Special Needs Advocacy|New Jersey|Special Education Advocate NJ

SERVICES

Advocating for you and your child’s uniqueness and future success

Effective Advocacy with Collaborative Relationships

Special Needs Advocacy Associates LLC is committed to delivering support to parents through effective advocacy and sound collaborative relationship with schools.

Special Needs Advocacy Associates LLC can assist you to understand and successfully navigate your way through every stage or those stages you choose of the special education and accommodations process from early intervention in pre-school, to elementary school through high school and then young adults from college through graduate school seeking higher education accommodations. Services include but are not limited to the those on the following page. If you do not find your specific issue listed, please contact us to seek assistance.

DISCLAIMER: Special Needs Advocacy Associates LLC provides only advocacy and consulting services. If a family cannot reach an agreement with a school, Ms. Bass can refer you to a New Jersey licensed attorney. Using the services of Special Needs Advocacy Associates LLC does not create an attorney client relationship.

FALL CONSULTATION SPECIAL - $350

Concerned about your child's progress or whether your child's IEP or 504 Plan is meeting their needs or your child's not being implemented?

Then, reach out for this consultation special:

Initial intake call
Document review, including IEP/504 Plan, evaluation reports
Feedback discussion of recommendations for action

Payment by credit card, Google Pay or Cash App. Payment Plan available.

Contact

PHILOSOPHY

Special Needs Advocacy Associates LLC helps parents across New Jersey with a child who has special needs secure appropriate quality special education services (FAPE) meeting their child’s unique needs to prepare him/her for a happy, productive, independent life, to the greatest degree possible.

Our philosophy is to use effective advocacy methods along with a collaborative approach in working with schools to ensure your child gains access to special education opportunities and your school provides an individualized special education program truly meeting his/her unique needs.

Like all parents, you strive to have your child receive a valuable education. You may recognize that your child is struggling in school and how your child is learning is not working well or your child may already be receiving special education services but your child’s distinctive needs are not being met. Parents in either situation must work harder and make a commitment to be directly involved in formulating a child’s education and future – in other words, become your child’s advocate.

Special Needs Advocacy Associates LLC seeks to inform and encourage you to become capable partners with your school. We offer a range of support from guiding and coaching you to us acting as an advocate by actively participating as you proceed through the process.

EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY

Effective Advocacy is accomplished by means of essential skills, tactics, and an understanding of the special education landscape.

Effective advocates use tactics and strategies to prevent or work out problems, and take a child-centered approach to include a child in planning when old enough and able to participate.

Special Needs Advocacy Associates LLC understands, however, that you can feel overwhelmed and exasperated with the special education and accommodations complex process and procedures. Similarly, finding your way through complicated channels in post-secondary education and training, and testing can be daunting, especially for the first time, with far less institutional support than students had in primary and secondary education. We recognize if you do not know the systems, you are unable, consequently, to form the necessary tactics and skills for effective advocacy.

But Special Needs Advocacy Associates LLC is here to help as much or as little you decide!

COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR SCHOOL

Collaboration with your school and district is accomplished by cultivating and sustaining a well-functioning relationship by means of positive communication and cooperation.

Special Needs Advocacy Associates LLC believes ardently in the value of collaboration. Negotiations is the most effective and quickest way to get the needs of your child met while safeguarding a productive relationship with your school.

You are entitled to and responsible along with the school district for developing an appropriate individualized educational plan (IEP) for your child with special needs.

Therefore, we invest time in understanding your concerns and priorities for your child and have you involved or more involved with your child’s educational planning. We produce the best ways of working with your school and then engage with purpose to drive the results you want for your child.

ABOUT

Liane Bass

Non-attorney Advocate

Founder and President

Liane Bass founded Special Needs Advocacy Associates LLC to act as an advocate providing families, children and young adults with special needs across New Jersey with strategies and services for academic and social success in a student-centered context. Special Needs Advocacy Associates LLC works with families to understand and successfully navigate their way through every stage or portions as needed of the special education process and higher education accommodations procedures employing effective advocacy and collaborative relationship techniques.

Liane brings her depth of experience in advocacy, law, and higher education to focus on the individual and unique needs of each student. She considers strongly that generating a collaborative working environment for families and school districts/post-secondary institutions results in the student receiving an appropriate education during early learning, elementary and secondary school years and supportive services during college and graduate school years. Students will consequently be ready for advanced education/training, employment and independent living.

Throughout her professional career, Liane has been passionate about social justice issues and worked on behalf of those who are underrepresented. While a law school student, she studied with and was mentored by Michael Perlin, an internationally-recognized expert on mental disability law, and worked as a research assistant focused on rights of and advocacy for persons with disabilities. Her experience with Special Education Law was bolstered after law school by assisting on portions of the ground breaking accommodations case, Bartlett v. New York State Board of Law Examiners, requiring reasonable accommodations to a law school student sitting for the New York State bar exam.

Liane was a staff attorney for Adult Protective Services in the Office of Legal Affairs at the Human Resources Administration of the City of New York. She ensured protection of the rights of persons with disabilities, including, among other things, by having guardians appointed to safeguard their homes and prevent eviction, providing consultation services, and training agency staff to better serve clients.

Thereafter, Liane assumed the position as Senior Administrator of the Mental Disability Law Program at New York Law School which trained attorneys, law school students, mental health professionals and advocates. She played an integral part in expanding and managing program development initiatives to grow from 4 courses to a Master of Arts degree, advanced certificate, and joint JD and Master of Arts degree. Her other critical tasks included career advising and mentoring students as well as navigating through institutional processes to improve the quality of services on behalf of faculty and students.

Liane earned her BA in Law and Society at Binghamton University and her JD at New York Law School. She attended also the highly selective Institute of Special Education Advocacy at William & Mary Law School.

Launching Special Needs Advocacy Associates LLC, Liane translates her experiences and passions into effectively advocating as a non-attorney advocate on behalf of children and young adults with special needs as well as their families to make an authentic difference in their lives.