The process begins with us and an informal discussion with parents about why they feel their child is not performing at school to their potential and what the issues at the school level are. We review briefly school records and any educational testing that has been done prior to and during the student’s educational career to date. We provide guidance and direction to parents at the school level to get things rolling in the right direction for their child, and outside the school to resources that will help to fill in the missing pieces of why their child is struggling. Without the whole picture of a child’s learning issues being complete, it is very difficult to negotiate supporting services/programs for any student at the school level.

EDUCATIONAL TESTING = “IDENTIFYING” THE PROBLEM - Until you know why your child is struggling in school there is no way to develop a plan to help them. Educational testing provides parents with the answers to the “whys” they are searching for. However, the most important thing to remember about any, and all educational testing is that tests do not cure; they are merely tools that help you gather scientific information in an organized way that schools/school boards will pay attention to. Unlike a parent’s opinion about what their child needs, educational testing can give you and the school valuable scientific information about the strengths and weaknesses your child has in learning and how best to help them be successful. You, as parents, will be well aware of things about your child that do not seem to make sense. Between your confusion about what might be wrong and not knowing where to go for help or whom to ask, it is not surprising that you may feel lost, frustrated, and anxious.

You fall among a large body of parents, North America wide, that don’t know how to find out what is wrong. They do not know where to turn, how to get diagnosis, what treatments are available, or how to cope with their child’s challenging behaviours and moods. They do not know whether their child’s struggles are normal or abnormal. Welcome to the club! You are not alone. Educational Assessments, what each type tests and which local professionals work best with parents and schools are one of the important steps we talk about during our NO FEE One Hour consultation, if you have not already had educational testing done. We will provide you with the right information about these tests and fast track you in the right direction to get the answers you need to get things happening at the school level. If you have had some educational testing done, we will spend that time explaining clearly what the results indicate and fill in any gaps that we might see in the educational testing results.

If your bright child is struggling academically, understanding why they struggle is critical! We perform a complete review of a child’s educational history to date which includes the results of all assessments, report cards, IPRC and IEP documentation, including our own questionnaires completed by parents. Parents receive a clear understanding of why their bright child is struggling in school, are provided with a profile of who their child is (learning needs and strengths), and a step-by-step plan to help them partner with their school, to navigate the school/Ministry process and move learning forward for their child!

• Complete and comprehensive historical review of all documentation to date
• Demystification/Learning Needs/Breakout of Learning Strengths and Weaknesses
• Extract/Provide Classroom Accommodations to support learning needs
• Information about specific Services/Program your child needs and how to request them at School/Ministry level (i.e. for Ministry funded student lap tops, In-school Occupational Therapy sessions, In-school Withdrawal for one on one direct teaching and French Exemption (Demitting)
• Direct Links to Community Professionals, Programs, Referrals and Reference material

Like many parents you feel like you need a Masters degree to understand your child’s professional assessments! So what does the Psycho Educational report really say about a child and how well they learn? How do you, as a parent, translate these details into how your child needs to be taught to be a successful learner? What does the CAP Assessment recommend the school do to help your child in the classroom? If your Speech and Language Assessment recommends remediation at the school level for your child, how do you negotiate that? How should you effectively communicate this information to the school so your child gets the help these professionals have recommended? Is there a process that has to be followed? What is the process?

Our “parent written” Needs Statement provides clarity to parents by taking all of the scientific/school data and parental observation reducing it down to a language that is transferable into the classroom, defining exactly what a child’s learning needs are and how to accommodate them in every subject. We created this vital tool for parents, written in a language they can understand, with Ministry/School language that facilitates action at the school level. This amazing tool helps parent to insert themselves into school meetings as an “equal” partner in the process, as an expert in understanding their child’s learning needs, and gives them an equitable seat at the school negotiating table for those much needed services and programs for their child.

We then coach parents step-by- step on how to use it in preparation to drive their IPRC meeting towards their child’s specific learning needs, and to steer all IEP meetings (initial development and annual review) to develop a plan that matches those learning needs, accommodations, assistive devices (i.e. personal laptop computers), services and programs their children need to be successful learners everyday!

