Difficulties that students experience at school can contribute to problems far beyond the educational arena ranging from juvenile court involvement to negative impacts on parental employment because of time spent dealing with a child’s issues at school. Conversely, ensuring that the educational needs of students with disabilities are being met and helping students avoid harsh school discipline can lead to positive outcomes for students and their families.1 Consequently, educational advocacy is an important part of holistic representation for many clients who are in school or have school-age children. This chapter is a practical guide for attorneys in other fields of practice on how to advocate for students who have a disability, are suspected of having a disability, or are facing expulsion or other forms of school discipline.
- 1For example, ensuring that a student’s disability-related needs are properly documented and addressed through the public school system can be tremendously helpful in obtaining positive outcomes in delinquency proceedings, establishing eligibility for certain government benefits, and obtaining accommodations for college admissions testing or while enrolled in higher education.