Notes

IEP Summary Letter WILL LET YOU Win a particular Education Dispute With Your School District!
As a parent and special educational advocate for over twenty years I get annoyed by the treating parents by school personnel. This frustration becomes acute at individual educational plan (IEP) meetings when I go through the intimidation and retaliation that lots of parents also experience. I was recently advocating in a southern Illinois town for a young man with Autism when my frustration started to bubble over. After I calmed myself down after the meeting, I began writing a letter to the special education personnel in the institution district w here I attended the IEP meeting, for the parents. I documented things that were said, the nasty attitudes of the special education personnel, and the federal special education laws that I came across weren't complied with. I was pleasantly surprised when the next meeting seemed to be less contentious and more productive.

I realized that IEP summary letters could possibly be utilized by all parents to document things that happen at meetings. You could document comments created by a particular education person, you can document denials for needed services, or violations of IDEA 2004. Documentation is crucial to win any dispute between yourself and special education personnel. This sort of letter can be utilized at a due process hearing or perhaps a complaint to win a dispute together with your school district.

Below are 9 what to use in your summary letter:

1. Name and address of one's school districts special education director.

2. Date of the letter.

3. Begin your letter with "This letter is to clarify and discuss what happened at the IEP meeting of ___________(Date).

4. Use quotes whenever you can; "Mr. R. stated that ESY can only be given to a child that has regressed following a break or summer vacation." This is simply not consistent with IDEA 2004, and the summary letter enables you to document what was said and the noncompliance with federal special education law.

5. Any important discussions that were not included in the IEP notes; such as your child's behavior or specific related or special education services that you think your child needs. Readdress your position on services your child needs that the school refuses to provide.

6. Discuss what services and placement that you arranged, and also any services or placement that you did not agree upon.

7. Require PWN (prior written notice) on any service or placement that the institution wants to give your child that you disagree with, or any service or placement that you think your son or daughter needs and the school refuses to provide them with.

8. Whenever you can quote IDEA 2004 or State Special Education Law to document any violations that the institution personnel committed through the IEP meeting.

9. Type your name and address and below this place your son or daughter's name, birth date, grade and school of attendance. Include this statement: Please keep a copy of this letter in my child's educational record per FERPA (FERPA is the federal educational records law).

At the beginning of the meeting set a blank piece of paper next to you. Utilize this paper to put anything that is said or done, that you would like to put in your letter. Add an IEP summary letter to your other advocacy skills, and you may begin to see positive changes in your child's IEP meetings. I've said for several years that schools get away with the horrible treatment of parents due to insufficient accountability; this letter could force accountability on your school district, and change all that for you! Good Luck.

JoAnn Collins may be the mother of two adults with disabilities, and contains helped families navigate the special eduation system, being an advocate, for over 15 years. She actually is a presenter and writer of the book "Disability Deception; Lies Disability Educators Tell and How Parents Can Beat Them at Their Own Game." The book has a large amount of resources and information to greatly help parents fight for an appropriate education for their child. For a free E newsletter entitled "The Special Education Spotlight" send an E mail to: [email protected]. To find out more on the book, testimonials concerning the book, and a web link to more articles go to
Here's my website: https://www.axonnsd.org/the-tollens-reagent/