Ceres Psychological Services:

At Ceres Psychological Services, IEP advocacy for special needs children is consistent with the most recent research available. We approach each case with an exploration of previous assessment findings, and then explore alternatives to special education that will insure that you are successful in your advocacy for an appropriate individualized education for your child.

As Licensed Educational Psychologists we provide specialized in-person assessment and interpretation of existing data to clients in Oakland and Berkeley, California and other East Bay communities.

E-mail and telephone support is provided with no charge to purchasers of the book Learning Disabilities Understanding the Problem Managing the Challenges.

For national and international readers, consultation, special needs IEP advocacy, and parent training are available by fax, phone or email as friendly conversations which build your confidence and provide tips for more successful interactions with the school district, so feel free to contact us at any time using one of the comment forms on this web site. With your permission we will contact the school district as mediators to insure that both sides are working together in the best interest of the student. We will make every effort to provide you with service which will prove helpful to your efforts to insure an appropriate education for your child.

Special Needs IEP Advocacy Services:

• We work exclusively with and for parents of special needs children to provide the outside information permitted by law in support of a decision to place or not place a child in special education. Our work asks the question: "Is special education appropriate even if the child is eligible.". Emphasis is upon advocacy for appropriate services outlined in an Individualized Education Plan.
• This recommendation presumes parent involvement by providing activities to do at home in support of what the teacher is asked to do in the classroom.

Professional Credentials

• While in our efforts we focus upon the law, we are Licensed Educational Psychologists, not attorneys-at-law. Still, we hope to support parents with information that will help them to understand the law and utilize that information to explore educational alternatives to meet the needs of the child with learning disabilities and other special needs.

Assessments

• We review all current and previous assessments for accuracy of interpretation and/or recommend additional assessment by the school district as needed to identify the learning strengths and weaknesses needed to develop an appropriate Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

Motivation and Support



• We assist the IEP advocate toward mastery of the content of our book LEARNING DISABILITIES: Understanding the Problem Managing the Challenges.

  Initial emphasis is upon gaining an understanding of learning disabilities so that one can better master the challenges they present to the child, the family and the school.

• Parents are encouraged to empower themselves with the step-by-step information needed to meet the challenges presented by the child with learning disabilities, and to solve problems and find solutions during the design of an appropriate individualized education plan. The parent advocate is advised what to do and how to do it, what to say and when to say it, questions to ask, and what to do if you don’t get the right answer.

An electronic version (ebook) is available for international orders and others who may prefer a digital copy. Look for an immediate email from Pay Pal with a link to the download.
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SBI!