Advocating for African American families with children who learn differently.
The Solution
Although the input of teachers, principals, and school psychologists is important in the identification of children for special education services, parents cannot allow these decisions to depend solely on the opinions of school personnel. Parents must be aggressive and actively seek information about their legal rights and responsibilities provided under Federal and State law. They must learn to understand their children's educational needs and then become their children's strongest advocate.
Many African American children have been misdiagnosed and inappropriately referred for special education services but the reality is that the current legal process must be used to obtain the appropriate services and supports that every child is entitled and needs for school and later life success. Parents should not resist evaluations for a child who is struggling but they should be vigilant, making sure that the findings are accurate and that the interventions rendered result in continuous academic and social progress.
Parents can become involved in the special needs decision-making process for their children by learning about the Federal law that guarantees a "free appropriate public education" for all children—the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA). Although there are widespread reports of noncompliance by the majority of States, this law clearly defines parents' rights and responsibilities. Knowledge of the law will help parents to force compliance and access the services their children need. See The Law page on this website.
It is also important for parents to become familiar with their State special education law. There are minimum requirements that States must meet in order to receive Federal funds to assist in providing special education and related services but the specifics of each State law may vary. Contact your State Department of Education for a parent brochure.
The purpose of this website is to empower parents to become strong advocates for their children and to improve the quality of education for all children by raising the level of awareness about learning differences.
"We can, whenever and
wherever we choose, successfully teach all children whose schooling is of interest
to us. We already know more than we need to do that. Whether or not we
do it must finally depend on how we feel about the fact that we haven't so
far."
Ronald Edmonds, Harvard University
Research has demonstrated that the education of children with disabilities can be made more effective by strengthening the role of parents. The AACLD offers the following opportunities:
Parent Network The
Parent Network was established for the purpose of keeping families
informed about new developments in the field of special education. Members are encouraged to share this information
with others in order to raise the level of community awareness.
Parent Leadership Institute Through
the creation of a Parent Leadership Institute, the AACLD is striving
to reach an unprecedented number of African American families by
selecting proven advocacy leaders in strategic locations throughout the
United States to serve as its primary members.
Parent Leadership Trainings In
response to the numerous requests received for parent leadership
training, the AACLD periodically offers a free, online course for individuals
interested in beginning or enhancing local efforts to help families
with children who are struggling to learn.
Trained Parent Advocates Often parents are uncomfortable when they are
sitting alone with a team of experts who might tend to dictate the
content, tone, and outcome of a school meeting. This is a first step in identifying a culturally competent trained advocate for support.
