Parent Advocacy Service
When you are working hard to support your child, navigating the assessment process, education system, and community options can be extremely challenging. We’re here to help. At the Possibilities Clinic, we offer a Parent Advocacy service for parents, guardians, and caregivers of neurodiverse children and teens. The families we work with are making important decisions—and they are seeking support in determining what will be most helpful for their child. We can assist in several ways; from helping you choose the right type of assessment for your child to understanding, prioritizing, and connecting with the best services and supports following the assessment. We can assist in the navigation of the education system, too, helping you prepare for IPRC meetings and supporting the implementation of a tailored Individual Education Plan (IEP). What we do depends on what you and your child need. With you, we’ll create a plan going forward to support your child’s unique strengths and needs. And if you need help putting that plan in action, we can help with that, too.
Here are some questions we are asked about our Parent Advocacy service, along with our answers.
A Parent Advocate is a helpful resource for parents or guardians who are working hard on behalf of their child to secure assessments, treatments, and support that can help boost strengths and address needs. Roles vary. Supporting you could mean suggesting scientifically supported interventions for specific presentations of ADHD and Learning Disabilities like Dyslexia. It could mean alerting you to potential government funding sources for Autism (ASD) interventions. It could mean communicating with the school—with you and on your behalf—at meetings, or as an Individual Education Plan [IEP] is being created, reviewed, or updated. It could also mean suggesting an updated assessment if the current picture of what your child needs isn’t clear. Bottom Line: A Parent Advocate supports you as you work hard to support your child.
Our advocacy is tailored to your questions, concerns, and child’s needs. The exact components will vary, but here are some areas where we can offer you support:
- Understanding assessment options if an updated, comprehensive profile of your child’s strengths and needs is recommended to devise a current Treatment Plan
- Reviewing current supports and discussing whether they are the right fit for your child
- Reviewing additional service options, both private and community-based, available to your child
- Discussing how treatment and intervention options could be prioritized and coordinated in a multi-step plan
- Planning for transitions—across grades, schools, or programs—and helping you and your child prepare for change
- Learning how Assistive Technology can support your child’s strengths while exploring recommended options
- Reviewing school supports, like accommodations and any Individual Education Plan (IEP), to determine whether adjustments could be helpful
- Preparing you for school meetings, or accompanying you to meetings, to further support your advocacy
- Understanding government funding options and eligibility for specific diagnoses like Autism
Our Parent Advocate, Tara Doherty, is an Ontario Certified Teacher who has worked in the special education system and in school administration in both the private and public systems. She has been supporting and advocating for parents, guardians and caregivers of neurodiverse children for over 12 years.
Yes. Our Parent Advocacy service can assist you in choosing the right assessment, services, and tools to support your child’s social, emotional, and academic needs. We can help you better understand the types of comprehensive assessments that are available to map out strengths and challenges, and direct you to services that provide additional support. For example, at Possibilities our School Match service helps parents choose among private school options. Our academic services provide evidence-based programming to help fill gaps in skills like reading and writing. Our Assistive Technology service offers consultation and coaching to kids and teens to improve work efficiency, while Executive Functioning/ADHD Coaching helps keep students on track. Our coaching and therapy services also offer mental health support. Any concerns regarding handwriting and sensory sensitivities could be addressed by our Occupational Therapy team. And if you’re looking for consultation with a Teacher-Neuropsychologist Team for a brain-based perspective on your child’s learning strengths and needs, our Advocate can recommend that option as well.
Yes. We offer our Parent Advocacy services remotely through secure video sessions.
The Parent Advocacy service at Possibilities is provided by an Ontario Certified Teacher, who is a non-medical professional. As such, these services are not covered by OHIP. Please check with your insurance provider to determine if services provided by a licensed teacher are covered by your employer if applicable.
Yes. Neurodevelopmental diversity is typically associated with unique strengths as well as skills that could benefit from support. Coordinating complex interventions is key. Our Advocate can help you identify a set of supports that could be integrated to address multiple concerns. Being attuned to details is also important. For example, a student with a Learning Disability plus ADHD will benefit from support on an IEP that addresses both learning and attention. Having an advocate who can help demystify specifics of the IEP—and explore why certain supports are being recommended while others are not—can be a huge help for parents.
Yes. If you grant verbal and written permission for the Advocate to speak directly with your child’s school, and you grant school personnel the same permission, direct meetings can be arranged.
Advocacy begins with a 90-minute session to discuss your child’s strengths as well as your concerns and request for support. By the end of the session, our Advocate will discuss a set of recommendations with you. These recommendations will also be shared with you in a written report shortly after your appointment. Additional appointments can be scheduled to help you implement specific recommendations at an added cost. What those added sessions look like will depend on the support you need to support your child.
To get started with the Parent Advocate, the cost of the initial 60-minute session is $270. Additional sessions requested for further advocacy can be provided.
For more information about our Parent Advocacy service, please contact us at info@possibilitiesclinic.com or call 1-833-482-5558.
You can also get started right away by completing our Registration Form. Once this form is received, our Care Team will help you book your appointment.
