Every child has dreams of “what they want to do when they grow up.” Every parent dreams of their child graduating high school and following their dreams. A child with a disability has many challenges, but barriers to a free and appropriate public education should not one of them.
We believe that parents are a child’s best advocate.
For a parent whose child has a disability, advocacy comes from understanding the Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act (IDEA), Nevada Revised Statues (NRS) and Nevada Administrative Code (NAC). It can feel isolating and exhausting as parents often feel it is an uphill battle to get schools to provide services that meets the unique needs of their child.
Nevada Educational Advocacy Center for Children & Youth was created to help families learn to navigate and negotiate the Special Education process. We believe that NEACCY is the organization that will raise the level of cultural awareness and the need for special educational advocacy by helping parents become a better-informed advocate.
We believe that if our children and youth with disabilities are to become independent members of our society, gainfully employed in our communities, attending our institutions of higher learning and becoming productive members of our state, parents must be able to access services to assist them in advocating for their child’s unique needs.
We believe that when parents have a better understanding of what a free and appropriate public education looks like they will have a better understanding of how to advocate for services to meet their child’s unique needs.
We believe that informed parents are better prepared to engage in meaningful collaborative educational meetings creating supports and services that support their child in advancing in the general education curriculum and reaching their unique goals.
We believe that when parents and school staff engage in cooperative and collaborative efforts that the student with a disability has a far greater chance of reaching their dreams of independent living, gainful employment and post-secondary education.