Special Needs Parents Must Develop Advocate Skills
by Joyce Koballa, Herald-Standard, June 13, 2006

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As a child's first teacher, parents have their children's interests at heart.

For the parent of a child with special needs, the interest goes even further including researching a variety of information about their child's disability and using the laws to help obtain the appropriate education program that "emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment and independent living," according to a man who mentors parents of special needs children through conferences.

Pete Wright, a Virginia attorney who represents children with special needs, said while parents often end up battling a school district for such services they must use the proper information, skills and tools to prevail.

"You have to be your own advocate," said Wright.

Wright and his wife, Pamela Darr Wright, a psychotherapist, have made it their goal to educate parents and guardians about special education laws at various conferences across the country, including at a two-day boot camp in Lancaster recently.

The couple also founded their own Web site, www.wrightslaw.com.

According to the Wrights, parents of special-needs children have two goals: To ensure the school provides their child with a "free appropriate education" that includes "specially designed instruction to meet the child's unique needs" and to build a healthy working relationship with the school.

Whether it's the parents, an evaluator or another person acting on the child's behalf, Pamela Wright said their role for support includes gathering the facts and information, organizing it and using it to resolve disagreements and disputes with the school district.

At the same time, Pete Wright said parents should educate themselves about legal rights, plan and use test scores to monitor a child's progress in special education, as well as keeping written records, asking questions, listening to answers, identifying problems and proposing solutions.

"These battles (with the schools) are being played everywhere around the country and these people have paved part of the road," said Pete Wright.