It’s that time of year. The end of the third marking period, also known as IEP season. Has the school staff said your child is doing fine and making good progress, but you don’t see it? You’ve trusted them, but now you have your doubts. Should you follow their guidance, or trust your own instincts?
In other words, how do you get an appropriate IEP or 504 Plan for your child? The answer is, That depends.
First, although you may have a good idea of your child’s needs, you may be unaware of other or deeper challenges which inhibit your child’s progress.
You don’t want to miss your child’s real needs by creating an IEP or 504 Plan that misses the mark. What if the child study team agrees to give you the IEP you request, but it doesn’t address your child’s real needs? Even professional people who are educated and trained in the various disciplines which encompass special education miss some things.
If you miss the real issues, your child may come to believe he’s stupid and to feel devalued and demoralized. That can erode his self-esteem and the goals which he believes he can achieve. It can eat away at any of his motivation to try harder, to try new things, to maintain friendships and outside interests.
Even if you do know exactly what your child needs, asking for it without any proof can undermine future success.
What if the child study team refuses to give your child the type of instruction or programming you request? You will likely have to obtain the help of a suitable expert and ultimately get recommendations once that person has completed his assessment. If you go back to the child study team with your expert report three months after they turned down your first request and your expert report repeats your original recommendations, the CST will believe that you paid an expert to say what you wanted.
They will accuse you of having an idee fixe, a fixed idea of what you wanted ahead of time and that you found an expert willing to put those recommendations on paper and sign his name to it—for a fee. This is unlikely to lead to a better program for your child, at least not without a fight.
Can I Rely on Proof from a Friend or Relative?
Having a relative who works in special education can be a great help …or a great hinderance. A sister or bestie who is well-trained and experienced in special education can often spot warning signs in children even outside of their classroom. The danger is that your relative may be trained and experienced in one discipline and can miss issues outside of their expertise.
Nevertheless, a friend or relative trained and experienced in special education can be a real asset:
- They can attend meetings with you.
- They can review progress notes and reports.
- They can give you ideas and recommendations.
But don’t abandon your own common sense. You’re the parent. You know your own child well. Remember to trust yourself.
Do I Ask My Special Education Relative to Write an Assessment?
That depends on a number of factors:
- How informal was the assessment?
- Did she use actual assessment tools?
- Did she do an observation of your child?
- For how many minutes?
- Did she observe him interacting with adults?
- With his peers?
- Communicating verbally and non-verbally?
- Following one- and two-step directions?
- Reading a paragraph?
- Did she ask any questions related to your child’s comprehension of that paragraph? (This need not be obvious. A skilled evaluator can use almost any setting to conduct excellent assessments.)
- Is it something she can write up as an independent evaluation complete with recommendations?
If you have a professional report that contains enough supporting data, you could use the findings and conclusions to make a referral. However, if you want to ensure that the program is meeting all your child’s needs, it’s best to get expert advice.
If you do plan to make a referral, it’s okay to send such a request via email, but make sure you:
- Formalize it by writing a separate letter.
- Attach it to a cover email.
- Sign it with ink and scan and send, or sign it electronically.
- Make sure you date the letter.
- Keep a separate email folder for all correspondence related to your child.
- In addition to keeping electronic files, ALWAYS keep a printed copy of this type of correspondence.
If you’re worried or have questions, please contact us at 609-409-3500. An experienced attorney will be happy to speak with you.