Notes

IEP Summary Letter WILL LET YOU Win a Special Education Dispute TOGETHER WITH YOUR School District!
As a parent and special educational advocate for over 20 years I get frustrated by the treating parents by school personnel. This frustration becomes acute at individual educational plan (IEP) meetings when I experience the intimidation and retaliation that lots of parents also experience. I was recently advocating in a southern Illinois town for a man with Autism when my frustration begun to bubble over. WHEN I calmed myself down following 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 items that were said, the nasty attitudes of the special education personnel, and the federal special education laws that I found were not complied with. I was amazed once the next meeting seemed to be less contentious and more productive.

I realized that IEP summary letters could be utilized by all parents to document items that happen at meetings. You could document comments made 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 type of letter may be used at a due process hearing or perhaps a complaint to win a dispute with your school district.

Below are 9 things to use in your summary letter:

1. Name and address of your school districts special education director.

2. Date of the letter.

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

4. Use quotes as much as possible; "Mr. R. stated that ESY can only be given to a kid that has regressed following a break or summer vacation." This is simply not in keeping with IDEA 2004, and the summary letter lets you document that which was said and the noncompliance with federal special education law.

5. tollens reagent that were not contained 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 situation on services that your child needs that the school refuses to provide.

6. Discuss what services and placement that you arranged, and in addition 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 institution refuses to give them.

8. Whenever you can quote IDEA 2004 or State Special Education Law to document any violations that the school personnel committed during 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 start of the meeting set a blank little bit of paper next to you. Use this paper to put whatever is said or done, that you would like to put in your letter. Add website to your other advocacy skills, and you may commence to see positive changes in your son or daughter'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, as an advocate, for over 15 years. She actually is a presenter and author of the book "Disability Deception; Lies Disability Educators Tell and How Parents Can Beat Them at Their Own Game." The book has a lot of resources and information to greatly help parents fight for a proper education because of their child. For a free E newsletter entitled "The Special Education Spotlight" send an Mail to: [email protected]. For more information on the book, testimonials about the book, and a link to more articles head to
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