The Wrightslaw Way

Can a parent request that the school use exactly the same tests when evaluating a student for his triennial IEP?  We want the same tests conducted to compare progress.
No, there is no requirement or regulation that a school use the same tests. If a parent requests this, it’s very unlikely that a school would comply.

My 6 year old grandson has ASD, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, & Hypermobility Syndrome. He is prone to fractures and in danger of re-fracturing the same bone over & over.
He was physically restrained at school and received numerous bruises. The principal said he was restrained for rocking back & forth in a chair. My [...]

Want to become an advocate or fine tune your advocacy skills?
It’s never too late to catch up on Summer School for Advocates at http://www.wrightslaw.com/nltr/09/summer.school.advocates.htm
When you complete the 5 part series, you’ll find your certificate here.
Need A Pocket Manual for Advocates? Get a free download…

New Book! Wrightslaw: All About IEPs is at the printer now!
Shipping second week of December                        $12.95    Order now

Answers more than 200 frequently asked questions & introduces key legal issues
Outlines your rights & responsibilities and explains the law in plain language you can understand
Provides the reference source of information, the law, regulation, [...]

This time of year the football chant is ringing in our heads - “We’ve got the pow-er!” This year, get some of that advocacy power!
“Key changes in the special education arena this year have given parents more decision-making power regarding their children with special needs. For example…

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 unless the school [...]

Thanks to Chicago Special Education Examiner, Kindall Nelson, who reviews and recommends books every parent of a child with special needs should read.
Several of Kindall’s favorites, she says are “invaluable to parents, teachers, and others,” are our favorites too.
Don’t miss

Who is your child’s first teacher? You are. Who is your child’s most important role model? You are. Who is responsible for your child’s welfare? You are. Who has your child’s best interests at heart? You do.
You know your child better than anyone else. The school is involved with your child for a few years. [...]

Did you receive academic test results for your child that were much lower than you expected?
In some cases parents say they received no scores for certain subjects or were told their child “either scored so low she could not be graded or she was not given the test.”
What can you do? First, focus on [...]

We’ve been posting about using time this summer to review your child’s records and organize his special education file. Have you started yet?
Here are 14 tips for reviewing your child’s record from Pat Howey.
1. Send a request letter to inspect and review your child’s records.
2. Specify all files in the letter, whether or not [...]