Certified Dyslexia Advocates have completed the rigorous certification process provided by the Dyslexia Training Institute, a premier provider of dyslexia education for parents, educators, and advocates. This training not only provides advocates with training in the special education system but also provides specialized training in the needs of students with dyslexia. Just as you’d prefer to see a cardiologist rather than a general practitioner when creating a care plan for a patient with heart disease, you would want to see an advocate that specializes in dyslexia when creating an educational plan for a student with dyslexia.

We believe that parents deserve up-front, transparent pricing and an advocate who can spend as much time as necessary to do the research and preparation required to get results. We realize that our Don't Go It Alone Advocacy package may seem like a larger investment than what you might expect to pay when comparing it to an hourly rate. However, our clients speak to it's value. Over ten years of experience in this field has shown us that to get the results our clients need and expect, we must put in many hours of: exhaustive research and preparation reaching out to experts and decision-makers on behalf of the families we represent listening to hours of audio from previous meetings whatever it takes to get desired results! This “behind the scenes” work allows us to show up fully for our clients; prepared and ready to advocate on their behalf. This is why our Don't Go It Alone advocacy package includes the unlimited preparation time we need to get the results our families desire. We also believe strongly in the partnership between the family and the advocate. Therefore we include a Deep Dive Parent Interview and a Strategy Session with your advocate prior to your school meeting. Following each meeting we include a Debrief to ensure that parents can fully understand and process all that occurred at the meeting. Advocacy isn’t just about paperwork and showing up at meetings- it’s also about supporting families through what can be a stressful and overwhelming process. We keep our clients informed and supported every step of the way. Click the link below to talk about how our advocacy package can meet your needs!

We think of the Parent Consultation as a "test drive". This no obligation consultation allows parents to see the knowledge, experience, and value that they can receive when adding our advocacy practice to their child's team. Parents will receive a document review and consultation with our lead advocate, Lorraine Hightower. During this time parents will get answers to their questions and leave with a recommended advocacy strategy. Parents can then choose to work with us through our package or attempt to implement that strategy on their own. Our Don't Go It Alone advocacy package is for parents who would like a professional advocate to "take the wheel". Through our direct "hands-on" advocacy support we create and ensure the implementation of an effective educational plan for their dyslexic child. We support our clients through every step of their advocacy journey~ doing all of the behind the scenes preparation required to get results, creating personalized recommendations for an appropriate and effective educational plan, advocating on behalf of the family at school meetings, and providing multiple opportunities to meet with their advocate privately.

First, we will get to know each other through a Parent Consultation with Lorraine or a complimentary Discovery Call with one of our team members. Once we’ve both determined that we are the right advocacy practice for your family, we will send you a link to get started with the Don't Go It Alone advocacy package. That link will allow you to: choose how you’d like to invest in our services sign your advocacy agreement provide contact information submit your payment Then we can get down to business! You will then: submit your child’s educational documents to us book your first meeting, a Deep Dive Parent Interview, with your advocate Meanwhile, we’ll begin working with the school to schedule our first meeting with the school team. It usually takes about two weeks from the time you sign your agreement until the time we meet for your Deep Dive Interview.

Not unless you choose to! We have created multiple ways to invest in our services.

Yes! Once we've begun working together, we will do all we can to meet our clients' needs. We have created two packages for existing clients that address ongoing or more complex advocacy situations. 1. Whatever It Takes Advocacy Package This package if for a family that wants more advocacy support not only to get an appropriate plan in place, but ensure that the school keeps their child’s plan on track. They may also need more support for more complex advocacy challenges. This package includes all meeting attendance, consultations, and progress monitoring your family needs for a full year, without the hourly limits that are included in a Don't Go It Alone package. This annual package will allow you to get a plan in place, tackle some bumps in the road, and make sure the plan is implemented with fidelity. 2. Let's Stay On Track Advocacy Package This package is for our clients who have already worked with us to put a great plan in place. They often tell us they never want to go to an IEP meeting alone again! Therefore, we've created this package to provide support at the child's Annual Review Meeting. We will check the child's progress over the course of the year and work with the team to create an IEP for the following year that meets the student's needs and ensures continued progress. Our clients never have to go it alone again!

Special education and 504 laws are federal. We can provide advocacy services in any state! Our advocate can meet with parents and the student’s educational team virtually.

