IFSP: Understanding Individualized Family Service Plans | IDEA Part C
Inside: If your disabled child is in the 0-3 age range, you may have some questions about IDEA part C and Early Intervention Services. Here’s…
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Hundreds of posts. Thousands of IEP Goals and IEP accommodations. Tons of advice and tips after attending 100s of IEP meetings.
This a reminder that nothing on this website should be construed as legal advice.
Good advocacy begins with a solid understanding of IDEA and the state laws that regulate special education. This includes your federally mandated parental rights in the IEP process.
And, we’ve got all of this here for you! I explain it in language parents can understand.
An IEP, or Individualized Education Plan, is a complex document with many different parts. Understanding each part will help you be a better IEP advocate for your child.
I’ve spent over a decade as a Special Education Advocate, and attended hundreds of IEP meetings and more conferences and workshops than I can count.
The Understanding IDEA category provides information and resources on the laws and regulations surrounding the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process.
Here, you will find a wealth of information on understanding the IEP laws, from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to state-specific regulations.
Our expert authors share their knowledge and experiences to help you understand your rights and navigate the complex world of IEP laws.
Whether you’re just starting the IEP process or looking for tips and tricks to make it smoother, this category has you covered. Stay informed and equipped with the latest resources on IEP laws.
Inside: If your disabled child is in the 0-3 age range, you may have some questions about IDEA part C and Early Intervention Services. Here’s…
Inside: Learn the key differences between a 504 and an IEP, so you can make the right decision for your child. Quite often, parents in…
Inside: Many schools ask for or demand medical information. Can they do that? Can they require an IEP student to be medicated? We’re answering all…
Inside: A Manifestation Determination Meeting is one of the most stressful parts of the IEP process. Hopefully you never have to do this. But, here’s…
Inside: You feel that your child’s needs cannot be met in your local school. You want an out of district placement, so how do you…
Inside: Do you feel that your child is in the wrong placement? Parents often misunderstand special education placement and out of district placements. So, I’m…
Inside: Learn the timelines of the IEP Evaluation Process, including how to interpret some of the IEP assessments and get ready for your IEP eligibility…
Inside: Learn how to understand and troubleshoot an IEP if the child is repeatedly not meeting IEP goals. And, Proving IEP Goals Were not Developed…
Learn what an IEP provides and what a 504 provides, and why it’s not a case of “more is better. Your child should not need both.
Inside: Yes, an IEP is a legally binding document. Understand the framework and laws behind IEPs and what to do if you have a legal…
What to do if you are denied an IEP because “his grades are fine!”
IEP Laws and Regulations Several years ago, I was at a fundraiser. It was for an agency that assists disabled people. So, naturally, they had…
“That’s a Child Find issue.You need to report them for Child Find!” If your child has an IEP, chances are you have heard these phrases.
Does your child’s IEP transfer from state to state? Can you remain in the same school if you move? Here’s what you need to know about transferring an IEP.
6 Principles of Special Education I have to open this post with a shout-out to blog reader Mike T. He emailed me a link to…
I looked at the mom/client sitting next to me at truancy court and gave her hand a squeeze. She looked up and gave me a…
FAPE This trend is really bothersome to me. I have recently had conversations with several different parents who are unfamiliar with the term FAPE or…
When the ESEA was enacted over 50 years ago, one concept borne out of that was Title 1 and Title 1 schools. Despite being around…
We don’t do that here. I got two inquiries recently that are very similar. Both parents asked for something on their child’s IEP and were…
How to Find Out if a Teacher or Therapist is Certified “How do I check if a teacher or therapist is qualified?” “I bet she’s…
Refused IEP Evaluations Let me be blunt. If your child’s IEP evaluations suck, the rest of your IEP will be garbage. Without good evaluations, the…
Who or what is the LEA in Special Education? What does it stand for? Can I exclude them from my IEP meeting?
Emotional Disturbance on your IEP: Understand the criteria for this category, plus a list of IEP goals, accommodations, and teaching strategies.
Does your child keep getting sent home from school? Is the school constantly calling you to come pick them up due to behaviors? That’s an informal suspension.