(Please note that Need’s Statements can only be drafted after a complete review of a child’s educational history)

• Parent written to ensure parents voice is being heard
• One document summarizes it all = easy to manage school meeting to school meeting
• Individualized to meet your child’s learning needs with appropriate accommodations
• Focused on measurable, progressive learning, not focused on behaviour
• Ministry/School language based to generate understanding and action at the school level
• Overview and application to parent driven IPRC meetings and parent steering of IEP development

Before you sign your child’s IEP or attend their next IEP meeting, make sure you can answer the following questions: Does your struggling child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) outline clear term and annual learning goals to match your child’s learning needs? Can you tell if your child’s IEP speaks to each of their learning needs and strengths? Can you tell if the accommodations being provided in the classroom match your child’s learning needs? Is your child’s learning moving forward or is it standing still? We walk you through your child’s IEP to validate any changes that need to be made, guiding you step-by-step through the School/Ministry process of getting the school to partner with you for those changes. You can return to your school IEP review meeting to negotiate more authoritatively and align your child’s IEP more effectively.

• Matching student learning needs with school’s plan of action
• Matching student accommodations to learning needs
• Ensuring Ministry standards are being used
• Ensuring learning goals are present and measurable
• Providing parents with the right questions to ask

Sometimes having a good plan and, the opportunity to rehearse it in advance leads to better results at the school negotiating table. We offer parents, advocating for their children, the opportunity to strategize before those all important school meetings. We provide the tools, the plan, the language and understanding of the process, giving parents the confidence to attend school meetings as an equal partner in their child’s educational planning. Whether for IPRC or your monthly teacher meeting, knowing how to ask for more help can make a difference. We discuss “How to set the school meeting agenda” and “How to keep discussions on topic”, “How to invite the right people to the meeting”, “How to redirect a meeting that has been derailed”, and “How to ask for what your child needs using Ministry and School “action” language to help make those changes at the school level”.

• School Team Meetings
• Identification, Placement and Review Committee Meetings (IPRC)
• Individual Education Plan Meetings (IEPs)
• Transition Meetings (grade to grade)

Don’t let distance keep you from learning how to ask for and negotiate for what your child needs at those all important school meetings. Technology comes to the rescue of parents too far to drive to our office. By phone or the internet, we’ve got you covered with our teleconferencing option so you too can obtain the advocacy knowledge and skills that will provide the best results at the school level for your child’s daily learning success.

• Long distance pre and post school meeting services
• Teleconferencing capabilities
• E-mail

Often busy parents just want to ask a question that speaks specifically to what is happening at their school, at that moment, for their child. Now we can help with that too by sending your questions to info@passforkids.com. We will take the time to answer your questions by e-mail or with a phone conversation within 48 hours of receiving them or sooner, so you get your answers in a timely fashion. (Any school/supporting documents reviewed prior to answering your question is also billed at our $50.00 hourly rate – billable to the nearest ½ hour)

“If It’s not written down it does not exist” When you start asking for help for your child at the school level, it is time to put your writing skills to work to keep your home to school communications straight, and easy to back track should there be a need. Whether you need to drop off a signed letter to start the “process” of getting help for your child, or to send that all important e-mail requesting a specific service to get the ball rolling, putting things in writing is a good idea. In recognition that even the best parent has a tough time putting their thoughts to paper when it comes to asking for help for their bright but struggling child, we’ve made it a whole lot easier! Let us help you get started by providing you with either a drafted template of the format you need using Ministry and School language OR let us customize/individualize those first few letters for you to get you started. We can even proof read what you have written before you send it! Either way, the task of composing and tracking home to school communication just got easier!

“Bringing an Advocate to a school meeting that is stuck and going nowhere fast can sometimes get the learning needs of your child brought to the forefront and headed in the right direction. We can help you un-stick your school negotiations by attending with you and guiding you through the rough patches. Though no one knows your child better than you and no one is more of an expert on your child than you are, bringing along an expert in the area of “process and policies” can take the pressure off parents and put in where it belongs – back on the school’s negotiating table.

If you need us at your school meetings – we can come to you so you feel supported and able to advocate for your child. (This travel charge is applicable when meetings are more than 10km away plus $15.00 per hour driving time)

Whether your bright child is identified as Learning Disabled, ADHD or simply Struggling, we can come to you and your group (no matter the size) to help you all understand how to negate those “overwhelmed” feelings most parents have when it comes to getting the help their child needs to be successful in the classroom. We share with you our personal journey, knowledge, skills and resources so your group can gain the confidence that comes with greater understanding of a complicated educational system. We arm parents with the right tools and direct links to current information they can use to make a difference at the classroom level so their child can be successful everyday!

(As an individual or group we can be hired to present a 3-hour Special Education Advocacy workshop. Note: $10 for each handout)