I've been my children's advocate since I put my oldest into pre-school at age 3.For years I've learned the laws such as IDEA, & ADA(Americans with Disabilities Act) and the educational rights of my children.Dealing with IEP's and 504's and now the Florida FCAT.
Countless hours talking to lawyers,teaching staff, and other advocate rights groups.What knowledge I've learned should have earned me a Master's Degree by now.
Being a parent of special needs children is hard enough,but being a single parent with no real support network of special needs children is almost impossible.Getting your voice heard by those that think they know it all in education is extremely difficult even in the best of conditions.
Now I am fighting as an advocate for both my children in TWO different arenas.My oldest, while off of IEP's and 504's for years now, needs me to educate the teachers and staff about his medical conditions.My youngest,recently put on IEP'S, needs me to fight for proper information and hold the teachers accountable.
My son has severe ADHD,most people have a better idea of what this is now.He's been and still treated with medication for this,but it has become less of an issue over the years.Yet he has another condition that teachers blew off as a joke because it was called a Generalized Mood Disorder.Now it has been re-classified to BipolarII.It is time for me to educate the educators about this condition so that we can hopefully not have the same on-going problems.He is medicated for this condition as well,but he also receives mental health therapy as well.
My daughter has a learning disability.She has a reading comprehension problem.Her ESE teacher for the last 2 years has failed to comply with the IEP's,IDEA law and Americans with Disabilities Act.She has allowed my daughter to fall threw the cracks not once, but twice now.That's even after I brought the County Schoolboard into it.Although my daughter has made a little progress,it was not significant enough for her teacher to tell me, yet again,that she has met her goals on the IEP.
Now I must search for a legal advocate in both cases for my children.I know there are programs for low-income families for this,but I have to find them.
***Just a quick side note to all this:In the state of Florida,Florida statutes are given the priority over the Federal ones.
I am hoping to find a group of parents that are willing to help fight the state statutes!!!Until the state statutes change our special needs children will continue to suffer here in the state of Florida***
