Growing up with a sibling that was developmentally delayed, I learned the importance of being an advocate for your child. Parents are the best and first advocates for their children. My parents often faced people who had outdated beliefs and thoughts about my brother, Rob. They often faced people who thought he could do nothing and accomplish little.
My parents were told after Rob was born that he would never be able to walk, go to the bathroom on his own. My brother learned to walk at age three. He was potty trained at the same age. They were told my brother would never learn how to read, so there was no point in making sure he knew his alphabets or the sounds of letters. My parents pushed educators them to teach him the alphabet and sounds the letters make. They push my brother’s teachers to challenge him. He can read at a second grade reading level. My parents believed in educating individuals on who my brother was and what he can do. They educated Superintendents, Special Education Teachers, friends, and family. They were and are his advocates every day. Advocacy journey is not easy and is often frustrating and discouraging. I remember many tears. I remember discouraging moments, but my parents never gave up. They always wanted Rob to be challenged. They wanted him to be the best version of himself. They encouraged, educated, and pushed the education system to expect and want the same thing for him. Even after he graduated school, they did not stop being his advocate. Rob is now a 49-year-old man. He has accomplished many things thanks to our parents who fought for him to be challenged and for him to reach his full potential. He was often limited by those who were supposed to give him an education, but he had two people that believed in him and who were willing to educate those around him about what he was truly capable of accomplishing. If you have or know of a family struggling with being an advocate for their child, encourage them. Take the time to get to know the family and the child. Let them know they are not alone in this struggle for people to look beyond their child’s delay and to see the person beneath. Let them know they have the right to ask for their child to be challenged and the expectations to be set for them should encourage them to grow. |
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Diana Atkinson, Administator:According to research done by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) dealing with this level of stress can “make it harder for staff to serve as models and meet the needs of children and families” (Whitaker, 2013, p. 1). Archives |