Advocate for Yourself
As a parent or family member to a student with a disability, you want the best possible education for your child. But Special Education services and processes can be time and energy-consuming and tough to figure out. LEAP has put together numerous resources to help educate and support families, including short, topical videos, comprehensive training modules, and connections to state and local organizations who provide advocacy.
Learning Opportunities
Enroll for the LEAP Online Series
The full LEAP training delivered through a self-paced learning experience is comprised of 13 individual courses each taking an hour to an hour and a half to complete. Courses can be taken independently by topic area or sequentially in the full series. Learners may only be interested in taking one or two courses, and complete the full series in order, or jump around based on learners’ interests and needs. All choices are welcome.
*Spanish versions of LEAP online materials and training videos are available for bilingual advocates and parents.
To enroll, visit: Enroll in LEAP
Handy Highlights
Get quick answers to your questions about eligibility, IEP meetings, and parents’ rights by viewing excerpts from live LEAP training. Consider them Handy Highlights.
Advocacy Services and Resources
Parents looking for advocacy help may contact state and local organizations working directly with families in special education advocacy. These organizations participate in the Missouri Educational Advocacy Network and provide services directly to eligible families and students.
Visit Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, which provides free legal representation, education, and supportive services to eligible families residing in 21 counties in eastern Missouri. The group’s Education Justice Program assists families and students with disabilities on issues related to special education, barriers to school enrollment, or school discipline.
Visit F.A.C.T., a 501(c)(3) non-profit family organization serving St. Charles and Warren County, MO that provides information, education, and practical support to families that include children/adults with any type of disability. F.A.C.T. Educational Advocates can guide you through Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and 504 Plan processes and requirements to ensure students can access the educational services they need for academic success.
Visit Missouri Family to Family, which offers free support to people with disabilities, special healthcare needs and their caregivers. At Missouri Family to Family, you’ll find connection, a listening ear, ideas and strength to keep going when times get tough.
ffer free support to people with disabilities, special healthcare needs, and their caregivers. At Missouri Family to Family, you’ll find connection, a listening ear, ideas and strength to keep going when times get tough. ffer free support to people with disabilities, special healthcare needs, and their caregivers. At Missouri Family to Family, you’ll find connection, a listening ear, ideas and strength to keep going when times get tough.
Visit Missouri Protection and Advocacy Services (Mo P&A), which has a mission to protect the legal rights of persons with disabilities through legal-based advocacy. Mo P&A can provide information and referral services, advocacy services, and legal services to assist students. This may include assistance with planning, developing, or implementing the Individualized Education Program (IEP), as well as representation in IEP meetings, resolution conferences, and administrative hearings.
Visit Missouri’s federally funded Parent Training and Information Center (MPACT). Its mission is to empower families through support, training, and education to advocate for children with special education needs. Their website includes information on upcoming training sessions about various education topics. They also provide direct support to families navigating special education resources and programs.
Contact us at: MoFamilytoFamily@umkc.edu
Funding for the Lay Educational Advocacy Project provided by the Missouri Developmental Disabilities Council (MODDC), Grants #1801MOBSDD Seq. No.: 2018 / 4, #1901MOSCDD-02, #2001MOSCDD-02 and as authorized by Public Law 106-402 – Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (DD Act).