Advocates & Education Consultants

Advocates or Education Consultants guide parents through the special education process. This may also include attending team meetings.

Advocates: are typically trained by the Federation for Children with Special Needs or other SPED organizations in children’s rights. Information on advocacy training and a guide on choosing an advocate can be found at the Federation for Children with Special Needs site.  

Span Mass (SPAN) is an association of advocates and other special education professionals.

Education Consultant: are usually education professionals who have a degree in education. Most are trained to perform educational testing on your child and may also be trained by the Federation for Children or other SPED organizations in children’s rights.

The Independent Educational Consultants’ Association offers additional resources.

Complaints & Mediation

If the Team cannot come to an agreement about eligibility or the services and accommodations outlined in an IEP, Massachusetts state law has defined organizations that give parents options for resolving the dispute. The two organizations are the Program Quality Assurance (PQA) at the Massachusetts Department of Education or the Bureau of Special Education Appeals (BSEA), which is an independent body located in the Massachusetts Department of Special Education. 

If you have concerns around the implementation of an IEP the first step is usually contacting the child’s teacher and/or special educator to get clarification. You may contact the ETS and principal at your child’s school if you are not getting a prompt response from the teacher or special educator. If you are not able to resolve the issue at the school level, you may escalate your concerns to Director of Special Education.  You may also contact the PQA or BSEA to file a complaint.

Useful Links

Wrightslaw Article on advocating: Advocating for Your Child – Getting Started

Department Of Education MA: Selecting a special Education Advocate

https://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/links/Advocacy.html

Selected Resources on Family and Community Engagement

Program Quality Assurancea (PQA)
You can contact the PQA to ask a question about laws and regulations, or to file a written complaint if you believe the school district is not following special education laws and regulations.
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/education-resources

Bureau of Special Education Appeals (BSEA)
Another dispute resolution option for parents is contacting the BSEA. The BSEA has various options for helping Teams resolve disagreements including mediation, advisory opinion and a hearing.

https://www.mass.gov/orgs/bureau-of-special-education-appeals

Walpole SEPAC does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information presented on any third-party website listed on this site. In addition, the SEPAC does not endorse any of the informational content appearing on third-party websites or any of the providers listed on the SEPAC website. The SEPAC merely provides a listing of organizations available to our members to gather information. Members need to do their own diligence and research.