Special Education Advocacy & Support for Families and Educators | Spesh Advocacy

Three years ago, our son began receiving services under an IEP. This was unfamiliar ground for us as parents. The jargon, the plan, the goal, etc. all felt like a foreign language. We didn’t understand every detail or every word, but we trusted the school system and their staff to support our child to the best of their ability. For the first couple years, we really just sat silently and let the school handle everything without any questions, comments and concerns from us. By the third year, we felt more of a need to better understand his IEP so that we could ensure that as his parents, we were advocating and supporting him to our fullest. We never felt like the school system or their staff were doing anything wrong or negligent, but how could we know if we didn’t even understand it? How could we be our son’s biggest advocate if we had limited knowledge on the subject? Navigating the IEP and fully understanding it is a difficult undertaking for someone who has no experience, knowledge or understanding of the process. We tried to tackle it ourselves, combing through the IEP with a fine-tooth comb, reading our parent rights, and monitoring his goals. What we lacked was experience. Then we found Spesh. We reached out to Charley Jo with our concerns and desire to understand and comprehend the IEP before our next meeting. She immediately responded with full support, encouragement and positivity. In our first meeting with Charley Jo, we immediately recognized her passion and desire to help. She made everything so easy for us to understand. She is very organized, structured and factual. Within an hour, we felt more empowered, knowledgeable, and confident than ever before. We felt like we could walk into the IEP meeting and fully understand and grasp everything that could be said. We finally felt like we understood, had a plan, and the confidence to execute that plan. Charley Jo didn’t stop there. The communication was ongoing leading up to our meeting. As some may know, during an IEP meeting, things can get off track or you may leave the meeting and feel like you didn’t say anything you wanted to say. Prior to our meeting, Charley Jo made us a checklist for the meeting that reflected everything we wanted to discuss in the meeting, which was beyond helpful. Charley Jo graciously attended the meeting with us. She kept everyone on track, she asked questions that we didn’t think to ask, and she advocated for our son like he was her own. It was the most productive meeting that we have had during this journey. After the meeting, Charley Jo sent us a meeting summary, next steps, and action items. Charley Jo’s professionalism, compassion, and knowledge are unmatched. We have never felt more empowered and prepared to support our son in every way that we know how. I would recommend Spesh and Charley Jo’s services time and time again.