Navigating school systems can become overwhelming when a child is struggling academically, emotionally, behaviorally or because of a disability or health-related need. Families may find themselves managing evaluations, meetings, accommodations, school communications and extensive records while trying to determine what questions to ask and what support their child may need.

Resolve WNY provides practical, family-centered educational advocacy and navigation to help parents and caregivers become better organized, prepared and informed participants in their child's education.

How We Can Help

Support may include:

• Preparing for IEP, 504 and other school meetings
• Reviewing and organizing school records and parent-provided information
• Helping parents identify and organize their concerns before meetings
• Developing questions to raise with the school team
• Organizing evaluation reports, progress reports and correspondence
• Helping families track accommodations, services and school concerns
• Preparing timelines and summaries of a child's educational history
• Supporting communication between families and schools
• Attending school meetings as a nonlegal educational advocate when appropriate
• Helping parents understand educational terminology and processes using publicly available information
• Assisting families in preparing written parent concerns and requests in their own voice
• Coordinating information with therapists, medical providers or other professionals when appropriately authorized
• Helping families identify appropriate community, clinical, educational or legal resources when additional support is needed

IEPs, 504 Plans & Disability-Related Support

Families may seek support when a child has or may have needs related to:

• ADHD and executive-functioning challenges
• Autism spectrum disorder
• Dyslexia and other learning disabilities
• Dysgraphia or dyscalculia
• Anxiety or other emotional needs affecting school participation
• Medical or physical conditions affecting education
• Sensory or communication needs
• Behavioral or social-emotional concerns
• School avoidance or attendance difficulties
• Other disabilities or circumstances affecting a child's educational experience

A diagnosis is not required to contact Resolve WNY for help getting organized or preparing to communicate concerns with a school.

Preparing for School Meetings

School meetings can involve a large amount of information in a short period of time.

Before a meeting, Resolve WNY can help families organize records, identify their primary concerns, develop questions and determine what information they want to communicate.

When appropriate, a Resolve WNY advocate may also attend a school meeting to provide organizational and advocacy support. The parent or caregiver remains the decision-maker for the child.

Documentation & Record Organization

When school concerns continue over time, important information can become scattered across emails, evaluations, report cards, meeting notes, medical records and other documents.

Resolve WNY can help organize this information into:

• Educational timelines
• Parent-concern summaries
• Communication logs
• Evaluation and assessment records
• Accommodation and service tracking
• Meeting preparation materials
• Organized records for consultations with other professionals

This can also help families communicate more efficiently with attorneys, therapists, physicians, evaluators and other professionals involved in the child's care or education.

Beyond the School Meeting

Educational challenges do not always exist only inside the classroom. Families may also need help identifying appropriate outside resources or coordinating information among school, medical, behavioral-health and community providers.

Resolve WNY can help families organize those moving pieces and identify potential resources while keeping the parent or caregiver at the center of decision-making.

Important to Know

Resolve WNY provides nonlegal educational advocacy, navigation, coaching and organizational support. We do not provide legal representation, determine a child's legal eligibility for a particular program or service, interpret education law for clients, provide legal strategy or guarantee a particular school placement, accommodation, classification, service or outcome.

When a situation requires legal interpretation, due-process representation or advice regarding a family's legal rights or remedies, families should consult an attorney experienced in education or special-education law.