How to Prepare for a School Advocacy Meeting

A guest insight from Crossroads Associate Therapist, Kirsten Spasyouti.

Though it may seem like an out of the blue question, for families with a child who is neurodiverse, preparation and intentionality are important for the child’s wellbeing. In Part 1 of this 2 part series, we explored the question of how to be an effective advocate for your child who is neurodiverse (differences in functioning including autism (ASD) and attention deficit or hyperactivity (ADHD). In this, part 2, we explore how you and your child prepare for a school advocacy meeting.

Sometimes it is necessary for you as the parent or guardian to speak directly to educational staff on your child’s behalf. You, as the advocate, need to ensure that your child’s unique perspective and needs are considered and educational objectives are being enabled. Here are 6 key principles to ensure you are advocating effectively at a school advocacy meeting:

1. Understand the Advocate’s Role. Go in to the school advocacy meeting with the understanding of what it means to be an advocate. Advocating for yourself or for your child does not always mean knowing all the information. It means speaking up about your concerns, or expressing what you feel will be helpful supports to have in place for the upcoming school year.
2. Understand that your feelings are valid. As a caregiver you want what’s best for your child, but that does not mean that it is always easy to ask for it. For some caregivers, having the understanding that your child may need additional support can be upsetting, and that is OK. Having a child with different abilities or needs is not always easy, and needing to be their voice is not always easy, either. From
   your child’s point of view, it can be hard to ask for help sometimes, too. Helping them to understand that it’s OK to ask for help, and that everyone learns differently is a great tool to support them now and in the future.
3. Write down your thoughts in advance on what you would like to discuss in the school advocacy meeting. Meetings can sometimes feel overwhelming with a lot of information being shared and a lot of jargon being used. This can increase the chances of forgetting important points you wanted to make or losing your train of thought. By having your main talking points documented it can help to keep the meeting on track and ensure you’ve both said what you needed to say.
4. Organize your thoughts and objectives. Consider organizing your thoughts, concerns and requests into appropriate categories. Some examples may be academics, socialization, communication, and behavior. The categories may be different child to child, or even year to year. Organizing yourself in this way can help to maintain focus in the meeting, rather than jumping between different support needs and potentially losing track of all key points that need to be made.
5. Assume the best of everyone involved. Understand that all those in attendance are most likely there with the child’s best interest in mind. This can help to approach the conversation less guarded and more open to teamwork and back-and-forth communication.
6. Ask your child what they would like their teachers and other staff to know. Let your child know that they will have the opportunity to speak for themselves, but if they change their mind about doing so, then you can provide the information for them. Either way, their opinions, wants and needs are being expressed from their point of view.

You may wonder, how do I ensure that support is being implemented? Check in often with your child and your child’s school. Does your child feel well- supported in the classroom? Are they noticing anything that feels tough? Are they noticing positive changes? With the passage of time, more information and students to juggle, or even new teachers and staff entering the space, things may get lost in translation. It could be helpful to set the next “check in” at each meeting you have with your child’s teacher or school. It can also be helpful to have any support requests in written format to ensure all in involved have the same understanding of what is needed and a place to refer back to. By having frequent check-ins with all those involved you can work as a team to increase the chances of a successful school year!

Kirsten Spasyouti is a Registered Counselling Therapy – Candidate offering therapy for children, adolescents and adults ages 5 and older. Kirsten specializes in supporting individuals and their families who identify as being neurodiverse with a particular focus in autism and ADHD. Contact us to book a session with Kirsten.