The Wrightslaw Way

The school district was supposed to test my daughter for giftedness and/or learning disabilities when we moved two years ago.  I just found out they never did. She is experiencing problems in the classroom. I wrote and asked the principal to test her, but he refused. He said he didn’t even understand why I was […]

Although I read your newsletter, I am at a loss about how to get my child the services he needs. He is is 9 years old and is diagnosed with ADHD, Tourette Syndrome and Bipolar Depression. I am fighting a losing battle with the special educators about providing my son with the services he needs […]

“Do you have any advice about the ’10 day notice letter’ to the school that parents are required to send if they plan to place their child in a private school at public expense? What should be included?” The 10-day notice letter can easily be one of your most important evidentiary exhibits, helping or hurting […]

Help!  I need an attorney! Last year my son’s special ed reading teacher did NOT follow thru with the program in his IEP. The school said they did! Last September, the teacher gave him a toy gun for a reading reward. Why on earth would she give him a “gun” – he would get in […]

2011 Summer School Short Course Assignment #1: QUIZ Directions: Type the number of the question and your answer (TRUE or FALSE) in the message box below. How much do you know about writing effective letters? Are the statements below true or false? 1. When you write a letter to someone at school, you want them […]

Why? Why am I writing to the school? What am I trying to accomplish? What? What do I want? What are my goals? When you write letters to the school, you want to express concerns and educate your reader about your child’s problems. When you write a letter, be guided by your purpose. You want […]

At Wrightslaw, we have always recommended creating a paper trail through documentation in letters. Many parents think you should send important letters to the school by certified mail.  This could have a negative impact on your relationship with school personnel. It may cause the recipient to feel defensive and mistrustful.  So how do you establish […]