Special Education Supportive Services

Parent groups can play important roles in supporting students with disabilities by providing families with the information they need to advocate for their children’s educational rights. PAs/PTAs can connect families with specialized nonprofit organizations such as Advocates for Children or IncludeNYC, to provide parents with resources and support for a greater understanding of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and how to advocate for their children to ensure that they are thriving at school.

To support other parents of children with IEPs, Brooklyn parent Olga Garcia-Kaplan ran for the designated IEP parent representative seat on her children’s elementary school’s School Leadership Team (SLT). After she was elected, in an attempt to improve communication among the parents she represented, she started an email network that resulted in a collaborative group of informed and supported parents.

Success Story

Building a Network for Parents of Children with IEPs & Special Needs

I am the mother of 3 children, two of them school age. One of them has an IEP. I know, first-hand, the difficulties that parents of children with special needs have navigating...

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ORGANIZATION

ARISE Coalition

ARISE Coalition (Action for Reform in Special Education) members -- students, parents, educators, and supporters -- join together to provide a collective voice on behalf of students with special needs in New York City. ARISE seeks to compel systemic reform to improve special education, promote greater transparency and accountability of the education system, and most critically, assure more positive outcomes and options for all students.

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ORGANIZATION

NYLPI's Disability Rights Program

NYLPI’s Education Program protects and promotes the educational rights of students with disabilities in New York City. Its attorneys and advocates use a variety of approaches to ensure that students with disabilities have access to a free appropriate public education and to the full spectrum of programs and activities that the New York City Department of Education has to offer.

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ORGANIZATION

Sinergia

Sinergia provides information, training and one-to-one support to NYC families of children with disabilities, and professionals who work with them to help parents understand the special education system, laws and regulations, locate information on services, and secure one-to-one advocacy assistance through its Metropolitan Parent Center.

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ORGANIZATION

Advocates for Children of New York (AFC)

AFC’s mission is to promote access to the best education New York can provide for all students, especially students of color and students from low-income backgrounds. It provides students and their families with one-on-one guidance, workshops and advocacy services, and also presses for systemic reforms that benefit all students. AFC’s education specialists and attorneys provide free legal counsel to families from low-income backgrounds, including representation at school-related hearings and appeals.

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ORGANIZATION

INCLUDEnyc

INCLUDEnyc serves families of children and young adults in NYC with disabilities. Through individual advocacy, specialized trainings and community awareness events, it supports families developing the knowledge, skills, and confidence to advocate for their children and young people and obtain appropriate educational services for their children and youth. There is a thorough list of resources available on their website under the "Get Help" tab.

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ORGANIZATION

Parents for Inclusive Education (PIE)

PIE is a parent-led group of educational reformers that works to ensure that all students with disabilities in the NYC public schools have access to meaningful inclusive educational and community opportunities. PIE advocates in various forums to increase inclusive opportunities for students. It also provides members with education, information, and support to families struggling with the challenges of including their children with disabilities in school communities. PIE sponsors citywide events throughout the school year to promote its agenda of inclusion.

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