Advocate Navigator, Llc

As special education navigators, we empower parents to be informed, effective advocates for their children. This approach supports a collaborative relationship with educators and avoids adversarial assumptions. Using our expertise as educators, we ensure each child's education is evidence-based and aligned to their unique strengths and needs. We specialize in the academic, social-emotional, and/or behavioral needs of students with average to superior cognitive abilities. We also offer navigation for families whose child was recently identified with Autism. Through our "Roadmap" service, we orient parents to the special education process, help parents assess their goals for their child and how, when and where to advocate for their child towards reaching those goals. We also helps parents understand how existing evaluations inform special education decisions, and identify areas requiring additional data. While we are not clinicians, we can explain how different disciplines can support their child's needs, and works with parents to develop a list of questions to ask providers to assess if they are a good fit for the child and family. For MCPS parents, Melissa Stein, Navigator has the unique “post-pandemic” MCPS special education teacher's understanding of how, when, and why MCPS schools and central office staff make special education service and placement decisions. That knowledge, together with expertise in evidence-based special education practices, limits unnecessary inefficiencies in the IEP process. We embrace neurodiversity. Each child has unique needs, strengths and abilities. All people with disabilities have an inalienable right to self-advocacy and self-determination.