There are some exceptions to this transfer of rights. For example, some children with disabilities may need to have a guardian appointed to make decisions for them. Other students may not have the ability to give informed consent 60 regarding their education. Or your child may be fully capable of making these decisions but still want your help in these matters.
Once the IEP team has decided what services your child needs, decisions must be made about where services will be provided. To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities. Often, the IEP team makes the placement decision. In some places, the placement decision is made by another group of people. In either case, under IDEA, the group that makes the placement decision must include you, as the parent s , and others who:.
A placement that is least restrictive for one child may not be least restrictive for another. Decisions must be based on individual needs as stated in the IEP, not on—.
In making placement decisions, the group looks to another important part of the IDEA, the continuum of alternative placements. These options include placements such as:. What aids, services, and supports does your child need to make this possible? Bring your records to the meeting. What things are easy? Students are often much more aware of their strengths and weaknesses than parents realize. Make notes on what your child says.
Consider his or her learning style, special education needs, and social needs. How can these needs be addressed in the IEP? What kinds of supports or services might your child need in order to be successful in the general education class? Let your child know how important the meeting is and that his or her opinions and input are valuable. You may need to prepare your child to speak up at the meeting.
Talk with your son or daughter about how to share his or her feelings about what is being proposed. Doing a Positive Student Profile Answer the following questions about your child as a way to prepare for the IEP meeting. Describe your child, including such information as place in the family, personality, likes and dislikes. Highlight all areas where your child does well, including school, home, community, and social settings.
List all successes, no matter how small. List the areas where your child has the greatest difficulties. List the skills your child needs to work on and the supports he or she needs. Other helpful information. List all relevant information, including health care needs, that has not already been described above. Write down things you feel must be included in the IEP. Decide how you want to share this information with the other members of the IEP team. Review the IDEA regulations and accurate summaries.
Take the regulations with you to the meeting in case you need them. Plan how you want to handle these. List any information that might support your position. Think of alternatives to offer if the school is not willing to accept your first suggestion. Another person may think of things during the meeting that you do not.
As a courtesy, let the school know if someone will be attending the meeting with you. If an advocate will be attending the meeting with you, review your agenda together before the meeting. Above all, be sure that the advocate understands what role you would like him or her to play in the IEP process. If a present levels statement is appropriate, there should be data to support it. If a goal is appropriate, there should be documentation to back up the need.
You want to make sure that decisions are not made based upon a single event or random observations. Avoid getting stuck debating a particular point over and over, especially if it feels like you are not getting anywhere.
You need to be clear in your mind on where you can and cannot compromise. Communicate this in a reasonable and calm way. Sometimes, the following words can help the team resolve an issue. Can you tell me who does have the authority? How do we get that person here? But we need to find a solution that will work for your child that we can all live with. One of the most difficult things in an IEP meeting can be keeping emotions under control.
It is easy at times for anyone at the meeting to get frustrated. Everyone has demands placed on them that are outside their control. The teacher has concerns about meeting the needs of all her students, including your child.
Therapists may be concerned with how many children they need to work with and how to fit everything that needs to be done into a single school day. The administrator may be worried about having enough staff,. And, like any parent, you want what is best for your child, even though the law says you are only entitled to what is appropriate. It is a challenge to balance all these needs and demands.
Keep coming back to the purpose of the meeting—to develop an appropriate IEP for your child. Written notice must tell you in detail what the school is proposing or refusing to do, why, and what information it used to reach the decision. This includes:. With this information, you may be in a better position to convince the school to rethink its decision or to proceed with the next step below.
With mediation , you and the school sit down together and try to work out the disagreement with an impartial third person called a mediator. The mediator does not work for the school system or make any decisions for you or the school. The mediator helps you and the school talk about your differences and work toward an agreement.
The due process hearing is a formal, legal procedure where both you and the school present your views on the dispute to an impartial hearing officer.
After all the evidence is presented and witnesses have spoken— much like in a court case—the hearing officer decides the case and tells you and the school how the matter is to be settled. He or she issues the decision in writing.
You request a due process hearing by filing a due process complaint that must contain specific information 77 , with a copy sent to the state department of education. Within 15 days, your school system must convene a resolution meeting between you, as parents, and relevant members of the IEP team.
The purpose of the meeting is for you to discuss your due process complaint, which gives the school system the opportunity to resolve the dispute.
This resolution meeting need not be held if you and the school system agree to waive the meeting or agree to use mediation instead. When you file a state complaint, you must tell the state what part of the IDEA you believe the school has violated.
You must also state the facts as you know them and provide copies of any documents or correspondence on the matter you may have. The state will investigate your complaint, request documents if necessary, and give a written decision. There is a lot to know about each of these ways of resolving problems with the school. Once you revoke consent, the school system may no longer provide special education services to your child, and they may not try to override your revocation of consent. There are also a number of other consequences that may arise, such as how your child will be disciplined.
Depending on the state you live in, your signature on the IEP will mean different things. There is no regulation that says you must sign the IEP immediately at the end of the meeting, or at all. This lets the school know where you stand and gives everyone time to think of possible solutions or compromises. Whatever you decide, read the IEP document in its final version before signing.
This is also a good time to review the list of concerns you prepared before the IEP meeting. Did the team talk about all of those items? When all the talking is done, if you are comfortable with the IEP, go ahead and sign.
If you agree with everything except one item, you can sign your agreement and add a statement about the one item you disagree with. The team can implement all of the IEP except that one item, until you do resolve it. Now that you have a well-written IEP, you may want to schedule a follow-up meeting after a month or six weeks, so you and the rest of the team can talk about how things are going.
