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Educational Advocacy and Consulting

Special Education Advocacy and Consulting Services For Children and Families in Western Massachusetts.

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Special Education Advocacy

The right of parents to participate as equal members of their child’s educational team is an essential provision of special education law. Unfortunately, the world of special education can be complicated and frustrating. With the school having trained professionals to call on, it can sometimes seem like the deck is stacked in their favor. As a special education advocate, I can help you to understand your rights and to navigate the special education process with greater confidence. Together, we can work to get your child the services, support, and resources that they need.

I cannot say enough about the services that Michael provided to our family.  After many years of feeling unheard at TEAM meetings, I requested that Michael join us for a 3 year re-evaluation meeting.  Michael completed a thorough record review, asked numerous questions, and demonstrated a strong interest in working towards meeting the needs of our child.  Michael was able to obtain services for my son in the course of one meeting that I was not able to acquire despite trying for more than three years.

Kate

Michael Forrest

About Michael

Seeing firsthand the challenges of securing the appropriate reading services for the child of a family member who is dyslexic and the emotional toll that learning challenges have on young learners contributed to my desire to pursue a career in special education. With more than fifteen years of special education experience working with students from elementary to transition-aged, I have the knowledge and experience to guide parents through the special education process.

Recent Blog Posts

Independent Education Evaluations

Independent Education Evaluations

One of the challenges for families advocating for their children is when they disagree with the findings of the evaluation done by the school and believe that the evaluation did not adequately examine areas of weakness or concerns ...
The Need For Effective Transition Planning For Special Education Students

The Need For Effective Transition Planning For Special Education Students

In Massachusetts, transition planning for special education students begins when the student is 14 or when the team is developing the IEP that will be in place when the student turns 14. Transition planning is an opportunity and ...
A Question About Literacy Instruction: Why Didn’t Anyone Ever Teach Me This?

A Question About Literacy Instruction: Why Didn’t Anyone Ever Teach Me This?

A high point of my time in public education was working in a technical high school, supporting a model high school special education reading class. Initially, my role was to talk to our students and ask them if they would be willing ...
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