How to Advocate for Your Child with Learning Differences in School

A Parent’s Guide to Advocating for Your Child with Learning Differences

Navigating the school system can feel overwhelming when your child has learning differences such as dyslexia, ADHD, autism, or processing challenges. While schools often have resources, ensuring your child gets the right accommodations, services, and understanding usually requires strong parental advocacy.

As a teacher, I’ve seen firsthand how children flourish when their parents and educators work together. I’ve also seen children slip through the cracks when needs aren’t met. Advocacy is not always easy—but it can make the difference between frustration and confidence in the classroom.

This guide will give you practical steps to communicate with teachers, understand your child’s rights, and advocate effectively. Along the way, I’ll share strategies that reflect what has worked both in classrooms and at home.

Why Advocacy Matters

Children with dyslexia, ADHD, or processing challenges often struggle in traditional classrooms built around “one-size-fits-all” instruction. Without support, they may experience:

🚩 Frustration with reading, writing, or comprehension
🚩 Difficulty with focus, organization, or multi-step directions
🚩 Low self-esteem from feeling behind peers

Advocacy ensures your child receives:
✔ Individualized instruction and accommodations that meet their needs
✔ Access to interventions such as speech therapy, reading support, or occupational therapy
✔ A learning environment where they feel confident and capable

👉 Related: The Emotional Side of Dyslexia: Protecting Your Child’s Self-Esteem.

Step 1: Understand Your Child’s Learning Profile

Before requesting changes at school, it helps to deeply understand your child’s strengths and struggles.

  • Observe at home: Do they learn best with movement, visuals, or hands-on activities?

  • Identify challenges: Is reading accuracy the struggle, or is it attention, handwriting, or organization?

  • Ask your child: What feels hardest about school? What feels easy?

📌 Example: If your child struggles with connecting sounds to letters, multisensory strategies—like tracing textured letters or using mirrors to see how their mouth forms sounds—can help. (Learn more in our post on Early Signs of Dyslexia Every Parent Should Know).

Step 2: Build a Partnership with Teachers

Teachers are your biggest allies. When parents and teachers collaborate, children feel supported on all sides.

  • Schedule a meeting early: Share your child’s strengths, challenges, and goals.

  • Ask for feedback across subjects: Dyslexia may show up strongly in reading, but math and writing may be affected too.

  • Share what works at home: If multisensory tools or active breaks help, suggest classroom adaptations.

👉 For practical strategies, see How to Support a Child with Dyslexia at Home.

Step 3: Know Your Child’s Educational Rights

Understanding the legal framework helps you advocate effectively.

Key Terms to Know:

  • 504 Plan: Provides accommodations like extended time, preferential seating, or assistive tech.

  • IEP (Individualized Education Program): A legally binding plan that includes specialized instruction and services.

  • RTI (Response to Intervention): A tiered system of supports before special education is considered.

How to Access Support:

  • Submit a request in writing for evaluation if you suspect your child needs an IEP or 504.

  • Attend meetings prepared—bring notes, data, and examples of struggles.

  • Suggest accommodations that reflect your child’s learning style.

📖 For more information, visit Wrightslaw’s Guide to Special Education.

Step 4: Advocate for Multisensory Learning

Traditional teaching often relies on visual and auditory instruction alone, but children with learning differences often thrive with multisensory, hands-on methods.

  • Request evidence-based programs: Dyslexia interventions like Orton-Gillingham emphasize sight, sound, and movement together (International Dyslexia Association).

  • Encourage movement breaks: For children with ADHD, active learning boosts focus.

  • Ask about assistive tech: Audiobooks, text-to-speech, or interactive phonics apps can level the playing field.

📌 Example: If your child struggles with phonics, suggest tools like tactile alphabet cards, which allow them to see, feel, and hear letters at once.

Step 5: Stay Proactive and Persistent

Advocacy is not one-and-done—it’s ongoing.

  • Follow up with teachers regularly to track progress.

  • Keep a binder with notes from meetings, emails, and assessments.

  • Trust your instincts—if interventions aren’t working, request adjustments.

Persistence shows schools you’re serious, and it ensures your child’s needs remain at the center of decision-making.

Final Thoughts: You Are Your Child’s Best Advocate

Advocating for your child with learning differences ensures they get the support, strategies, and confidence they deserve. By understanding their needs, partnering with teachers, and requesting appropriate accommodations, you’re creating an environment where they can thrive academically and emotionally.

At Soaring Minds, we believe every child deserves accessible, engaging learning opportunities. That’s why we design multisensory resources to bridge the gap between home and school, giving parents simple ways to reinforce literacy with confidence.

👉 Want to dive deeper? Explore our related posts:

And for a trusted resource on navigating rights and services, see Understood.org’s Parent Advocacy Guide.

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