Developed in Syracuse University’s School of Education, iAdvocate grew out of a need to provide resources for parents of students with disabilities.
The goal of iAdvocate is to share and develop specific strategies with parents for working collaboratively with a school team to improve their children’s education. iAdvocate uses problem-based learning strategies, simulations, and provides contextual access resources to build parental advocacy skills and knowledge.
iAdvocate provides parents with both information and most importantly, strategies in regards to their educational rights and getting their child’s needs met. The goal of iAdvocate is to share and develop specific strategies with parents for working collaboratively with a school team to improve their children’s education and to provide the most inclusive and meaningful educational environment for students with disabilities.
iAdvocate contains three sections: strategies, a compilation of approaches that parents can pursue as advocates; resources, which lists and, where possible, links to such references as laws, books, articles, web sites, video presentations, and organizations that provide information on inclusive education; and, responses, which features simulated interactions, such as replies to common statements made by school professionals regarding services and accommodations for children.