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Advocating for people with intellectual, developmental, and other disabilities to lead full and equitable lives.

Education Advocacy Services Intake Form – IN PROGRESS

Thank you for your interest in Education Advocacy Services! Please review the following before submitting your referral. 

AHRC NYC’s Education Advocates help students with disabilities ages 3-22, and their family members, understand and exercise their rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to ensure students receive a Free Appropriate Public Education in New York City.

AHRC Advocates may assist with all aspects of special education services and placement, including:

  • Advocating with you at Preschool and School-Age IEP Meetings (CPSE & CSE)
  • Helping you obtain the right evaluations, related services, and program recommendations
  • Resolving conflicts with school teams and escalating concerns
  • Attending mediation and school support meetings, explaining transition processes, and much more!

To receiveEducation Advocacy Services from AHRC, students must: 

  • Have active OPWDD Eligibility (You do not need to be eligible for HCBS waiver services.)
  • Live in Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn or Queens. 

Please note: 

  • We do not provide legal services. Due to our small program size, we cannot represent students in Due Process/Impartial Hearings. However, if indicated, AHRC Education Advocates can work with you to find an attorney and can provide support before, during, and after the Impartial Hearing process. 
  • There is currently a waiting list for advocacy services.
  • If you self-direct your services, Education Advocacy must be included in the budget before services can begin. 

When your case is assigned, an advocate will follow up with you to initiate an intake. In the meantime, you can: 

  • Begin to organize your child’s documents (Current IEP, Psychological and Psychosocial). 
  • Request electronic copies of educational documents from your child’s school (contact the principal or school psychologist) and copies of the psychological and psychosocial from your care manager. 

Thank you!

Your name(Required)
Student's borough of residence(Required)
Student's name(Required)
Student's date of birth
Include as much as is known (Mickey Mantle School, ICT, 12:1:4 D75, ACES Program, Non-public, etc). It’s okay to enter “unknown” if you do not know.
Parent/caregiver's name(Required)
This is the 6-digit ID number. It appears on the child’s OPWDD eligibility determination letter and Life Plan.
Students must be eligible for OPWDD to receive advocacy services from AHRC. If your child is eligible but you do not know the TABS number, please indicate “Unknown” below and we can follow up with your Care Manager. The best way to learn more about OPWDD and to determine if your child may benefit from services is to attend a Front Door session: https://opwdd.ny.gov/get-started/front-door
Care manager's name(Required)
Is the student currently enrolled in self-direction?(Required)
Tell us a little bit about the reason you are seeking advocacy services for this student and your goals for educational advocacy. What do you hope we can achieve in our work together or on behalf of this student and family?
For example, if the student is not receiving any services due to lack of placement, was recently suspended, is facing an ongoing safety issue, or if repeated calls to pick up a student are impacting parent’s employment. Please note that we are a very small department and we currently have a waitlist for services, however we will do our best to prioritize urgent cases. If your child is in immediate danger or if this is a health emergency, please call 911. You can also contact specialeducation@schools.nyc.gov or 311 to report an issue or concern with your child’s school or educational program.

How Do I Request Services?

Information for people with developmental disabilities, their families, and professionals wishing to make a referral for services is available by calling 212-780-4491 (TTY:711) or visiting our Request Services page.

Request Services

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