An advocate is someone who speaks, writes in favor of, supports, advises or urges by argument in support of another person. When a child with hemiplegia is young, the parent is usually the child’s best advocate. As the child gets older, he can begin to advocate for himself. Begin early to teach your child how to recognize and ask for what she needs.
Advocating in School for a Child with Hemiplegia
It’s a good idea to write your concerns in a polite letter. Hand deliver this letter to the teacher and walk the teacher through your concerns. Leave the letter behind as a record and keep a copy for your files. You might also follow up with a copy of the letter sent via email. Writing your concerns in a letter means there will be no misunderstandings about what you are communicating and there’s also a record of it. If you need to escalate an issue, then you have a paper trail documenting what occurred and you can avoid the “he said/she said” situation. A paper document emphasizes that you are serious about getting issues resolved.
School Advocacy Resources for a Child with Hemiplegia
Federation for Children with Special Needs
Articles About Special Education Advocacy
Council of Parent Attorneys & Advocates An independent, nonprofit organization of attorneys, advocates and parents established to improve the quality and quantity of legal assistance for parents of children with disabilities.
New York Education Advocacy Groups
Texas Special Education Advocates
History of Disability – Curriculum Resources
Disability History and Awareness: A Resource Guide for Missouri – Excellent 100 page document with ideas for infusing disability information into curriculum; disability history; disability etiquette; disability laws; bullying; awareness activities; and book list.
Disability History Museum – The museum collections – Documents and Visual Stills – are associated with the cultural and social history of people with disabilities across the lifespan and diagnosis categories. The records here illuminate everyday practices, dominant ideologies, and alternative perspectives.
Disability History Week – Curriculum for Grades 3-5
Easter Seals Disability Awareness Posters – National Public Radio interview with Terry Bremmer, the creator of these posters
