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Megan Salazar
Advocacy is an important and foundational element of Special Education, and even more so in Early Childhood Education.
But, what is it? Why is it so important in the educational journey of so many students?
advocacy:
the act of pleading for, supporting, or recommending; active espousal
In other words, the standards and services provided by Special Educators are a constant and active form of advocacy; they are consistently working with students and other professionals to provide unique and customized support or instruction for their students.
In many cases, students cannot advocate for their needs. Educators provide struggling students a voice; helping them to make their needs known, understood, and furthermore addressed.
-Detection as early as Preschool and Kindergarten reduces the chance of developmental and academic gaps later on.
-Children that are found to have an exceptionality can be taught coping skills that pertain to their diagnosis before they develop ineffective or unhealthy habits.
-A child that is diagnosed at a younger age will not be at risk for lengthy and intensive processes later, such as Response to Intervention and Remediation.
There are laws that exist on Federal and State levels that require teachers and administrators to identify and provide services to students that are suspected to have an exceptionality.
-The Federal Law IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) has many parts that protect students and give direction to professionals so that they may ethically and fairly provide services to the students that qualify for them.
-Child Find is one part of IDEA that holds each state responsible for identifying Special Education-qualified students and providing crucial services to them.
Identifying students with needs requires a lot of collaboration between Teachers, Special Educators, Parents, and sometimes Medical Professionals.
In reference to Advocacy, the Professional Disposition of Learners states that ”Educators should promote positive change in schools and communities that benefit the welfare of others”.
This refers to a learning environment that is inclusive of learners of various academic and developmental levels, and is fluid enough to accommodate their needs as they change without disrupting the needs and environment of others.
Teachers are constantly observing and evaluating their students. Sometimes, a Teacher may observe that a student has a struggle with a particular subject, skill, or exhibits a non-typical behavior.
If or when this occurs, Teachers may try some informal adjustments or interventions in order to gather data, remediate a struggle, or seek the manifestation of red-flag behavior.
If a Teacher cannot successfully remediate the struggle the student was having or correct a seemingly off-behavior, they will make a referral to Special Education professionals for further evaluation, granted parental consent.
As always, the safety of students is paramount to their learning and care while they are in school.
In addition to Child Find, standards of confidentiality and parental notice and involvement are also included in the Federal IDEA law.
Professionals must always be mindful that the guardians of the student are advised of evaluation, changes in care, new data, and that information about students is never discussed outside of conversations regarding the student's care with other involved professionals.
When professionals are conducting evaluations of students that may have an exceptionality, academics are not the only factors that can influence a diagnosis or determination.
There are many things that can distract students from their learning or make education less attainable for them. Not all environmental factors will qualify a student for Special Education services.
Environmental factors that can affect learning include:
-Socioeconomic status
-Other languages as a first language (English Language Learner)
-Hardships within the home
There are many non-environmental factors that may contribute to a student having learning difficulties that professionals may investigate and evaluate with assessments. These factors should be crossed examined with environmental factors to avoid misdiagnosis.
When a professional is evaluating a student, they should consider:
-Family history
-Medical history or symptoms
-Observations at school
-Learning and study habits
Whether a student is found to have an exceptionality or not, Teachers can still advocate for their success.
Whether a student has an IEP or 504 Plan that mandates accommodations, there are strategies that can be implemented in the classroom.
The reality that Educators may have a class size that is larger than it should be is all too real.
The likelihood that a large class size could include students that need a modification or accommodation is relatively high. These students may or may not have a Special Education plan in place.
Ways that teachers can help-no matter their class size-are:
-Grouping students by their learning style or formative assessment data
-Alternative seating for group and individual work
-Positive, open, and supportive classroom environment.
Center for Parent Information and Resources. Parent Notification and Consent in Early Intervention. (2017). Retrieved from: https://www.parentcenterhub.org/ei-notification-consent/
Andrew M.I. Lee, JD. Child Find: What It Is and How It Works. Retrieved from: https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/your-childs-rights/basics-about-childs-rights/child-find-what-it-is-and-how-it-works
Grand Canyon University College of Education. Professional Disposition of Learners. Retrieved from: https://students.gcu.edu/Documents/15GCU0264-COEProDisposition-120115_v1.pdf
Sue Bredekamp. The Relationship Between Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education: Healthy Marriage or Family Feud? (1993). Retrieved from: file:///home/chronos/u-3c452c34165ceac6444230799b0fbd0f5020b1ab/MyFiles/Downloads/ECE%20ECSE%20Artile%20PRES
Kidlaw Resource Center. A Basic Guide to Special Education. (2017) Retrieved from: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED582322.pdf
Dictionary.com. Definition of Advocacy. Retrieved from: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/advocacy?s=t
Education and Socioeconomic Status. Retrieved from: https://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/factsheet-education.pdf
Cathy Weselby. What is Differentiatied Instruction? Examples of How to Differentiate Instruction in the Classroom. (2018). Retrieved from: https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/classroom-resources/examples-of-differentiated-instruction/