Empowering Christina’s Advocacy
“FACT was instrumental in helping me to know how to advocate for my son to remain in school and to improve his IEP. Thank you so much, I’m incredibly grateful.” - Christina S.
Meet Christina
Christina S., a single mother of four from Marion County whose family receives wrap-around services, is navigating a challenging situation with her 14-year-old son (R). A bright teen with ADHD, sensory issues, and possible autism, R’s engagement in disruptive behavior at school led to the threat of expulsion earlier this fall. How Christina is navigating this situation – and how she is advocating for her son – is the parent hero story we share today.
Behavior Tells a Story
As this school year got underway, Christina received multiple calls about her son’s increasingly disruptive behavior. He was leaving classrooms, visiting other classes, refusing work, and causing disruptions. Then, in early October, she got a call from the school informing her they were scheduling a manifestation determination meeting and taking disciplinary action. Christina understood that the school planned to expel her son. Her family’s wrap-around care coordinator referred her to FACT Oregon to better understand her son’s rights and prepare for the meeting.
Talking with Whitnie at FACT Oregon, Christina shared that this level of behavior represented a significant shift for her son. She believed R’s behavior had escalated because he was spending more time in general education than the prior year, but without any support for transitions or to manage his impulsivity. Additionally, she shared some mental health concerns. Christina worried that the lack of support at school had further dysregulated him and led directly to R’s potential expulsion.
Empowering Family Advocacy
Whitnie helped Christina understand the nuances of a manifestation determination meeting. She assured Christina that any decision about disciplinary action would be made by the entire IEP team, with her and R’s input. They discussed Appropriate Evaluation, Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBAs), Prior Written Notice, and Placement. Whitnie followed up by sending along resources for Christina to review. Equipped with this knowledge and feeling empowered, Christina took proactive steps to address her concerns at the meeting and request an FBA. After hearing more about R’s needs, the team agreed that it was a good next step. The outcome was that R was not suspended or expelled and was allowed to remain at school. Christina has since submitted paperwork to begin the FBA process.
The Impact of Support
As Christina’s advocacy journey continues – as is often the case – she continues to access support from FACT Oregon. Christina is establishing her voice as a team member, asking for documentation of agreed-upon actions, promoting transparent communication, and supporting the team to home in on the root of R’s escalating behavior. She is asking informed questions, with the goal of ensuring her son receives the education he is entitled to under IDEA.
“Whitnie was instrumental in helping my son. He was going to be expelled for his behavior. I didn’t know my rights, or what to say at the manifestation meeting, and she was a wealth of information. She was kind and supportive, and she gave me the resources to turn the meeting around to help [R].”
Christina's advocacy is changing the trajectory of her son. And FACT Oregon is honored to be there for her as she continues this transformative work.
〰️ Support Families Like Christina's! 〰️ Make a Year-End Gift Today!
〰️ Support Families Like Christina's! 〰️ Make a Year-End Gift Today!
Christina’s story raises several key concerns we often support families through:
Manifestation Determination Meetings: FACT Oregon helps families understand the purpose, significance, potential outcomes, and process for manifestation determination meetings and how to advocate for their child's rights within the education system.
Appropriate Evaluation: Families of children on IEPs – or who suspect their child may be eligible – can request evaluations at any time. In this case, FACT Oregon supported Christina to request an FBA as an appropriate next step in determining the root causes of R’s behavior before taking disciplinary action. From there, our shared goal is for a Behavior Support Plan to be developed and implemented.
Every Child is Unique. Some Experience Layers of Challenges: Acknowledging the intersectionality of issues faced by the child and family is essential to creating individualized educational programs and effective support plans.
