How Parents and Guardians Influence the Education of Special Needs Students

This one is really easy! Parents and guardians have the biggest influence in the education of special needs students and changes in public policy and law. Since teachers have dozens of students to deal with every school year, they can't look out for the needs of special needs students on their own. There are thousands of special education students in the U.S., so parents and guardians have to step up and make sure that their children's needs are being taken care of in their schools. In my special education class, a mother of an autistic son came in and talked about how she was a strong advocate for her sons needs.

She attended IEP meetings, wrote letters to the school boards, fought for his rights as a student, worked with the teachers, worked with her son at home, and made sure that her son was getting the resources and accommodations that he needed. As she said, parents and guardians are the biggest advocates for these students. Nobody cares more about these students than they do, and nobody knows their needs better. If parents and guardians don't speak up for their children, their needs aren't going to be met in the classroom.

Unfortunately, most special education students don't have a voice of their own, so parents and guardians have to be their voice for them. If parents and guardians don't advocate and speak up for their children, chances are high that nobody else is going to. Often times special needs students are forgotten or ignored in the school system, so parents and guardians have to step up and remind the school board and administration that they're there and that they have the right to learn and get an education just like any other student.