Frequently Asked Questions

In our Facebook group that has over 6,500 members, we get A LOT of people asking questions. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions from parents who are starting the advocacy journey. Advocacy is not a one-time event. Advocacy is a skill that develops over time, and you will be advocating for various issues throughout your child’s education in K-12. There are many ways to be successful in your advocacy. It is important to know your rights and your child’s rights.

This content contains several common acronyms. Please see page 147 of Inclusion BC’s “A Parent Handbook on Inclusive Education“ for a list of what they mean.

There are policies developed by the Ministry of Education on Inclusive Education. Your school district will also have policy and administrative procedures that will be posted on the district website. You will need to search to find them. Some of the policies may be listed under the Board of Education tab, while the administrative procedures may be listed under staff administration.

Knowledge is power, and advocacy skills develop over time. Self-care is very important, and finding people to support you (community care) is very important too. There are parent support groups and organizations you can get involved with for help and support.

Frequently Asked Questions

Individual Education Plans (IEP)

  1. How do I get an IEP for my child?
  • You need to communicate your concerns to their teacher and connect your concerns to their disability-related needs. You can express how you think your child is struggling and that they need supports/accommodations in place. This may require a meeting with your child’s classroom teacher, principal and/or LSS/resource teacher.
  • Every child with a disability or perceived disability has a human right to receive accommodations for their disability. Even without an IEP, your child is still entitled to accommodations.
  • If the school doesn’t want to provide an IEP, get this documented in an email and/or escalate it to the district learning support team.
  • Keep advocating. Keep communicating your child’s struggles. The school has a legal responsibility to investigate what their barriers are and have a plan on how to remove barriers to give them an equitable education. (Meaningful Inquiry)

2. Can I add goals to my child’s IEP? 

  • The school has a duty to meaningfully consult with you and have you be involved in the creation of your child’s IEP.
  • If you want to add goals to your child’s IEP, let your child’s teacher know.
  • IEPs are “living documents,” and they can be updated at any time of the year.

3. How often should IEP meetings occur during a school year?

  • Ministry policy states that parents are consulted at least once per year, but you can request a meeting at any time. Here is a guide to meaningful consultation.

Accommodations

4. How do I know what accommodations to ask for? 

  • For those students who have had a psychoeducational assessment done, there will be recommendations for accommodations written in the report.
  • Some students have had assessments done by their OT, SLP or other service providers who also create a list of accommodation recommendations.
  • Sometimes it is from your own research of accommodations that are listed on the internet and combined with understanding your child, what you feel they need.
  • Sometimes it comes from the students themselves being able to talk about what is frustrating about schools, and you can come up with solutions that you think would work well for your child.

5. What do I do when my child is not receiving their accommodations? 

  • Email your child’s teacher and express your concerns that you don’t think they are receiving their accommodations and why you feel this way. Using rights-based advocacy is our strongest form of advocacy. Here is a blog written by BCEdAccess on Rights-Based Advocacy. It is always important to document your concerns in writing.

Communication 

6. Who should I talk to when no one at my child’s school is listening to me? 

  • If you feel that the person you are talking to is ignoring you or being dismissive, you can always escalate your concerns to the next level. Schools are very hierarchical. There is always a person above them. To understand who to speak to next, you can look at page 80 of Inclusion BC’s “A Parent Handbook on Inclusive Education”, titled “Using the school structure to resolve issues.”

7. Why can’t I talk to my child’s EA about their learning? 

  • Specific types of communication are required to go through the teacher. Here is a document on the Roles of Teachers and EAs for clarification.

Exclusion

8. What do I do when they call me from work to pick up my child from school more than once?

  • Look for advocacy support and educate yourself on your child’s rights and your rights as a parent or guardian. Your child is protected under the Human Rights Code and is entitled to be accommodated for their disability-related needs.
  • Get in writing (usually by email) the reason for their calling you to pick up your child and ask them what the plan is for your child to return to school with proper supports in place. It is their responsibility to investigate to figure out what the barriers are and to figure out a plan on how to remove them. This is called Meaningful Inquiry and is connected to the Human Rights Code. For more information on Meaningful Inquiry, you can read about The Duty to Accommodate. Here is our page specific to Exclusion.

Advocacy support

9. Who can help with advocating at my child’s school? 

  • You can receive help from Inclusion BC and the Family Support Institute. There are also many private businesses focused on education advocacy and other non-profits that are disability specific that offer advocacy services. Please check out our resource page for other lists and more resources.