our town community ENGAGING PARENTS AS ADVOCATES
As a first-time mom, Laura didn’t realize that her daughter was achieving her developmental milestones at a slower rate than other children her age. When the little girl was not rolling over or pushing up by
by Sarah Blech
9 months old, her pediatrician recommended that Laura and Jim, her husband, make an appointment with a specialist who, ultimately, diagnosed Megan with Cerebral Palsy. Today, Megan is a 7-year-old second grader, and her parents have become well versed in the language of special education. “We realized early on that if we didn’t advocate for Megan, we were doing her a disservice,” says Laura. “Her father and I are firm believers in school/family partnerships, even though
neither of us had especially good experiences when we were students.” When Laura and Jim began to seek out resources available to parents, they went to Megan’s teacher, who gave them a
brochure for PREP/Parent Resource Center. “IEP, FAPE, APE, SEAC, OT, PT — we never thought we’d get all the jargon straight. We were attending all of Megan’s IEP [Individualized Education Plan] meetings and asking a lot of questions, but felt as if we needed to be more prepared and better organized. After our visit to PREP/PRC, we realized that being prepared and knowledgeable not only helped Megan, but helped the entire team as well.” Using the library, attending parent trainings and networking with other parents have made
a huge difference for Laura, Jim and Megan. “We feel less isolated and more able to enjoy her school experience. I feel that we’ve developed good relationships within Megan’s school, and most importantly, Megan feels more successful in her classroom and the school community.” For more information on PRC services, contact Sarah Blech
at 975-9400 (ext. 68032) or
sblech@k12albemarle.org, or go online to
prep-prc.org.
Sarah is the coordinator at the PREP/Parent Resource Center, and mom to an adult daughter with disabilities.
FREE! Live and Learn
Parent Conference and Resource Fair: November 13, 8:30am-1:30pm.
Classics Gymnastics Begin here. Go anywhere!
Learning. Having Fun.
Growing Strong. Building Confidence.
• • •
Family 2009
Favorite Award Winner
Parent & Child classes, starting at 18 months! Tumbling Tots for kids ages 3-Kindergarten
A lifetime of options to move on to from there!
EXPERIENCED INSTRUCTORS | SUPERB FACILITES | WELL-STRUCTURED CLASSES 2327 Seminole Lane, Charlottesville
AlbemarleFamily.com
434-978-4720 start classes anytime!
9
OUR Schools
Mona Holmes
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