Aspire Advocacy

Do you ever feel like your child’s school district is playing the “special education” game with you? The one where only they know the rules? Have you gone to an IEP meeting and only discussed what programs the school wanted to put your student in, but never actually thoroughly discussed your child’s needs? Or, maybe you are sharing your expertise, and the team is not listening? We can help.

As experienced special education advocates, we have seen school districts use a myriad of different tactics against students and parents seeking IEPs or 504 plans.

Leigh has more than 20 years professional and personal experience with negotiation and conflict resolution in special education. Leigh’s advocacy experience began when her son with autism entered the service delivery system. He did not fit into standard programs, and there were challenges getting his Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) personalized. Leigh persuaded the agency to individualize his program. Because her son was non-verbal, the school district determined that the least restrictive school environment was a classroom for severely disabled students. The school provided a communication device: a piece of paper with 4 pictures. After Leigh found him a functional mode of communication and persuaded school staff to use it, Leigh negotiated for him to be moved from the most restrictive environment to full-time inclusion with his peers. And the result? Today he attends college, working towards a Bachelor of Arts. Leigh was able to persuade agencies that “individualized” meant adapting the teaching process to facilitate his learning. She realized