• Do you want to learn how to be a better collaborator with your child’s school team and still get the services your child needs?
  • Do you feel frustrated by the IEP process? Confused? Worried?
  • Did you know that if your child is home-schooled or in a private school the school district must still evaluate and provide services in some cases?
  • Are you wondering how your child can get the therapy services they need during their school day?

We have a mantra here at The Brain Recovery Project: Knowledge is power. If you have to advocate for something for your child, you must understand it.

That’s why I’m trying out a new way to empower families who are advocating for the educational needs of their child after epilepsy surgery. Starting this week, I will be offering weekly office hours. Bring your education-related questions. These will be open meetings so that parents can learn from each other during the session. What it turns into will depend on who shows up and what your needs are!

The meetings will be on Google Meet, and you can attend with your camera on or off. There will be a limit of 10 participants per session and the hour will be divided based on the number of attendees that day (i.e. if there are 10 participants each person will have 6 minutes for their question, if there is only 1 participant you will get the whole hour to ask questions!). These sessions will NOT be recorded. 

I’ve picked different times and days each week so that hopefully everyone can find a session that suits their schedule.

If you have a question you don’t feel comfortable asking in a group setting, please email me! 

Register here: https://forms.gle/aadGfgtoXQvweRwn6

Please email me if you have any questions or ideas about this new offering.

Upcoming office hours (all times Pacific):

  • Thursday, April 29 10-11 am
  • Thursday, May 6, 5-6 pm
  • Wednesday, May 12, 10-11 am
  • Wednesday, May 19, 5-6 pm
  • Friday, 5/28, 10-11 am

Before signing up, please start with a basic understanding of the IEP process by reading through our step by step IEP guide and watching our training videos on the IEP process and assessments. The office hours are for informational purposes only and nothing discussed should be interpreted as legal advice. 

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER 

If you’re going to advocate for something for your child, you must understand it.

About the author

Audrey Vernick is the Director of Patient and Family Advocacy for The Brain Recovery Project. She is the parent of a child who had hemispherectomy for seizures caused by stroke. Ms. Vernick holds a level 2 certification in Special Education Advocacy Training from the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates and is certified by The ARC in future planning. She represents The Brain Recovery Project in the Rare Epilepsy Network‘s Adult Transition Taskforce and serves on the Youth Advisory Council for HOBSCOTCH (HOme Based Self-management and COgnitive Training CHanges lives), a behavioral program designed to address memory and attention problems for people who have epilepsy.