Advocating for Your Child
Getting Started:
*Federal Register IDEA 2004 regulations
* IDEA 2004 Close Up: The Individualized Education Program (IEP)
Getting Started with Record Keeping
* Care Notebook: A Quick Guide
* Advocacy Tips for meeting with school or district officials
* Record Keeping for Parents of Special Needs Children
* Do the Documents Speak for Themselves
Requesting Assessments:
* Sample Letter from Parents Requesting Evaluation to Determine Eligibility for Services Under IDEA and/or 504
* Psycho-Education Evaluation, Psychological Assessment and Functional
What is a Neuropsychological Evaluation
* Sample Letter Requesting Eligibility Services for Child with ADD/ADHD
* Sample Letter: Discussing a Problem
* Letter Requesting Evaluation Report
* Sample Letter Rejecting Evaluation Plan
* Request an Independent Educational Evaluation
* Sample Letter Requesting Functional Behavior Assessment
* Defining the Field of Behavior Analysis
* Prior Written Notice (what the law says)
* Texas Public Information Request
* Request for Reduction or Waiver of the Fee Charge for Child's File
* Letter for parents to send that specifically requests records, regardless of where they are located
* Request to Amend Child's School File
* Instructions for parents on how to review their child's records
The Individualized Education Program (IEP):
* IEP Meeting Attendance Objection Letter
* Sample Letter Requesting More Time for IEP Meeting
* How to Deal With Intimidating or Nasty Comments
* Program Visitation request Letter
* Sample Letter to Request Information about Teachers' Qualifications
* Requesting a Change of Placement
* Writing a Follow-up Letter Retention and Social Promotion
Compliant Letters:
* What You Need to Know Before Filing a Complaint
* Texas Special Education Complaint Resolution Form
* Requesting Mediation in Texas
* Special Education Mediation: A Guide for Parents
* Requesting a Due Process Hearing
* Filing a Complaint with the State Department of Education
* HOW TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OFFICE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS
* Sample Letter Providing Public School with a 10-Notice of Intent to Withdraw Student and Place in a Private School
Tip of the Week
Parents need to be asking for objective documentation of their child's progress on an annual basis, rather than ask for some program. Use individually administered nationally-normed standardized tests of what ever your child qualifies in: If he qualifies for basic reading, then get annual reassessment for basic reading, i.e., measures of reading accuracy, speed, and comprehension. If he qualifies for reading comprehension, get annual reassessment including reading accuracy, speed, comprehension, vocabulary.