Recommendation for Educational Advocate in Montgomery County

[Anonymous]

Looking for an educational advocate regarding KG placement for a child diagnosed with ASD. We are in Montgomery County. Please share your experiences. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

We used Jennifer Fisher at Weinfeld group and she was terrific.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We used Jennifer Fisher at Weinfeld group and she was terrific.

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

I also give high marks to Jennifer. She is very knowledgeable about the programs available. But... just to let you know, there isn't much available for K. She can however work on a kick-ass IEP and make sure it's being implemented.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also give high marks to Jennifer. She is very knowledgeable about the programs available. But... just to let you know, there isn't much available for K. She can however work on a kick-ass IEP and make sure it's being implemented.

How does she make sure it is implemented?

[Anonymous]

In my case, she went to a classroom observation and saw things that were happening. She got people involved outside of the school who came for observations as well. I learned that things weren't happening that should have been happening. And she was instrumental to making sure that my child received the appropriate services.

I couldn't have done that on my own.

[Anonymous]

OP, are you seeking a more supportive placement? Or the other way around?

[Anonymous]

Shelia Iseman - serious ASD expert. Got our son an awesome MCPS placement.

[e-mail]

[Anonymous]

Laura Solomon is great, she fights like a pit bull.

Implementation requires data. She will demand that MCPS gather the data to prove their program is working for your kid.

[Anonymous]

Laura Solomon's email is

[e-mail]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Laura Solomon is great, she fights like a pit bull.

Implementation requires data. She will demand that MCPS gather the data to prove their program is working for your kid.

We had a terrible experience with her. Please see other comments from PPs about how she humiliates herself. We should have listened to those posters because they were right on target.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Laura Solomon is great, she fights like a pit bull.

Implementation requires data. She will demand that MCPS gather the data to prove their program is working for your kid.

We had a terrible experience with her. Please see other comments from PPs about how she humiliates herself. We should have listened to those posters because they were right on target.

PP that recommended Laura here. I see a lot of both positive and negative reviews. Not all of the negative is true. She is certainly abrasive, arrogant and stubborn. But she did not humiliate herself. She was way more knowledgeable than the school staff, had a clearly defined strategy, worked hard to improve the IEP, and got us a placement we were satisfied with. Like I said, she is a pit bull. Sometimes that's exactly what you need.

[Anonymous]

And sometimes it's exactly what you don't need and makes things worse, ratchets up the tension level. She's very condescending, even to parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And sometimes it's exactly what you don't need and makes things worse, ratchets up the tension level. She's very condescending, even to parents.

Yes she was condescending to us, but it didn't bother me, because I have my own strong opinions. She talks down to you, then she says the parents are in charge, so in the end, you can just pull rank on her.

In our case, she actually lowered the tensions, because we were upset about the initial placement we were offered. She found a better placement and taught the school staff some things they should have already known. I think they were actually happy with that. Also, we had our own good relations with the school to start with, and were careful to always maintain them. Outside the IEP process, we were happy with the informal accommodations that the school provided and we told them so many times.

[Anonymous]

So it sounds line they all have their strengths and weaknesses. It also sounds case dependent and what the family is looking for. Who is best to work with placement concerns? How do they work with system or private schools ( if child already there)