From Parent to Advocate

A 1:1 Parent Training Experience

Learn to navigate special education with confidence, clarity, and support.

Facilitated by Paige Fitzgerald, Director of Family Services for IEPractices

This program is for you if…

You are a parent or caregiver who:

Wants to better understand your child’s IEP, 504 Plan, evaluation, services, or accommodations
Feels overwhelmed before, during, or after school meetings
Knows something is not working but is not sure what to ask for next
Wants to communicate concerns clearly without feeling adversarial
Needs help organizing information and understanding what matters
Wants to become a more confident member of your child’s educational team

You don't need a law degree to advocate effectively for your child.

Whether you're preparing for your first IEP meeting or navigating ongoing challenges at school, From Parent to Advocate gives you the knowledge, tools, and community to move forward with confidence.

Now enrolling for upcoming sessions.

Join the Next Session
Schedule a Discovery Call

Considering advocacy beyond your own family?

From Parent to Advocate introduces participants to ethical advocacy practices, responsible family support, documentation, confidentiality, and understanding when additional professional or legal support may be needed. This program is educational in nature and does not provide legal training or certification.

What you’ll learn

Over the course of the program, you’ll learn how to:

Understand the difference between general education supports, 504 Plans, and IEPs
Make sense of evaluations, eligibility, present levels, goals, services, accommodations, and progress monitoring
Identify what information is missing or unclear
Prepare for meetings with stronger questions
Respond when the school says no or when you disagree
Document concerns and next steps clearly
Create a personalized advocacy plan for your child

The CALM Advocacy Method

Inside the program, you’ll learn our signature CALM Advocacy Method — a simple framework for navigating school conversations with clarity and intention.

C — Clarify the Issue
What are we actually discussing or deciding?

A — Acknowledge the Position
What is the school team saying, and can you summarize it accurately?

L — Lead With Questions
What data, reasoning, options, or next steps need to be clarified?

M — Make the Record Clear
What was proposed, refused, agreed to, or left unresolved?

CALM helps parents advocate in a way that is prepared, grounded, respectful, and clear.

The Program Path

Week 1: Understand the System

You’ll learn the basics of school supports, including general education interventions, Section 504, IDEA, evaluations, IEPs, and parent participation.

Goal: Understand the map.

Week 2: Understand Your Child’s Needs

You’ll learn how to look at concerns, records, evaluations, present levels, progress data, and missing information.

Goal: Understand the student.

Week 3: Understand the Support Plan

You’ll learn how needs should connect to goals, accommodations, services, supports, placement, and progress monitoring.

Goal: Understand the plan.

Week 4: Communicate and Advocate With Confidence

You’ll learn how to prepare for meetings, ask strategic questions, respond to disagreement, use the CALM Advocacy Method, and document next steps.

Goal: Leave with a personalized advocacy plan.

What’s Included

Your enrollment includes:

Weekly teaching videos
A full course guide and advocacy workbook
Reflection questions and workbook activities
Parent-friendly explanations of key special education concepts
Case study practice
Meeting preparation tools
Advocacy planning support
Live coaching sessions to apply the material to your child’s situation
Guidance on what to ask, what to document, and how to move forward

This is educational support, not legal advice

From Parent to Advocate™ is educational in nature. It is designed to help parents understand the special education process, organize information, ask stronger questions, prepare for meetings, and communicate more effectively.

It does not provide legal advice or replace the support of an attorney, evaluator, therapist, or other specialized professional when that support is needed.