BECOMING YOUR CHILD?S ADVOCATE

by Theresea

Being an advocate means standing up for your child?s rights and ensuring that she gets them on the right time. Children cannot voice their concerns and express their preference when faced with an intimidating façade of an adult. It is up to you as a parent to make sure that reasonable and important preferences are met.

Advocacy is done for children regardless of their developmental, physical, and mental status. Regardless of whatever circumstances you and your kid may come across, kids with or without disabilities warrant advocacy. A parent does not have to undergo special training to become the voice of their children.

Before you voice out your concerns, observe your child and his environment objectively. See what needs improvement, what needs to be retained, and what needs to be removed. Make a list on how your child reacts to a situation or structure and write underneath it ways to help your child function and perform better.

Present your findings with the proper authority. Proper channeling of communication is recommended for success of relaying information without having to face communication blockages. If you channel your concerns to a higher official before addressing the person concerned, that person will end up begrudgingly following your request with some resentment of being passed over and not having his or her side heard in the process. Address the person first before seeking help from other people. Know more about the person before you confront him or her head on. Know what that person know and does not know about the situation and about your child.

Give the facts straight, in a firm, respectful, but commanding tone. State why there is a need for change or implementation, and offer suggestions on how to do so without belittling the other party?s integrity. As with everything, diplomacy is the key to having a win-win situation without having to resort to injury in both parties. Be the best person that you can be while giving the facts. Be flexible without having to agree to everything that the other party would say. What would be the use of being your child?s advocate if you would just end up giving way? There may be instances that you have to agree with the reasoning of the other person, but make sure that when you do, your child?s rights are still being implemented.

Let your child be involved. Have him stand beside you both as an observer and as a participant. Before you do so, orient your child on what is going to be done and what?s going to happen. If he would wish to state his case but does not know how, provide him with a script that he could follow. If he sees you standing up for him constantly, you would become a role model for your child. If you let him take a stand himself, he would learn to be assertive and ask for what he needs in a productive way without having to depend on you to do so for him all the time.

If there are still no changes being done and you see your child not progressing in any other way, present your case again. Keep on presenting your case politely but firmly until an agreement is formed to ensure that your petition is met without conflicting with the standards of the institution.

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