So, after each meeting, jot down any thoughts you have about the IEP and the process. What did you like? What did you not like? What would you do differently next time? What will you do the same? When you are finished, store your notes in a safe place so that you can read them before the next IEP meeting. Keep in mind that developing an IEP is a learning process. With time it gets easier. Maintain your sense of humor and try to relax. When parents and schools truly work together, the process works well, and the best results for your child can be realized.
This can be a guardian, grandparent, stepparent, surrogate parent, foster parent, or natural or adoptive parent. A coordinated set of activities for a student with a disability designed to promote movement from school to postschool activities, including postsecondary education, vocational training, integrated or supported employment, continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation.
Negotiating the special education maze: A guide for parents and teachers p. Bethesda, MD: Woodbine House. AT can be provided as either a related service, as special education, or as supplementary aids and services. Age of majority: Preparing your child to make their own choices. Minneapolis, MN: Author. Quote from page 2. Available online here at the CPIR. If so, then it will be important for you to learn: more about special education; how special education services can support your child; and what part you can play in the special education process.
Quick links: Introduction A. The IEP Process 1. Among other things, this document lists the services and supports your child will receive. Back to top 2. Where and when do IEP meetings take place? By law 7 , the school must tell you in writing: the purpose of the meeting; the time and place for the meeting; who will be there; and that you may invite other people who have knowledge or special expertise about your child to the meeting. The IEP must be reviewed at least once every 12 months and revised as necessary.
Back to top 3. Does the IEP meeting have to be in person? Who attends the IEP meeting? You , as Parent s School Administrator —a member of the school district who knows about the general education curriculum the same curriculum taught to children who do not have disabilities and the resources available to the school. Other members of the team 11 In addition to the people listed above, you and the school can invite other people to the IEP meeting.
This can include: Translators or interpreters —If English is not your first language, or if you communicate by using sign language or in another mode, the law says the school must provide an interpreter, if you ask for one. Back to top 5. What do different team members bring to the IEP process?
To help you participate, the school must make reasonable efforts to: schedule the IEP meeting so you can come; 12 provide an interpreter for you, if needed; 13 inform you about the meeting; 14 inform you of your rights and where to find help in understanding them. Back to top 6. What happens at the IEP meeting? Back to top 7. Back to top B. The IEP Document 8. What is in the IEP? For example: He needs a quiet, separate place to do individual work. She learns quickly when working in a small group.
He understands and remembers what he hears about a subject. In most cases, your child study team is your partner in providing your child with all the services, modifications, and accommodations they need to be successful in school. But sometimes things get a little chilly. If so, there are many ways to work things out. There are lots of rules about what must be in an IEP.
Everything comes back to the IEP. This includes all the supportive therapies necessary to achieve those goals. Then you look at the best places — the least restrictive places — to implement those goals. Usually this is in the district in a typical classroom, sometimes with an instructional aide, or in a self-contained classroom where all the students have similar disabilities.
Sometimes children spend part of the day in typical classrooms and the rest in classrooms where they get more support. What if I think my child needs certain services but my case manager says those services are not available in my school? The IEP comes first, and then the team determines the placement, not the other way around. I have a disagreement with my team about the content of the IEP. I want the goals to be more specific but the team wants them more general. My team says my child is academically at grade level but I think he needs more support.
What can I do? If you disagree with the evaluation, you have the right to ask for an Independent Educational Evaluation at public expense. The district can challenge that request through due process — argue to a mediator or a judge that its original evaluation is fine — but parents usually prevail with this request.
There is no cost to have your child assessed. Get an IEE if you disagree with the evaluation. You have the right to take your child for an Independent Educational Evaluation IEE if you do not agree with the findings of your child's evaluation.
The person who evaluates your child can request that the school system pay for the evaluation. For example, if you disagree with the school's assessment of your child's hearing abilities, then you could take your child to a hearing specialist for a second opinion.
Consider other additions to your child's IEP team. You have the right to add other members to your child's IEP planning team if you choose to do so. This may include a specialist who has worked with your child or someone who works with your child outside of school, such as a coach. You can also hire an attorney to serve as an advocate for you and your child during the IEP planning process.
Attend the IEP meeting. You are a member of this team, so you are entitled to attend the meeting. Keep in mind that your input is quite valuable since your know your child best. Speak up if you disagree with something someone says or if you have ideas about what would be the most helpful measures for your child.
You have the right to have the meeting recorded if you provide written notice at least 24 hours before the meeting. You can provide this request to your child's school principal or to the special education chairperson. Can you please clarify it for me? Get a copy of your child's IEP. After the IEP has been drawn up, you are entitled to receive a paper copy of the plan. Make sure that you request on if you do not receive one within a week of the meeting.
If you disagree with any aspect of the IEP, then you can also request mediation or a hearing. You can hire your own attorney for this process or ask to have one appointed to you if you cannot afford an attorney. Have your child reevaluated every three years. To ensure that the IEP is providing the maximum benefit to your child, it is important for them to be reevaluated at least once every three years.
This reevaluation will also identify whether your child still has the disability or if it has improved or become more severe. Method 2. Consider reasons why a student might require an IEP. It is normal for kids to struggle sometimes.
However, if you have noticed that a student is consistently struggling in the classroom, then they may benefit from an assessment to see if an IEP is necessary. You might recommend a child for an assessment if they: [10] X Research source require constant guidance to complete tasks. Refer the child to your school's counselor or psychologist.
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