If the special education process is confusing, you may seek out an educational advocate to come to the meeting with you. If the school does the testing, you do not have to pay for it. Try to meet with the school psychologist to go over the test results before the official school meeting. You may obtain outside evaluations, at your own expense, to bring to the school meeting. If you have the time and energy, try to volunteer time for your child's school.
Volunteers can free up some of the teacher's time.
This may, indirectly, give her more time to focus on your child's needs. This also gives the parent an opportunity to get to know the school environment and some of the child's classmates. Having a good knowledge of the functioning of your child's school can help clear up potential misunderstandings. Some parents choose to arrange for private evaluations or tutoring. Speech therapy, occupational therapy and some other services may be covered by some insurance plans.