Excerpt from interview published by Rise Magazine on getting the right school supports can prevent child welfare involvement. Interviews by Cynthia Zizola, Shakira Paige, Ray Watson, Keyna Franklin, and Melissa Landrau:
Q: How might a parent’s finances affect a child’s chances of getting the right supports?
Moroff: The simplest answer is that families with resources often hire lawyers. Lawyers and advocates know the system and know how to help a family assert their rights. It shouldn’t be that way. That’s why organizations like Advocates for Children exist. We provide low-income families with educational legal assistance, host parent trainings, run a helpline, and do large-scale litigation and a lot of policy work to make sure all students have access to a quality education.
Murphy: If you are a family who has a lot of resources, you can also pay for a private neuropsychological exam.
Torres: Neuropsychological evaluations are more comprehensive than the typical school psychoeducational evaluations and include an in-depth assessment of the child’s skills and abilities linked to brain function. They also provide recommendations for the types of interventions that may be effective, given the student’s specific strengths and weaknesses.
Murphy: The Promise Project provides full neuropsych evaluations to low-income students who may have an undiagnosed or underdiagnosed learning issue.Torres: We also educate parents as much as possible on what their rights are.
Moroff: If you can’t work out a conflict with the school even when you assert your rights, reaching out for assistance is often a good idea. Really, it’s never a bad idea to talk through parental concerns with a specialist.
Full interview available at Rise Magazine.
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