WI FACETS provides several types of special education support services to help Wisconsin parents and educators support and enrich the lives of children with disabilities.

Training

WI FACETS offers free online training year-round on topics related to special education rights and responsibilities, parent support, and disabilities. Our webinars are for families of children with disabilities and those who support them, likewise professionals. Our training helps parents to participate effectively in their children’s education and development.

Registration to our webinars is required. Requests for reasonable accommodations, including language access, are needed two weeks before the training.

Parent Support

We provide free one-to-one special education support to families of children with disabilities.  Our Help Desk Specialists are available Monday through Thursday to help with questions you may have about your child’s special education rights and processes, your child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP), and the options you have to resolve a disagreement you may have with your child’s school.  Even if your child is not receiving special education but you suspect they may have a disability, we are here to answer your questions.  You may access our Help Desk by calling, 1-877-374-0511. Education professionals are welcome to contact our Help Desk with questions or to be connected with other resources. Please note that we cannot provide legal advice.

Sometimes a more intensive level of support is needed, such as reviewing your paperwork, helping you prepare for an upcoming meeting, or supporting your participation at an IEP, IFSP, facilitated IEP, or mediation. We know that many families are seeking someone to attend their upcoming meeting with them. At this time we are only able to attend a very small amount of school meetings with families each year. Our participation is done completely virtually. The first step to accessing any of our one-to-one services is to call our Help Desk at 1-877-374-0511. WI FACETS does not provide legal representation and we do not attend due process hearings, expulsion hearings, or manifestation determination hearings.

Our goal is to empower families to feel confident navigating their child’s special education journey.

Youth Leadership

WI FACETS is committed to assisting youth and young adults develop the knowledge and skills they need to feel confident advocating for their own preferences and future goals.  Our Help Desk (1-877-374-0511) is here to answer any questions young adults may have about their IEPs or 504 Plans, and transition to postsecondary education or work. We have online resources for young adults with disabilities which you can access on our Resources Page.  We also offer various trainings that young adults may benefit from.  Check out our Training Page for upcoming workshops and recordings of those that have already been held.

Parent Leadership

We provide leadership training and support to parents who are interested in making a difference in their communities. If you are interested in volunteering your time to support WI FACETS material and information dissemination activities, please call us at 1-877-374-0511 or email us, and ask about the Parent Ambassador Program.

WI FACETS also occasionally hosts Serving on Groups trainings for families working in decision-making groups. More information is available on the Serving on Groups website, and upcoming trainings are listed on our calendar.

If you are not located in Wisconsin, you can find the parent center that serves your area.