If you have more questions, let’s talk! Book either a Parent Consultation with Lorraine or a complimentary Discovery Call with one of our team members. You can also email us at advocacysupport@lorrainehightower.com or call us Monday-Friday from 9-5 at 540-751-8487. We look forward to getting to know you!

An educational advocate is someone with extensive knowledge about special education programs and the academic support that students with disabilities can receive through the public school system. Advocates consult with parents and school staff to share their expertise and make educational recommendations. They also work in collaboration with parents to advocate on behalf of a student at school meetings. Click here to read more about the skills and abilities an educational advocate must have to be successful.

Anyone can claim to be an educational advocate. There are no licensing requirements or certifications necessary to become an educational advocate. Therefore, it is up to parents to do their due diligence in finding an advocate that thoroughly understands their child’s disability and is qualified to speak to all of the ways that disability impacts the child. We recommend starting by reading our blog series about hiring an advocate. We encourage families to interview multiple advocates before selecting the educational advocate that fits their needs. Most importantly, download and use these 10 Questions to Ask When Hiring an Educational Advocate. These interview questions will help you determine which advocate best suits your needs.

Because educational advocacy is unregulated, individual advocates can choose to be as hands-on, or hands-off, as they would like in their practice. Therefore we cannot provide a definitive list of exactly what to expect from all advocates. Most advocates will: Review psycho-educational evaluations and other educational data Review special education documents such as IEPs, 504 Plans, Prior Written Notice (PWN), eligibility documents, etc. Create recommendations for goals, services, and accommodations for the school team. Attend school meetings with the family In our decade of experience, we have found that to get the best results, advocates must provide much more than these few services. Read our blog to learn more about the skills and abilities we believe an educational advocate must possess to fulfill the duties effectively. Click the button below to see exactly what services we provide in our comprehensive "Don't Go It Alone" advocacy package.

Parents wear a lot of hats. They are often experts in their profession as well as experts in their own children. Few parents, however, are experts in gathering and interpreting educational data fluent in the special education process dyslexia experts informed of the latest state and local special education regulations familiar with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section 504 of the Civil Rights Act completely informed of their parental rights To advocate successfully as a parent you must become an expert in all of those areas. For parents who have the time and inclination to learn more about dyslexia, gathering and interpreting your child's data, and creating an educational plan for your child, please consider our Online Parent Training Program, The Dyslexia Advocacy Advantage. We teach our framework for successful advocacy so that you can become a more effective parent advocate. Please note, this training program does not include training on laws, regulations or parental rights. However, if you choose to advocate on your own, this base of knowledge and training is invaluable. The truth is that most parents do not have the time or “bandwidth” to master all of these areas. We have advocated for many professionals such as attorneys, doctors, and even teachers who understood that they just didn’t know what they didn’t know when it came to advocacy. Therefore, they enlisted a professional who already has all of the knowledge and skills to advocate successfully.

Public school systems are required by federal law to provide students with disabilities a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). This means that they have an obligation to provide students who are eligible with a 504 Plan or an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Advocates can help families whose children have a disability work through the eligibility process and gain support from the public school under one of these two plans. In brief, 504 Plans help children with disabilities access the curriculum through accommodations alone while IEPs allow students to receive specialized instruction through special education services and accommodations. There are some important differences between these two plans. We suggest you read our full article, "504 Plan or IEP: What Is The Best Plan For Your Child's Needs?" to learn more about the two educational plans and how they can help students. Advocates can clarify your child’s needs and help create the 504 Plan or IEP that is right just for them. Advocates should work with the school team to create comprehensive educational plans for children. That means that the 504 Plan or IEP should address all of a child’s needs, whether they be academic, behavioral, and/or social-emotional. These comprehensive plans should also align with any outside help a child is receiving through a tutor or therapist.

Certified Dyslexia Advocates have completed the rigorous certification process provided by the Dyslexia Training Institute, a premier provider of dyslexia education for parents, educators, and advocates. This training not only provides advocates with training in the special education system but also provides specialized training in the needs of students with dyslexia. Just as you’d prefer to see a cardiologist rather than a general practitioner when creating a care plan for a patient with heart disease, you would want to see an advocate that specializes in dyslexia when creating an educational plan for a student with dyslexia.

If you have more questions, let’s talk! Book either an Initial Consultation with Lorraine or a complimentary Discovery Call with one of our team members. You can also email us at advocacysupport@lorrainehightower.com or call us Monday-Friday from 9-5 at 540-751-8487. We look forward to getting to know you!