The Wrightslaw Way

School has started. Your first IEP meeting is approaching.  Both parents and teachers are anxious about what this year will bring.  What will happen at the first IEP meeting? What can you do to ensure a productive meeting? Here are some Tested Tips for IEP Meetings from CADRE that parents and teachers can use. CADRE […]

My school told me, “You are the expert at home and the district is the expert at school.”  I did not agree to my daughter’s IEP. The district refused to allow me to tape record meetings and include my notes with the district’s notes. I filed a state complaint. The complaint: The school completely ignored […]

We are having a dispute with the school about placement in the least restrictive environment.  The school keeps denying our requests.  Should we threaten to sue them? First – NO threats. I never say anything in an IEP meeting that I am not prepared to do. You should never say anything that you cannot “back […]

Williamsburg, VA: Thursday, April 15, 2010 from 4:30-6:00 PM Parents Engaged for Learning Equality (PELE), the Special Education Advocacy Clinic at WM Law School, will host a free workshop for families of children who have special needs on Thursday, April 15. The workshop will unravel some myths regarding parental roles in the IEP process…and more. […]

When it comes to special education, Becky McGee and her 19-year-old son, Kyle, feel as if they’ve seen it all. Ms. McGee hopes her hard-won lessons might benefit other parents. Kyle was born with orthopedic and neurological problems. In elementary school he was found to have several learning disabilities that included severe dyslexia and attention-deficit […]

In November, I offered to research an issue and write a legal memorandum about whether an attorney for the school can legally attend an IEP team meeting.   Thank you to all who posted comments on my article Can School Attorneys Legally Attend IEP Meetings? I am finally out of finals and through the holidays and […]

Does a teacher or service provider have the right to refuse to be recorded during an IEP meeting? Is there caselaw or code that deals with this? An IEP meeting should focus on how to provide appropriate education to a child with a disability. There should be no conversation at an IEP meeting that cannot […]

Last week on the Community Helpline, Kim asked “Should a child’s special education file include copies of all evaluations and reports, especially those requested for annual review?” Sharon answered: “Your child’s record at the school district has to be a complete history of your child’s journey through special ed.” A complete history – yikes! How […]

Is there anything in the law that would prevent me from asking that my child’s annual IEP be postponed? The current accommodations are either not working or are not being implemented as required by certain teachers. I would like to postpone it to enable time to obtain testing results and re-work some ideas on accommodations. […]

Preparing Documentation is Essential to Good Advocacy Your goal at an IEP meeting is to initiate or obtain additional special education and/or related services for your child. A successful outcome at an IEP meeting depends on the documentation you make available to the team. You can’t wait until the last minute to prepare documentation. Documenting […]