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Special Education Advocacy in San Mateo

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF A SPECIAL EDUCATION ADVOCATE?

A Voice For Exceptional Children and Their Families...

WHAT IS AN ADVOCATE?

Advocate: someone who speaks, writes in favor of, supports, advises or urges by argument in support of another person. In other words, an advocate is someone who actively negotiates for the needs of another (COPAA).


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A Special Education Advocate is a voice for exceptional children and their families. An advocate assists in ensuring a child’s needs are met by a school district and that a child is provided with all the services that support those needs. An advocate supports and works towards a quality Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) with appropriate services for your child.


An advocate represents you and your child and works cooperatively with the school system towards building an effective IEP needed for your child under Special Education guidelines. A Special Education Advocate uses their training, experience, expertise and knowledge to ensure that a child receives a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) under their IEP in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). 


It is important to choose an effective advocate who not only understands your child and your concerns, but also understands Special Education procedures and processes. An advocate works towards the best opportunities possible for your child's optimum learning and school experience.

 

 

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L. Davies Advocacy follows the Voluntary Code of Ethics as put forth by the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates. The Code of ethics is presented on the Services page.

 

​​​​​​​​​​​Client Comments:

I am so thankful for having found Lydia after years of being let down by the school district. Lydia was the light that I needed to help me navigate my way through the dark and difficult road of dealing with the school district's refusal and failure of providing my son with an appropriate education. Lydia is such a dedicated and professional person who genuinely cares. She went above and beyond with her heart and knowledge and I definitely recommend her advocacy services! J.R.


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Working with a school district can be quite the journey! Early in the process we realized that we needed some help and we turned to Lydia Davies. We were frustrated by our child's placement. We knew that the support levels weren't enough for our son, but the district continued to deny services. Lydia was able to hold the district accountable by requesting that data be captured in a rigorous way. When we got the data, the school district realized what we knew all along. While it was a long journey, we eventually got increased support that will help our child succeed. We are thankful for Lydia's efforts and we recommend her services to those that are looking for a qualified advocate to help in the process. B and RM.


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We were running into so many obstacles at my son's IEP meetings that we finally had to get help! My husband and I tried many months looking for resolution with no success. So we decided to get in touch with Lydia Davies. Lydia was a special education teacher who knows the ins and outs of special education laws. She listened, gave excellent, practical advice and took our concerns to the table to be heard. We were finally able to get a good night sleep after she took over our son's case! She returned all  emails and phone calls... made sure to discuss every step of the process with us and double checked for our comfort level in the decision. She is a hard working advocate who cares. We are so grateful and blessed for her wonderful work! Thank you Lydia for helping us get through this daunting process with success! A.B


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"It's nice to have someone like Lydia on your side. She's knowledgeable about special education procedures, fair and kind, she really cares about kids. She helped me navigate through the evaluation and IEP process so my husband and I were informed and confident throughout the meetings". R.S.
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"I was at a loss when the school wanted to 
put my son in special education. I am new to the area and didn't know much about the community. Lydia spent time meeting with me and my son. She assessed him and was able to work with the school on great goals for him. Lydia is a team player and works towards positive solutions. Things went much better then I expected at the IEP meeting".  M.Y.  
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Lydia Davies has been a welcome resource for my family. She is very knowledgeable about IEP's and she presents creative ideas to resolve problems. She observed my child and helped with academic and behavior goals. She returns calls and was there for me to answer my many questions. A truly caring professional!" K.F.

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I did not receive an assessment plan from our district after I asked them to test my daughter. Lydia explained the time frame to us and contacted the district. When there was no response she filed a complaint. The district then assessed and we were able to develop a successful 504 plan for my daughter!  S.R.

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Although the school that my son is currently attending is very hard nose, my family thinks that you have been great in our defense. Very detailed and thorough. We greatly appreciate your service! P.M.


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My son needed a 1:1 aide when we moved here. The district did not agree. Lydia did an observation, made recommendations and helped us find a more appropriate setting for my son where he could be supported. D.S.