wasn't getting the support she needed to be able to function on a daily basis. (I)
It was like daycare and I was like this is not going to happen. I don't know what the expectation is I have no idea. But I see I just feel that it is an educational environment it is not daycare and that is how it is conducted in my opinion. Very little time is spent on academics.(H)
Discrepant Views of the Child
Christopher is a phenomenal boy a very joyful very funny insightful extremely perceptive and very sensitive child and he knows a lot more than meets the eye to a lot of educators and I know that for a fact (E)
Had that mentality that no matter what you do with them they cannot go beyond. I know he has a disability but he can do it. (A)
There is nothing wrong with him. He is perfectly fine. (E)
Monkey in the Middle
Off record she was very honest with me and it's nice to see that somebody is in Natalie's corner. But I know that being part of the team she can't say much. (A)
I feel like the teachers want to help. I feel like there is more resistance from the superintendent. I feel like she is the one pulling the strings and putting the brakes on everything even though she says that she's not but that's what I feel from her I feel resistance from her. I feel like the principal would handle things differently if she were in charge but that she is kind of stuck in the middle. (I)
Navigating the Systematic Barriers
You have to ask them the right way. They cannot just offer things or say this might help or have you considered this type of thing or this might help your child. (N)
It is really difficult because IEPs are so complicated. I don't know the system. I was not informed of any of the rules and when you have a problem you need to be in form of the rules. (H)
Role
of
the A
dvoca
te
Advocate as
Relief
Advocate as
Expert
Advocate as Voice
What School Personnel Can Do
Make the IEP World a Better Place
Educating the Educat
ors
Effective Communication: Relationship Questions
Tell me about your child.
How can I help guide you through the process?
Is there anything else that you think I should know?
Effective Communication: Design Questions
Tell me about your child’s experiences in school thus far
What are your child’s needs and how can we meet his/her needs?
Effective Communication: Delivery Questions
How has the process been for you thus far?
Describe how your child’s educational experience is going as of now.
How School Professionals Can Help Improve Parent Perceptions of the IEP
process
• Listen to parents• Address concerns• Know child’s strengths and weaknesses and offer
solutions/suggestions for how to help• Follow-up on promises made during meetings• Communication• Documentation• Implement IEPs with fidelity
How School Professionals Can Help Improve Parent Perceptions of the
IEP process
• Care for the child• Individuals from a variety of disciplines• Collective decision-making• Parent friendly language• Parent education• Continuum of services and funding• Academic rigor
What School Professionals Can Do To Help
• Allow parents to be experts on their child• Encourage parents to engage in a meaningful
conversation/encourage input and opinions• Find a program that is a good fit• Information about placement options• Collaboration and problem-solving• Supportive teachers/empathy• Professional development• Integrating evidence-based practices
Implications for School Personnel
• Facilitated IEPs• Goals created with input from all team members, based
on their expertise• The use of a parking lot (i.e., saving issues that are off
topic for a later discussion)• A welcoming environment• Pre-meeting planning and communication, which allows
team members to brainstorm ideas that can be incorporated into the IEP, • Essential knowledge of all IEP team members, which
includes student strengths• Limiting jargon
Epilogue: My Suggestions
Send information home
Phone
calls
Intake Meetings
Communication
References
•Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded source book (2nd ed.) Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.• Paul, J., Kleinhammer-Tramill, J., & Fowler, K. (2009). Qualitative research evaluation methods in special education. Denver, Colorado: Love Publishing Company.• Stake, R. E. (2000). Case Studies. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (2nd ed., pp.435-454). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
Resources
• A Guide to Special Education Advocacy: What Parents, Clinicians, and Advocates Need to Know by Matthew Cohen
•A Parent's Guide to Special Education: Insider Advice on How to Navigate the System and Help Your Child Succeed by Linda Wilmshurst and Alan Brue
More Resources
• http://www.wrightslaw.com/• http://www.understandingspecialeducation.com/
