Make a World of Difference: Advocate for a Child

Contact Us to Bring a Presentation to Your School District Administrators​

Helen Roussel - Parent Advocate

The best information I ever received was from a Special Education Attorney in NYC (find contact number in resources). They looked over my child's IEP and freely walked me through step by step explaining everything I needed to know regarding the legal parameters of getting the services my child with dyslexia needed at our public school. See "education attorney" under contact in the menu bar.

Helen Roussel

However, if you feel that you would benefit from having a fellow parent who attended a dyslexia advocacy course at the New York City Bar and is trained as an educational advocate at Long Island University and is experienced in talking to administrators about dyslexia, I would be happy to help. I can attend CSE meetings with you or meet with administrators. 

It would be a pleasure to help you get your child the programs and trained teachers they need to close the gap between your child and his or her grade level. This will help to get their self esteem back and enable them to fully participate in their education. 

Our School Presentation Includes:

• ​Educational information for your school district to learn about dyslexia.
• Evaluations, progress monitoring and reports: what that indicates.
• How evaluations help match students with the correct remediation.
• All about  the importance of science-researched multi-sensory structured-literacy programs and approaches that are backed by randomized scientific studies that show evidence of high gains.  
• Resources for training teachers in high caliber multi-sensory structured literacy programs and approaches.
• How to remediate to fidelity, the importance of mentoring and completing training.
• Resources for training school psychologists to identify dyslexia early.
• Opportunities for summer reading camps.
• How your school can bring services to all students with dyslexia or at risk of dyslexia.​

Advocacy Parent Reviews

Parent of  8 year old student:
"Helen was absolutely amazing in helping our little boy get the services he so desperately needs. We will be forever grateful for everything Helen has done for us. Our son had been struggling with reading since kindergarten. My husband and I had approached his school several times asking for appropriate services but we were always denied. When we met Helen she told us about all the necessary steps that need to be taken and she willingly attended our son’s CSE meeting with us. During the meeting, my husband and I were so impressed with Helen’s vast knowledge regarding dyslexia and it’s subtypes and how it affects learning and student’s performance on every level. We admired her ability to present facts and statistics in a concise and clear way. She pointed out the neurological differences with dyslexia. We wholeheartedly recommend Helen to all parents!! She is the person you want in your corner advocating for your child’s rights.  If you are feeling intimidated and overwhelmed by the CSE process,  and have been denied services, having an advocate such as Helen will change your experience entirely.  Thank you so much Helen!!!!"
 
Parent of a 10 year old student:
"Helen Roussel was extremely effective in communicating to our school district the neurological challenges that dyslexic students face. She eloquently explained the appropriate  execution of specific reading programs based on a dyslexic student’s subtypes.  We feel that Helen was instrumental in securing an appropriate educational plan for our son."

Parent of a 12 year old student:
"Reading is at the center of learning and Helen is well versed in what works for the dyslexic student and was able to help me secure an Orton Gillingham tutor to help my daughter.  She attended a meeting with P.P.S. to help convince them the need for tutoring. Helen knows ignoring dyslexia can and does lead to high school drop outs, failure to set life goals and even jail.  Helen is a warrior for the dyslexic student advocating for children who don’t know why they aren’t like the other students."

​Parent of an 9 year old student: 
"Helen gave me the confidence I needed to bring up such topics of Dyslexia in our school systems . She gladly attended a meeting with myself and the Administrators in my school district. She help push them in the right direction in getting our teachers trained to a higher standard for our children.  Her approach was both professional and persuasive. As a result our school district is proactively involved in getting teachers trained to a higher standard. Thank you Helen for being an advocate to help push our districts in the right direction." 

Parent of a 8 year old student:
"Helen is a wealth of information about parenting a child with dyslexia, finding ways to help them, and identifying the shortcomings in our local school systems approach to teaching children with dyslexia. She attended a meeting with me and administrators and introduced the method of Orton-Gillingham reading in the meeting, and how easily and inexpensively teachers can be trained. She has helped give me confidence to continue advocating for my son. We have a long way to go in the fight for free appropriate education for children with learning disabilities and dyslexia. Helen is a valuable part of the community that is working on addressing this problem in our local schools."

