Effective Advocacy
How can I help my child? Be their advocate!
You can make a difference for your child through being an advocate -- a person who publically supports them and helps speak for them.
In school:
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Talk or email with your child's teacher often and tell them if your child is struggling
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Even if you don't have a formal plan, you can make helpful suggestions to the teacher. Give the teacher specifics - they might not have worked with writing difficulties before. What exactly helps your child? You know best.
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Be creative. If copying is hard for your child and they have a device, ask if they could just snap a photo of their homework assignment.
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Talk to the teacher about whether your child knows the content, not just if he/she can write it down on a test or assignment.
One parent reports that she sent in a few sheets of Redispace paper to her son's teacher even though it wasn't on a formal plan. The teacher liked it so much she photocopied it and used it with him all year.
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A year later, his next teacher is using it too.
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In Occupational Therapy:
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Ask what other skills the OT often teaches. If your child has trouble writing, they may have trouble tying shoes too. Having an OT help with that could make a big difference.
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Get an update every visit and ask what you can help with at home or if there are helpful resources you should look for.
In sports, camp, and other activities:
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You don't always have to disclose your child's writing difficulties, but consider asking up front if there will be any writing.
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You may want to explain to coaches/counselors that your child learns best verbally and to talk with them about situations instead of writing things down.
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