The Wrightslaw Way

The school said, “I am not sure if you are aware, outside professionals are not considered a part of the IEP team. Your doctor really cannot participate. Parents use professionals to bounce ideas off of, however, the school will set up services based on the IEP we write.” Check the federal statute and federal regulation.  […]

Do you get tongue tied at IEP meetings, not knowing what to say at times? Here are some answers to questions and comments that have worked for me that I would like to share with you. 1.   “We don’t have to write that down. We automatically do that for our students”. What do you say […]

My twin sons have autism. We have an IEP meeting tomorrow.  The boys’ Occupational Therapist/Physical therapist just called me and said that he was going to suggest to discontinue OT/PT services for the boys due to ‘no improvement’ for the past 2 years. My boy’s therapy shouldn’t be canceled because they haven’t made improvement on […]

Why has the school never asked me to sign the IEP? The federal special education law and regulations do not require a child’s parent to sign the IEP.  Parents are required to give informed consent before the school can provide services in the initial IEP, but not subsequent IEPs. Some state regulations include a provision […]

The bottom line is no.  If you do not agree, a required member of the IEP team may not be excused. If the school asks you to consent to excuse a member and you don’t agree, write a short polite letter to explain that you don’t consent because the individual has valuable information and insights […]

Good question from Marissa on the Community Helpline today. I had an IEP meeting with my son’s school on Monday. I didn’t agree with it, but signed it. How many days do I have to revise his IEP? You have a right to request an IEP meeting to review and revise your child’s IEP at […]

Last week we posted about using an IEP Parent Attachment to add input to your child’s IEP. We heard immediately from Daunna who wrote: The question was “How can I deal with [the school's refusal to include a parent attachment]?” Judy Bonnell’s parent attachment form is a great idea, but it’s not really an attachment […]

It’s IEP Season! Are you toting the right stuff to IEP meetings? When you take The Wright Tote to your next IEP meeting, you’ll know the power of getting organized! Check out our three new tote options in the Advocate’s Store. See all advocacy supplies and accessories in the Advocate’s Store Special Introductory Offer is […]

I want to ask for an IEP meeting at my daughter’s school. I don’t want to be put off like I have been in the past. If a parent requests an IEP meeting, does the meeting have to be held within 10 days. Is this correct? I could not find a reference to it in […]

How long should a school have to get me a copy of the revised IEP after my son’s IEP meeting? You should get a copy of your child’s IEP right away. There is no reason for any delay. Write a short polite letter to request a copy. If the school wants to send you a […]