ARE YOU READY TO HAVE GOOD THINGS HAPPEN AT SCHOOL?

•  Tired of the school presuming things that aren’t quite right about you and/or your child?
•  Frustrated because you know that “they” don’t quite ‘get’ your kid and how your kid learns best?
• Do any muscles in your body automatically tense up when you think about the school?
• Do you desire a way, a process really, that allows you to move forward with the school to have your child’s needs met?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you are in exactly the right place.

Parents have told me over and over that supportive and appropriate special education services are what they desire. We’ve all been told (by the school) that resources are limited. For some reason that never felt good or even quite right to me. And now You are here now because somewhere, deep inside, you also know that it’s not true. You are a RICH resource for your child, there are laws that provide you with resources, and the school district is a resource. Resources are abundant when you discover how to access them without a lot of work and worry.

The Real Story Behind How the Parent’s As Advocates Club Evolved

Parents told me they needed strategies and skills to feel like they could have any meaningful part at all in the IEP process. As we worked together, they also said they wanted new ways to listen and understand. They did not want to feel dismissed and out numbered at the school meetings. In fact, all they ever desired was to work with the school district so their child REALLY gets what they need  (not just what the school district tells you they need).  I have listened to this over and over again. I want to thank all the parents who encouraged me to put this information out in such a parent-friendly and safe environment.  I listened to my heart and thus established the Parent’s As Advocates Club.

The Parent’s As Advocates Club is a private, supportive environment where you gather to gain information and tools that allow you to effectively advocate for your child   You will learn how to make powerful educational decisions for your child and hold the school accountable.  

This club is about teaching parents how to work smart, not hard. You’ll learn how to use the law, and what you know about your child, to provide your child a supportive and appropriate educational experience. You’ll learn strategies to effectively advocate for your child’s needs within even the most hostile school environment.

I believe that parents can be the most powerful advocates a child can have if they have the tools and resources they need. You know your child better than anyone else, even the experts.  Unfortunately, the schools don’t want you know this. And they certainly don’t want you to have the tools and resources. So, they couch your rights in legal jargon and complicated, expensive procedures, to make it difficult for your to get your child’s needs met.

As a member of this club, I’ll help you de-tangle the jargon, eliminate the complications and save you time, energy and money while getting the help your child needs. For example, here’s a secret I want to share! Your intention for your child is not the same as the “professionals.”  While your intention is to help your child succeed in school, the schools often hold the intention to get by with simply meeting the ‘letter of the law’ whether it helps your child or not.

May I share a real story with you?

At one time I worked with the parents of a boy who was having greater than anticipated difficulties at school. I reviewed the paperwork and spoke with the parents about the issue. I began asking questions no one had asked before, like . . .

Did Ben crawl under the couch cushions?  The parents responded that he loved to lay on the couch with the cushions on top of him, even today. He got in BIG trouble for that and is not allowed to be under the cushions.

Does he like to be wrapped in a blanket? Yes, how did you know? He is always wrapped up in something, especially when he seems ‘out of sorts’.

Does he ever say anything about the lunchroom? He refuses to go to the lunchroom. In fact, he has told us that he gets in trouble so he can go to detention for lunch rather than the lunchroom,

Does he enjoy going to malls, or big sporting events? Absolutely not. He says there are too many people and it’s too loud. He is much happier when there’s not as much noise.

I saw in the report that he wears shorts all year round. Can you tell me anything about that?  Well, he always seems to be hot. Even as a baby he would pull his clothes off. He has never liked long pants and just rolls them up when we make him wear them. Other than the times he’s wrapped in a blanket, he always wants shorts on.

From this conversation, we explored the possibility that Ben may be environmentally sensitive to noise and temperature. While the parents are investigating this further, can something be done at school?  Ahhhhhh . . . let’s just try something.

Move Ben away from the heater so the noise isn’t as loud, and the heat isn’t so intense.

By just making that one accommodation, Ben had a much more positive experience in the classroom.  His acting out diminished by over 80% and his work production increased to 90%.

“My ability to organize myself before the [IEP] meetings and have a sense of peace is beyond what I ever imagined. I am now feeling heard at the meetings and feel like I’m more a member of the team. I don’t come home exhausted either!” A.M., Indiana 

“I can’t quit talking about how helpful working with you has been. After working with you, I started applying some of the strategies before I went to a school meeting. I can’t believe the changes that happened almost immediately.” J.G., Illinois

 “Every time my wife and I went to the IEP meetings we felt terrible about our parenting. Information was provided that didn’t quite address some of the things we were concerned about. Our questions never seemed to really get answered. I, in particular, always felt rushed. NOW, everything is different. We know that we’re the experts on our child and have developed ways to make the “system” work for our son. Sherry helped us ask the right questions to get what we wanted, gave us insight into how to manage ourselves, and gave us more hope, support, and encouragement than I can ever repay. Now I look forward to going to the meetings and moving forward with confidence”. P.T., Indiana

“ This experience was priceless for our family. Not only did it help with our LD son, it also helped our entire family because of the reduced stress level overall. I am amazed. Thank you Sherry for this gift, it is priceless.” J.S, Kansas.

The Bottom Line is The Parent’s As Advocates Club is a private club that supports parents by providing a safe place to gain information and learn how to integrate the power of the law with their own knowledge about their children. This club is very specific to parent advocacy within the school system.

Each month club members gather with education specialist Sherry Hudson for a Tele-class (I suggest a link here to a description of how teleclasses work and the protocols)  about advocacy and an interactive follow-up discussion forum.

Parent’s As Advocates Club Tele-class forums are interactive as information, skills, and practical strategies are modeled, practiced, and discussed.  You will be delightfully surprised at how each and every topic is directly relevant for you in some way.

Teleclasses are held on the 1st Sunday of each month 6-7:00 pm Eastern, with the Q & A forum from 7-7:30pm Eastern.  An additional Group call option on the third Sunday of each month is also available

During the next 12 months, the following topics will be addressed (The topics are not arranged in order of occurrence):

The importance of documentation and deciding what information to gather and keep.

How to formulate powerful questions that provide you with the information you want (rather than the information they want to give you).

What do you and your child want to happen at school this year?

Learn how to Identify What Needs Are Being Met and What Needs are Not Being Met

Navigating the IEP Labyrinth: The Basics

What message do you give your child about “school” and why?

Identify who the key players are, how they interact with each other, and who makes the final decision in Your Situation/School/School District

Parent/Teacher Conferences: Learn Powerful Questions to Ask In Order to Discover what’s really going on from the school’s perspective.

Your Intention is Not the Same As the “Professionals”: The Facts about decisions school personnel are “required” to make.

Preparing for an IEP meeting from the Inside Out

Managing Yourself at the meetings.

When you join the Parents as Advocates Club, you will:

• Learn how to get what you want at IEP meetings.
• Learn how to work with the school without fighting.
• Learn how to turn the school’s system to work in your child’s favor.
• Do it all from home....no sitter, no getting dressed up, no driving. You just call in and join the teleclass from the comfort of your home.
• Have a Positive Support Network of other parents effectively advocating for their children.
• Have ME as backup.

Regular Club Meetings will be held on the following dates:

2008 - Jan 6, Feb 3, Mar 2,  Apr 6, May 4, Jun 1, Jul 5  Aug 3, Sep 7, Oct 6, Nov 2, Dec 7

 

Choose from 3 levels of support  

Thank you all for sharing your time with me as you read this.  I am here to serve parents in ways they have requested. You are invited to join me. Just reserve your spot below.

Sherry