IEP Present Levels Ask almost any Special Education Advocate, and they’ll tell you that Present Levels is the most important section of the IEP. Present…
14 Categories of Disabilities in IDEA There are 14 categories of disabilities listed in IDEA. Autism Deaf-blindness Deafness Developmental delay (DD) Emotional disturbance (ED) Hearing…
Can a School Demand Medical Information? I can’t believe that I am even doing a blog post on this topic. But it’s only Tuesday and…
AngelSense My friend and fellow advocate Susan loves to tell this story. One morning she woke up and her son was gone. He is autistic…
Retaking Tests Accommodation Allowing a student to retake a test is a very common IEP accommodation. And, at first glance, it seems like a reasonable…
Watching a School’s CCTV of your Child If you ask the average American, they will tell you that their activities are captured by a video…
Communication Plan for Parents I remember I was working with this client one time. We had held an IEP meeting, and we were wrapping up…
OSEP Dear Colleague Letters Parents, here is another great tool for your advocacy toolkit. And yes, another issue that was brought to my attention in…
The IEP Process As many of you know, along with this website, there is a very large Facebook group. And, at least once a week…
Important items that must be on your child’s IEP. “I got a call to pick up my daughter today because she put a child in…
ESY Extended School Year What is ESY? ESY (extended school year) is anything that extends beyond the normal six hours a day, 180 days a…
When your Aide or Para is Absent This issue has me really ticked off lately. Mostly because of how often it is happening. “I’m so…
What happens if I don’t sign the IEP? Short answer: Nothing. In most cases. Only 2-3 states require a parent’s signature on the IEP to…
Can you Suspend a Student with an IEP? It happened again. You were at work, in the middle of…working. And the phone rings again. You…
When does an IEP end? When does an IEP end? How do you end an IEP? What is the IEP age range?I know what you’re…
IEP Timelines How long does a school have to: respond to IEP email? schedule an IEP meeting? evaluate my child? begin services in a new…
I don’t want that IEP goal. I know I’ve told the story several times. The story of my first IEP meeting with my school district….
Special Education Classroom Observation “Can I observe my child’s classroom?” I’ve been hearing this one a lot lately. And unfortunately, this issue often brings out…
Bullying at School Bullying at school. I hate it. It’s gross and happens everywhere-on the bus, at school. My standard disclaimer is that I am…
Special Education Transportation “It’s the bus. It’s always the bus!” My former supervisor used to say that so often. So many issues around a school…
IEP Cover Page Imagine for a moment that you are a teacher and it’s the first day of class. Every child is wearing a baseball…
Parent Counseling and Training on an IEP One little-known feature of IDEA is the section on parent training. Parents are often unaware that they can…
How to Write IEP Parent Concerns. I’m going to wag my finger at you–from this day forward, you do a Parent Concerns Letter for your…
Recording School IEP Meetings Can you (audio) record your IEP meeting? It’s a question that I’ve seen parents and advocates discuss quite a bit. And…
HIPAA vs FERPA It’s exhausting. This comes up so often in the group and it’s exhausting. Every few weeks, a teacher will say something, or…
Special Education Procedural Safeguards Ok, finger-wagging time. Because I know that a very large percentage of parents are not reading your IEP Procedural Safeguards. I can…
IEP Unilateral Placements One of the greatest IDEA misunderstandings among parents is the concept of Unilateral Placements. There is a lot of misinformation about them,…
IEP Eligibility Your child has an IEP. Or they do not. Perhaps they were found ineligible. Maybe you were offered a 504 or RTI instead…
What to Ask for on your IEP “I don’t know what to ask for on my IEP!” That question comes up often in our Facebook…
IEE Independent Education Evaluations IEE stands for Independent Education Evaluation. It is a provision of IDEA, listed in the Parents’ Rights Booklet, or Procedural Safeguards….
IEP Parent Participation This is a concept that I really need parents to grab on to and internalize. I hope that this brings you that…
Special Factors in the IEP Most of the questions that we receive as educational advocates are about the implementation of the IEP. Let’s face it….
IEP No-Meet Amendments In making changes to a child’s IEP after the annual IEP Team meeting for a school year, the parent of a child…
It doesn’t happen as often as it used to, but this Special Education Stigma scenario still happens. It goes like this: Parent recognizes that their…
Charter Schools and IEPs-Special Education Charter Schools and IEPs or Special Education is a very misunderstood concept, even though the law is pretty clear. Some…
Restraint and Seclusion in Schools “Every child deserves to be treated with dignity, be free from abuse, and treated as a unique individual with individual…
Can an IEP be removed? One of the, ahem, benefits of this job is that I get to talk to all kinds of parents. That…
School Educational Records We were seated around a huge U-shaped setup. I was directly across from the school district’s attorney, though we were a good…
Draft IEP Timelines “Well, Mrs. Lightner, we are not going to be making any changes to this IEP today. Oh lordy. Do I remember that…
Excluding Students from Field Trips Imagine this–your school is planning a field trip. But, they call you and say “Oh, I’m sorry, your child cannot…
My school is not following the IEP! It’s a common parent complaint. Your school, teacher or IEP team is not following the IEP. In non-compliance. Here…
IEP Homebound Wow. So I have to do a post on homebound. Granted, I guess at some point, there will be a blog post about…
Prior Written Notice-PWN How many times have you heard phrases like these, at IEP meetings, when you’ve suggested something? “I don’t get it…I did everything…
Developmental Delay It’s weird, right? Your child has had an IEP for years, and his disability classification has always been Developmental Delays. Now, all of…
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