Multi-Sensory Structured Literacy at School

Encourage cooperation and research teacher training - what are the options?  You, as the parent, and the school ultimately want your child to succeed.
Be assertive, but put emotions to one side and think of other children in the same position as your child with parents who may be unable to advocate for them. Bring a friend or advocate to CSE meetings as it can be an intimidating process.

1. Parents can request an evaluation to determine if a child has dyslexia at school (don't wait until he or she fails). Parents need to  consent to the evaluation, and they can contest or disagree with the findings or recommendations.
2. Parents have a right to an independent evaluation at the school district's expense.
3. Dyslexia can (and should) be indicated on a child's Independent Education Plan in NYS (see NYSED).
4. Request by-weekly monitoring of progress (AIMSWeb or other program) and ask for the data in a chart format (easier to track progress). Print this out and keep with all the other information in a folder.
5. ​Students have a right to a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). Usually, difficulties arise defining what is "appropriate". Education law states that special education services need to meet the individual needs of a child so they can make meaningful progress.The law considers most students with disabilities as being able to to meet the same standards as students without disabilities.
6. Push for training teachers and invite us to come and present our dyslexia education program (ISS) to your board of education. With the support of other parents - together we can advocate for change.
7. If it will take too long to train new teachers, the school can either hire qualified teachers or your child needs to be sent to a private specialized dyslexia school - if there are any in your area.
8. Students who receive special services should be taught with students who do not require accommodations when appropriate (least restrictive environment). They should not be pulled out of general education classrooms for inclusion in special education classrooms when easily implementable accommodations can be provided.​
9. Request all communications are in writing. Any objections that you make, any requests from the school.  Make sure that a written account of  your child’s academics, behaviors, or accommodations is documented with the date included. If they call you, ask them to write an email to clarify. You made need this as evidence, if the school ultimately does not provide services.

wrightslaw.com is a great resource click on image

Advocacy Services

Our services include:

• Organize free parent support groups- to empower more families and expand the grassroots movement
• Free advocacy services for individual students in crisis by attending meetings at the school district with parents
• Partner with school districts and organize inexpensive teacher training and mentoring
• Support school districts and trained teachers with Impact & Implementation Services

Become a Parent Advocate

We will be offering free training!
Please get in touch if you are interested in getting better at advocating for your child or other children who are struggling at school!

Parent Advocate

Parent Advocate Webinars

​Advocating Basic Rights for Your Child with Dyslexia

An In-Depth Look at the IEP for Kids with Dyslexia 

Webinar: 5 Secrets to Help Students with Dyslexia Become Self Reliant

Student Advocate Presentations

Video credits and info. Learning Ally 

Here's some examples of students self-advocating. At the beginning of each school year, they present to their new school teachers and explain what dyslexia is. It helps their teachers understand dyslexia, it opens up conversations about dyslexia and conveys how they best learn. 

John's Presentation

Victoria's Presentation

Stephanie's Presentation

See More at:
Self-Advocacy, Learning Ally

Solutions + Empowerment

At this point in time there are structured literacy programs & approaches that will specifically meet the educational needs of a child with dyslexia and close the gap between the child's reading level and that of his or her grade level. It requires intensive intervention of no less than one session per day (40 minutes to 1 hours per day) with a trained expert.

Evidence indicates that if a child is screened for risk of dyslexia at 5 years old and received multi-sensory structured literacy remediation. By the time they are 8 years old, they will not need any remediation...they would have developed the neuropathways they need and would have developed good reading skills- they may even read above grade level.

Many public schools do not automatically provide these services, and have no idea how powerful multi-sensory approaches are or how they work.
​
The good news is a child with dyslexia can become a skilled reader, they can experience success - they need to be taught via a multi-sensory approach. With the correct implementation and support - they will experience a progress and their self esteem will improve as they realize they will reach their potential.

Basic Rights: How to Advocate for Your Child During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Presented by:
Janet Thibeau, BTA Education

With Thanks to the International Dyslexia Association