An Examination of the Impact of Developing Partnerships Between Educators and Advocates to Engage Families of Students With Disabilities

Abstract

The individual education program (IEP) process for students with disabilities involves the creation of a team that is poised with the responsibility of making decisions for the student's education. The members of the team usually involve families of the student (e.g., parents, grandparents, and guardians), school professionals (e.g., school psychologists, special education coordinator, special education teacher, and content area teachers), and related professionals (e.g., speech therapists, behavior interventionists, and counselors). As education evolves to work toward closing achievement gaps and decreasing the inequities that exist in providing educational opportunities to students, additional team members become an essential part of the team. Special education advocates are oftentimes assigned to an IEP team to serve as a support person for families through the IEP process. This team is considered to be a triad relationship between the family, the school, and the advocacy program.