Student Advocacy Specialists
Supporting parents with a personalized approach to:
-RtI (Response to Intervention)
-PBIS (Positive Behavioral
Interventions & Supports) & FBA/BIP
-Section 504 Plans
-Special Education services
-Social/emotional skill development
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Problem Identification & Analysis
Section 504 Services
Intervention Implementation & Evaluation
504 Plan Referral
At Student Advocacy Specialists, we utilize a systematic approach to 504 Plans that identifies student strengths and weaknesses, employs evidence-based interventions and accommodations, frequently collects data to monitor student progress, and evaluates the effectivenes of interventions and accommodations implemented with the student potentially across three tiers; at the classroom-level by the teacher, at the building-level by the Problem Solving Team, and at the district-level by a Special Education Department evaluation.
We provide a variety of services including:
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a federal law that protects qualified students with disabilities from discrimination and guarantees that they have equal access to Free Appropriate Public Education. Qualified students are those with a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities. The law requires 4 key steps that all public schools in the United States must follow: Referral, Evaluation, Accommodation Plan, & Annual Review.
We specialize in writing referrals which utilize scientific-based research and data to link the student's impairment with the needed accommodations.
Our systematic evaluation approach follows a "Best Practices Model" that requires:
-a review of the student's cumulative file for historical data indicating an established pattern of performance
-an interview of the teachers, support staff, and administrators to operationalize the problem
-an observation of the student in at least 3 different school settings (structured & unstructured) to determine
if the problem is discrepent
-a evaluation of the testing results (CBAs, Local, State, & Nationally Normalized Asessments, Standardized
Assessments) to see if there is consistency in performance
Our team has a thorough understanding of the Section 504 process and will evaluate the accommodation plan by:
-the appropriateness of the student's accommodations as matched to the his/her impairment(s) & goals
-the fidelity in which the accommodations are being provided:
(defined time, service size, and evidence-based interventions utilized)
-the integrity of the tracking process being employed
-the responsiveness of the student to the services via continuous progress monitoring
Student Advocacy Specialists have helped to develop Section 504 Plans for students with a wide variety of backgrounds ranging from those who were transitioning away from an IEP to those with acute care needs. Besides physical and mental impairments that substantially limit one or more major life activities, "mitigating Measures" can include medication, medical supplies, equipment or appliances, low vision devices, prosthetics, hearing aids, cochlear implants, mobility devices, oxygen therapy equipment and supplies, assistive technology, reasonable accomomodations or auxiliary aids or services, and learned behavioral or adaptive neurological modifications. Additionally, we have helped to develop Accommodation Plans for students who have had a record of such impairments and/or have been regarded as as having such an impairment.
Student Advocacy Specialists have over 20 years of experience helping students achieve greater academic, behavioral, and social/emotional success in schools. We have both practical experiences as teachers, administrators, and special education personnel and advanced psychoeducational training in Curriculum & Instruction, Applied Behavior Analysis, Psychodynamics, and Child Development.
Our forte is knowing how to integate the latest research and case law (FERPA, IDEA, ADA) with the individual needs of a child.
