If you are a “new parent” or you want to improve your advocacy skills, use this checklist to implement your Game Plan.

Advocacy Game Plan Checklist
To Do	Completed	Date
Gather Information and Hone Advocacy Skills
1. Read Crisis! Emergency! HELP! to help you devise short-term solutions and do long range planning. https://www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/articles/Crisis.html.
Notes:
2. Read From Emotions to Advocacy: The Parents’ Journey to help you understand your emotions and how to use emotions as a source of energy and strength. https://www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/articles/Emotions.html
Notes:
3. Read Your Child Has School Problems: Whose Fault Is It? to learn about “school culture” and how this hidden factor affects educational decision-making. https://www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/articles/ALESSI1.html
Notes:
4. Review The Art of Writing Letters to learn how to write letters that get results, and how to avoid common pitfalls. https://www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/articles/letters.draft.htm
Notes:
5. Read three times and highlight: Understanding Tests and Measurements for the Parent, Advocate and Attorney to learn how to measure your child’s progress in special education. https://www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/articles/tests_measurements.html
Notes:
6. Read Your Child's IEP: Practical and Legal Guidance for Parents & Advocates to learn about the legal requirements for your child’s IEP and how to develop good IEPs. https://www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/articles/iep_guidance.html
Notes:
Learn Your Rights and Responsibilities
7. Download IDEA 2004 (Statute and Pete's Commentary) https://www.wrightslaw.com/statute.htm
Notes:
8. Contact your State Department of Education. Ask them to send you ALL their publications about special education. http://www.yellowpagesforkids.com/help/seas.htm
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9. Contact your State Protection and Advocacy Agency. Ask them to send you ALL their publications about special education. http://www.ndrn.org/ndrn-member-agencies.html
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10. Contact your State Parent Training and Information Center or your State Community Parent Resource Center for help,information, and resources in your area. http://www.yellowpagesforkids.com/help/ptis.htm
Comprehensive Evaluation
11. Get a private sector expert involved who can evaluate your child, test him to measure educational progress, and make recommendations about the services he needs. http://www.fetaweb.com/help/eval.expect.meyer.htm
Notes:
Read One Book a Month
12. Read One Book a Month: Find more information in the Advocate’s Bookstore.https://www.wrightslaw.com/bkstore/bks_index.htm
Name of Book and date completed:
Join the Wrightslaw Online Community
13. Subscribe to the Special Ed Advocate Newsletter. https://www.wrightslaw.com/subscribe.htm
14. Read the articles, posts, and comments on the Wrightslaw Way Blog. https://www.wrightslaw.com/blog
Notes:
15. Get answers in the Q&A Database on the Community Helpline. https://www.wrightslaw.com/blog/community-helpline/
Notes:
16. Visit Wrightslaw on:
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wrightslaw/258027171722
Twitter https://twitter.com/wrightslaw
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/wrightslaw

Download the checklist in pdf format.

 

More Help from Wrightslaw

Topics A-Z https://www.wrightslaw.com/topics.htm

Type a phrase or term in the Search Box on any Wrightslaw page. https://www.wrightslaw.com

Attend a Wrightslaw Law and Advocacy Training https://www.wrightslaw.com/speak/schedule.htm

Wrightslaw Store: Books, DVDs, Training https://www.wrightslaw.com/store

 

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