Blogathon 2006 Post # 26

I feel like I've finally woken up and I'm just cruising right about now. Might be that second wind thing. The Boy is so bored he actually asked to write another post. Maybe the next one!

I use my gift to help others by...

Acting as an educational advocate for the parents of gifted and twice exceptional children. Twice exceptional means gifted + learning disabilities, and in the gifted community jargon it's referred to as 2E. Unbeknownst to most people outside the gifted community, it's very common to have a 2E child. In fact, more gifted kids are 2E than not. It's not known why, but many gifted kids have neurological problems above their giftedness, often seen in the guise of ADHD, ADD, bipolar disorder, and various diagnosis on the autistic spectrum. Both of my children are 2E.

Because I'm a natural researcher, and a writer, and have major indignation/anger for crappy school officials, I've become an advocate to help other parents wade through the bogus nonsense the school systems throw at them. My rule of thumb is always: The school system will ALWAYS say "no" because they do not want to spend any extra money on your child. They will lie and tell you that your child is not eligible for special education services. They will cook up faulty test scores. They will disallow any outside testing. They will claim that because your child is working on grade level his/her disability does not count. NEVER trust the school system to tell you the truth.

I help parents research their rights, narrow down their options, and write up a usable IEP. I will come to IEP meetings as an advocate. I will help parents search for an alternative school setting for the child. I will tell them about the options they have within the public schools. Most of that information is never relegated to parents unless they push.

I do this voluntarily because I know how hard it is to buck the system and win.

What do you do to help others?

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