Chapter 3 in this book by Susan L. Hall and Louisa C Moats outlines what it means to be an advocate and explains how to learn to advocate for your child.? The best quote to take away from this chapter is, Develop a language of persuasion rather than a language of positional battle.'

Order Now from Amazon

Recommended book by Norma Franculla, Parent Support Specialist

Parents are often the best educational advocates for their children, especially children with a learning disability. Brought to you by Reading Rockets, the Coordinated Campaign for Learning Disabilities developed the following tips to help parents champion their child.

Have you heard these myths? • Ivy League and other competitive colleges don’t have to provide disability accommodations. • Colleges are required to provide the same accommodations that students received in high school. • If students didn’t have to take foreign language in high school, they don’t have to in college, either. • Students with disabilities will find college too challenging. Don’t let misinformation affect your student’s post-high school choices. Students with disabilities attend and graduate from all kinds of colleges - even the Ivies. While they have to adjust to academic expectations at college (as do all students) and will find changes in the disability accommodation system, with the proper preparation, they can enjoy success! Author and Columbia University learning specialist, Elizabeth Hamblet explains how the system for accommodations works at college, describes students’ rights and responsibilities within that system, and shares what the research says are the skills students should develop while they’re in high school to ensure success when they reach...

Children with dyslexia may sometimes also struggle with anxiety, depression and low self-esteem.

"The Dyslexia Empowerment Plan" is a practical guide that helps parents to help their child accept, understand and embrace their dyslexia. The book also speaks to a parent’s fear about the difficulties their child may encounter in the greater society. It’s unique in that it reframes dyslexia as a characteristic – a personal trait, much in the same way that blue eyes or stature is.

Foss asserts that dyslexia should be accommodated in the same way that other disabilities are. The "Dyslexia Empowerment Plan" references 3 types of reading: eye reading, ear reading and finger reading. While it’s true that most people eye read, other types of reading are in no way inferior. All types of reading are purely a way to acquire knowledge, not to synthesize it. Foss highlights the current state of technology available to help dyslexics to read and write. He encourages parents to identify and leverage their child’s strength profile, to help their child to help themselves and create a community. Parents should focus on learning as a whole, rather than merely the ability to decode words.

Resiliency is incredibly important to dyslexic children. More than reading and writing skills, it will determine the long-term success of students. This Key Insight outlines the research on and ways to increase resiliency in children, highlights how to tailor it for dyslexic students, and how to foster this critical strength regardless of their learning profile.

A strong communication plan is one key to successful engagement with schools. Sample letters can give you the beginnings that you can customize for your individual situation and needs.

Communicating with your school is an important part of the special education process. ?These are two letters that you can use as a template when referring your child for an initial evaluation or an independent evaluation.

Self-advocacy is an important part of the development process for all children, but especially for those who learn differently. Check out these self-advocacy resources at the Wrightslaw website.

Looking for information on what types of tests are needed to identify dyslexia? This book provides a comprehensive practical guide to the most frequently used tests for diagnosing a suspected learning disability. It is easy to use and a great resource to bring with you to your child’s evaluation meeting at school. The book contains general test information, purpose and description of the test, subtest information and strengths of the tests in an easy to read format.