What should I do as a parent?

Parents have a responsibility to know how their children are doing at school. As the parent of a disabled child, this is even more important. Your child is your first source of information. Talk to your child. Ask if he has homework. Ask if he has a test soon. Ask him how things are going at school.

Should I talk to my child's teacher?

You also have a responsibility to talk with your child’s teachers. You may not always hear the whole story from your child. Ask the teacher for a meeting or simply write notes. Most teachers want to talk to you about how your child is doing. They may have ideas on how you can help at home. They are usually open to your suggestions too.

You need to know as soon as possible if your child is having trouble. If your child is failing or getting suspended and you do nothing, then you share in the blame if your child gets retained or kicked out of school.

How can I monitor my child’s IEP?

Your child’s IEP notes how often the school will tell you how your child is doing.  You will get a report card and a progress report at least every grading period. The IEP team can agree to give you reports more often. Remember that you are part of the IEP team. You can ask for reports every day, every week, or every month. If you are not getting reports when you should be, it is your responsibility to talk to the teacher and find out why.

Make sure your child is getting any related services written in the IEP. Find out the name of each person providing related services. Ask your child if she met with that person. Have your child explain what she did.

Make sure your child is getting the accommodations written in the IEP. Does he get more time to turn in homework or tests? Is someone supposed to help your child write down his or her assignments? Does someone help your child read the questions or write the answers on tests?

What is involved in reviewing the IEP?

Problems are frustrating. Having a lot of meetings to fix the problem can be frustrating too. The law only requires the IEP team to meet once a year to write a new IEP.

However, it is also hard to know all the problems that your child might have before they happen. That is why you or the school can ask for an IEP meeting during the school year. You can talk about any problems that you did not plan for at the last meeting.

The IEP meeting is the same whether it is your child’s first IEP or the tenth. The same people must be there. The team must talk about the same issues. You still do not have to agree with decisions made by the IEP team.

The school must tell you in writing when they want to change your child’s IEP. They must tell you before they make any changes. If the school will not make a change that you ask for, they must tell you why in writing. This is called prior written notice.

The notice must say what change the school does or does not want to make. It must say why they do or do not want to make the change. It also must say what other changes they thought about and why they did not want those changes.

Can I get a reevaluation?

Students in special education must get a new evaluation every three years. This process is called reevaluation. The last page of your child’s IEP shows when the next evaluation will be done. You can ask for new testing sooner. Ask for testing if you think your child’s disability has changed or gotten worse. Ask for new testing if you think your child might not need special education anymore.

Schools do not have to do new IQ and achievement tests as part of the reevaluation. They can use grade reports and proficiency tests to decide if your child still needs special education. However, IQ and achievement scores can show you if your child is really doing better.

What do I do if I want to stop my child's special education?

The school must get your permission to stop giving your child special education. The school must do an evaluation first. You give permission to stop special education by signing the evaluation.

Make the chart before you sign anything. Compare your child’s test scores. If the scores have not gotten better, do not agree to stop special education.

You can also contact any one of the following organizations:

• Your Local Legal Aid Office or call 1-866-LAW-OHIO (529-6446)
  

• Ohio Legal Rights Service (OLRS)or call 1-800-282-9181
  

• Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities (OCECD) or call 1-800-374-2806
  

• Parent Mentors - Ask your school district if they have one.

• Private Attorneys - Ask your local Legal Aid office or check your local yellow pages.