Our Facebook group has over 6,500 members, and we see the same questions come up again and again—especially from parents who are just starting their advocacy journey.
Advocacy is not a one-time event. It’s a skill that develops over time, and most parents find themselves advocating at many points throughout their child’s K–12 education.
There are many ways to advocate effectively, but one foundation matters more than all the rest: knowing 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.
On this page:
Individual Education Plans (IEP)
Navigating Individual Education Plans (IEPs) can feel confusing and intimidating—especially when your child is already struggling. This section explains what your rights are, how to start the process, and what to do if the school resists or delays. You do not need to prove crisis to ask for support. If your child has disability-related barriers to learning, the school has a legal responsibility to respond, consult with you, and put accommodations in place.
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)
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.
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
Many parents worry about asking for the “right” accommodations or feel they need expert language before speaking up. You don’t. Accommodations are about removing barriers your child is facing at school, not about getting the wording perfect. This section explains where accommodation ideas can come from, how to involve your child in identifying what helps, and what to do if agreed-upon supports aren’t actually being provided. If an accommodation is necessary for your child to access education, you are entitled to ask for it—and the school is required to respond.
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.
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
When concerns aren’t being heard, it’s important to know who is responsible for what, and where to take issues next. This section explains how school communication is structured, when escalation is appropriate, and why some conversations must go through specific roles.
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.”
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
Repeated calls to remove your child from school are a serious red flag, not a normal part of inclusion. This section explains why these requests can amount to exclusion, what your rights are under the Human Rights Code, and how to respond in ways that shift responsibility back to the school to investigate barriers and put proper supports in place.
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
Advocating for your child can feel lonely, especially when school processes are confusing. Many parents try to handle everything on their own. You don’t have to do this alone.
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.
How can I get help online?
- When local support feels hard to access or you need help outside school hours, online communities can be a lifeline. Connecting with other parents who understand disability, school systems, and rights-based advocacy can reduce isolation.
- Facebook group: Search for ‘BCEdAccess’ to find and request to join the private Facebook group for parents and guardians of children with disabilities and complex learners in BC. Remember to answer all questions to be added. Join
- Facebook parent group Parent peer support: Connect with other families facing similar challenges at our free monthly online support group, held the third Sunday of every month from 6:30–7:30 pm. The link to the group will be posted in our Facebook group. Join our Facebook parent group to get an invite
BCEdAccess Society 