Effective Advocacy and�Encouraging Positive Relationships

Sara Dobiech, M.S.W., R.S.W.

Social Worker, KidsInclusive

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Acknowledging Your Role as Advocate

• Not the first nor last
• Emotional and exhausting at times
• Now you are about to join another team for your child and your role is essential!
• You are your child’s voice – the one constant

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�������The Key to Effective Advocacy is....

The Balance of the Heart and Mind�

• Passion and motivation of your emotions
• Planning, organizing thoughts and emotional check of your mind

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Effective Advocacy

Believe in Yourself!

• Know that you can do it
• YOU know your child the best
• Utilize your support system

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Become Informed!

• Understand your child’s needs/disability and about any current research in educational programming for guidance
• Learn what different school based professionals do and why
• Learn school procedures and protocols where applicable
• Learn your child’s educational rights
• Talk to families who have started down this journey already

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Become Organized !

• Create a individualized profile that highlights your child’s abilities, strengths and needs. Help them learn what motivates your child
• Keep records of all useful assessments and reports in a place that can be readily available

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Plan and Strategize�

Plan to…

• Work as a team - child at the centre
• Start with what you agree on
• Be solution focused – with an open mind
• Use timelines to keep action plans on track and moving
• Schedule/dedicate the time to talk

Ahead of time organize and strategize…

• Think about possible solutions and possible responses
• Think about outcomes that serve common interests
• What might be barriers to some of the solutions?
• What factual information supports what you are thinking

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Be Reasonable

• Pick your priorities wisely
• Set goals and think long, mid and short range.
• Be aware of your own needs and be able to be able to separate them from those of your child
• Be aware of limited resource issues and multiple needs in a classroom.
• Strive to be open to creative solutions.

Be an Assertive Communicator

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• Keep the parent-school communication alive. Be kind. The care and maintenance of the relationships with the people you are working with goes a long way.

• Use appropriate expression of feelings while voicing your honest opinions and beliefs without violating the rights of others in the process. Common respect is a must if you are to work effectively with others for the best interest of your child.

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• Be totally clear, direct and factual on the issues you have concerns about and why it is important.

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• Get to know your team. The more you know them, the better off you are for planning and working together as a team in building your child’s success at school. What are their concerns, how do others define the problem? Look for insights into the school’s actions/decisions thus far.

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• Be persistent and model follow through for your contributions to the action plan.

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• Be a good listener.

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• Be aware of your emotions and how they impact others – body language / tone of voice

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Be Self Reflective

• Keep a balance in your life.
• Step back and acknowledge what is most important and what is not.
• Take pride in all effective communication and advocacy.

Adapted from: www.oacrs.com/Guide_Advocacy and Exceptional Children-Ordinary Schools: Getting the Education you Want for Your Special Needs Child, Dr. Norm Forman

Encourage Positive Relationships

• Start from the first interaction
• Make this a goal for every interaction
• Take your time and think things through
• Use your passion effectively!
• Your energy for this will pay off!

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